Learning Power

Debate around events in Ferguson and the slogan "I Can't Breathe" plus the funeral for slain NYC police officer Ramos have brought the issue of power to the forefront of our country. I'd like to bring it to the forefront of our discussion on education. The power paradigm is complex in our everyday lives and that includes the classroom. The classroom I knew in my youth revolved around a teacher with absolute power over students. She directed their thoughts and actions. These days there are teachers who still cling to this model, but most of us realize that just because our students are quiet and looking at us, they are not actually listening or learning.

For me the fun part of teaching is learning from my students. By giving them the power to make meaning out of a lesson, it opens up many more possibilities than I could have considered on my own. They can use their smart phones to zone out and text friends or I can give them the power to use that technology to find what speaks to them about genetics or DNA or whatever it is we are studying. It is not always real comfortable to teach this way, but it is more likely to engage the students. The biggest issue is where to cut off the exploration so that we can move on to the next topic and "cover" the curriculum.

Teachers are at the bottom of the power structure if you zoom out a bit and look at education from a state or national level. Take a look at what the Teacher of the Year had to say about how decisions are made in education......that was 2009. Not much has changed. I usually show the movie GATTACA this time of year. I'd love show it the first week of school and make the point that "....there is no gene for fate". What determines their success as a student is their desire & hard work. However, I'd then want the power to help them reach their dreams, not just pass a test. Not sure when education will make that transition.