The first thing that struck me from this chapter was the thought that TEACHERS TALK TOO MUCH. I think all teachers love to talk just a little bit (even if they deny it) because we are passionate about our content area. We love what we teach. However, while what we are teaching may seem alive to us, that does not mean our endless droning is positively impacting our students. We, as teachers, have the responsibility to connect content to real life application and to help our students experience what we would be inclined to just lecture about.
The idea of the teacher depositing facts into student minds to be memorized also struck me. This idea is so real to me because I, as a student, have experienced this countless times and I can say with complete confidence that after taking the test, I forgot all of those facts that were "deposited" into our brains. Our job as teachers is not to teach facts that students can regurgitate and forget, but to help bring our content alive and help our students apply and experiment with what they are learning. Friere's description of the dehumanization of men and women through this depositing approach to teaching is truly terrifying because the great thinkers and achievers of the world are those who are able to teach themselves, look outside of the box, and think critically. The depositing approach does not facilitate those skills.
I also love the idea of the teacher being taught while he or she teaches the students. The idea and reality that teacher and students are part of a communication and dialogue that both teach in and learn from is refreshing and true. The teacher isn't the source of all knowledge but should instead be the facilitator to guide students and push students to ask their own questions and create their own meaning.
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