*A Cult of Pedagogy
By Jennifer Gonzalez
February 14th, 2016
Key Points:
This article highlights what many teachers find important when it comes to the impact they have on their students. When asked the question of what each hopes their students will come out of the classroom with most teachers will respond with wanting their students to be responsible people who contribute to society in a productive manner. How is it that we shape these people? This article discusses many tips one a teacher can use in order to properly produce these outcomes in relevance to social justice and its impact on society. One strategy in particular,is key; keeping your administrator in the loop of all conversations. This will keep your administrator up to date with what you will be talking about in the classroom so if he/she gets a concerned call from a parent they are not out of the loop.
Targeted Audience: Anyone who is teaching social justice within the classroom.
Jess, the point about keeping your administration in the loop is crucial. Especially in these times of concern and questioning. It is very important to teach our students the ideas of social justice for the betterment of society. However, I believe there is a right way and a wrong way. I am also positive that each district and school has an idea of what they believe is the right way and the wrong way. It is always important to have an open line of communication with your administration. We are all in this together. It is better to move forward united and with a common message. Also, it is always good to have your administrator on your side when those angry parent phone calls start rolling in ;)
ReplyDeleteLooking through this websites tips for teaching social justice, I noticed that they caution that some students will have beliefs and family values that may conflict with the social justice pedagogy. I am glad to see that they are aware of this. Often self awareness can be lacking in SOME areas of social justice. The example of discussing Californians Proposition 8 was given and used to show the importance of teaching respectful dialog between two sides of an issue. I think this is a great idea of course and hope to see it from both progressives and conservatives. Our recent election has shown that we need to consider how conservatives think and we need to find ways to meet them half way in our discussions about the social justice issues of our day.
ReplyDeleteThis website is a great resource for the future. I especially appreciate the point mentioned that not all students will have the same beliefs and feelings and stressing to them that this is ok. It is never too early to begin having conversations with students on the importance of recognizing and appreciating each other for our differences. Express with students they do not have to agree with what someone thinks or believes, but they do have to respect that everyone has their own opinion. We approach this conversation on a daily basis and I see the benefits of having this conversation. We promote tolerance and through the avenue of accepting our differences, we have been a drastic increase in cooperation and acceptance of everyone. The resources mentioned in this article are worth bookmarking and referring back to when developing the culture I expect in my own classroom.
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