While I would not exactly call myself a student of Paulo Freire, I would suggest that I derive some of my teaching methods from his dialogical approach. As Donald Macedo explains in the Introduction to Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, “the fundamental goal of dialogical teaching is to create a process of learning and knowing that invariably involves theorizing about the experiences shared in the dialogue process.” Freire wanted to develop a classroom where the teacher is on equal footing with students and is part of the discussion, not having to rely on ‘banking’ for students to learn. In my own experience, I find that a mixture of the two approaches often works well—banking is necessary until students learn what questions they should be asking, but then class discussion and study can grow more organically from there.
What I try to do in my classrooms is to foster an environment where students are not only encouraged to engage with texts as well as their own work, but to also look beyond their own individual experiences and understand how those experiences are shaping their views. In this sense, I am influenced by the philosophy of James Berlin. In his 1982 essay “Contemporary Composition: The Major Pedagogical Theories” Berlin wrote, “In teaching writing, we are not simply offering training in a useful technical skill that is meant as a simple complement to the more important studies of other areas. We are teaching a way of experiencing the world, a way of ordering and making sense of it.” By examining how their own identities shape perception, they can then begin to learn how texts can influence ideas and speak to issues in more ways than is traditionally portrayed in high school, whose role I see as laying the groundwork for the higher-level critical thinking that they encounter in college. Once we understand this, then we can understand the subtleties of theoretical schools such as Marxism, feminism, and post-colonialism in greater detail.
Since the students in any writing program enter with varying levels of competency, it is important to assess student abilities early and continue that assessment as the semester progresses. When it comes to teaching English, I look at my task as being simple in concept, if not simple in execution. Whether I am teaching literature, composition, or creative writing, one of my main goals for the course is to teach confidence. One of my favorite things to tell my students is that writing is a skill, not a talent. I look at writing as something that anybody can learn to do well, if s/he is willing to put in the effort and work required to do it.
As noted above, Freire dislikes the concept of banking education—the teacher standing in front of a class lecturing—as he views it as a form of oppression. He wants students to have an equal voice in their education. I view the role of banking a little bit differently, however. When students enter a class, they are often engaging a subject matter for the first time. Banking is necessary to get the ball rolling—if students know nothing about a subject, how are they supposed to know what it is they want to study? As a class progresses, and students become more comfortable in their knowledge, they can become more active in helping guide discussion as well as developing their own theories about texts. When we reach this point, I find my role as educator shifts to being more of a moderator or facilitator. As the ‘noted expert’ in the subject, my job would then be to keep the dialogue moving and focused, as well as straighten out any disputes that might arise in differing opinions. Aside from class discussion, I find that group projects and student presentations are terrific methods of assisting this process. By the time the semester is over, my goal is for students to develop into independent thinkers, confident in their own abilities.
With all of the tools now at our disposal, I find my process translates well to the online environment, as well. In particular, I use two specific tools to foster open discussion in an online class: discussion boards and GoToMeeting. With discussion boards, I have two approaches: the first is a guided discussion, where I ask students to respond to one or more questions I pose to them about a topic and respond to one another where necessary. The other approach is an open discussion, where a general topic is provided (such as a particular text), and students are free to write whatever they have to say about that text, with no specific direction from me. Both methods foster an environment where students have to think critically about a text, but the latter forces them to develop their own ideas and concepts. Obviously, I have to moderate the boards closely to make sure students are developing their ideas fully and staying on task. GoToMeeting is a third-party internet platform that allows for direct interaction between myself and a class. Using the platform, I can share my screen, they can see my face, and we can directly speak to each other at any time. In this way, I can provide direct instruction where necessary and allow time for open discussion and questions and answers in a simulated classroom environment.
As a teacher, my job is not just to present information but to make sure that each student is given the greatest chance to succeed. Classroom collaboration and online tools such as GoToMeeting help make this possible, but I have also found success in introducing other mediums to the classroom, such as movies, graphic novels, and even video games. By exploring other mediums, students who might struggle to engage with traditional texts can be introduced to critical concepts of literature and find outlets for their own theories.
Writing and literature should be easily accessible for all who are interested, and the information should be provided in a way that everybody can learn. With a diverse cross section of students from all backgrounds, this is especially important as not everybody will have the same level of knowledge or understanding. This might be accomplished through traditional education but might also require differentiated or collaborative instruction. In the end, I know that I have done my job when I feel I have given my students the best opportunities to succeed.
Mark D. Thomas 