When I think reflect on the material we
covered this semester, I’d judge the most vital take away to be that this
teaching business - if you’re really committed to it - is a tough row to hoe. There’s a great deal to consider and many
obstacles to surmount: there’s no money; students are inadequately prepared; there
are special needs and affective factors; inherent and blatant biases in
curriculum and funding; increasing standardization and stratification designed,
in my opinion, to perpetuate long-standing inequities. The worst characteristic of current day educational
institutions, for me, is the new sharply focused purpose to train workers for
the job market.
Education shouldn’t be about jobs; a good
job should be a beneficial side effect of getting a good education. Education is the answer to Carl Jung’s assertion
that man (and woman) cannot stand a meaningless existence. Education allows people to discover and
express whatever meaning is important to their own lives. It puts power in the hands of historically
powerless people and gives voice to the silent. It is an avenue for dissent; gifts language to
poets and the writers of stories and songs. It allows, to paraphrase Freire,
people to perceive and act against the source of their repression rather than
simply experiencing it. Done right,
education is the equalizer. So, let’s
try to do it right.
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