Critical Pedagogy
There
was one section of this article that really stood out to me, the section
devoted to culture. This stood out because I feel as though culture plays an
incredible role in education and is too often understated as a factor of
learning. McLaren argues that culture is how a particular group makes sense of
its condition of life and the world around them. If, as McLaren suggests,
knowledge is a social construction, then the cultural worldview of each student
determines how, what, and why they learn. One of the biggest barriers for
student learning is relevance, if a student doesn’t understand why they need to
know something or how it will benefit them to know something then they are less
likely to learn it. Each culture will view the world (and therefore the
knowledge to succeed in that world) differently, so what makes information
relevant to one student will not make it relevant to all students. This is why
teachers must strive to build and understand relationships with students so
that they will be able to make knowledge applicable and relevant to them.
One
other section stood out: the “hidden curriculum.” Philosophically, the
unintended consequences of actions have always been of concern to mankind. Well
it is reasonable to assume that when a teacher spends a vast majority of the
week with students, there will be unexpected and unintended consequences of the
student/teacher dynamic and relationship. McLaren uses the subject of sexism in
describing how hidden curriculum affects a classroom, but the point is that
teachers must pay very careful attention to their responses, actions, and
behaviors in the classroom. Not only will this help avoid the possibility of
instituting a negative hidden curriculum into your classroom, but will also
make you a stronger and more meaningful teacher. If each action or behavior has
a meaning in the classroom, the teacher will likely be more effective.
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