Our Beloved Mr. Feeny

The man, the legend, Mr. Feeny. We all grew up with him, and let's face it: we all love him. He was the teacher that we all wanted. And why was that? Because he cared. We've been talking a lot about how teaching styles are important, and what we should learn in the classroom but what I honestly believe matters most is the teachers themselves.

Mr. D

I'm not sure if any of you have watched the show Mr. D but take a look at this clip above! I found this show absolutely hilarious. It's essentially about a terrible teacher who comedically fails his students over and over again, usually trying to impress someone else (whether it be a woman or the principal). I was watching an episode the other day and I got to thinking, "Why do I find this show so funny?" It's about how a teacher is letting down his students for their future yet there is something so real and funny about it. I think it might be the element of that ever nagging question students have, "What are teachers really like outside of school?" Take a look at this clip and maybe watch an episode and tell me what you think!

I looked further into how bad teachers really affect student performance in the classroom and I came across someone else's blog on the subject. This blogger categorizes different kinds of bad teachers. I found this blog hilarious (you all should really take a look at it!). What this person did was list all of the different types of teachers that they have heard students talk about or complain about. They came up with thirteen categories that bad teachers can fit under.

A few of my favourite of these kinds of teachers, because I found the description so relatable in my own education, are the "Tangent", the "Monotone", and the "Over your Head" teacher.

           

We have all had the "Tangent" teacher at one point or another in our educational experience. It is the teacher that uses the classroom as their personal ranting arena. A lot of the time the tangents these teachers go off on have nothing, or very little. to do with t he subject matter of the class. We also have all probably had a "Monotone" teacher, or at least a substitute that was like this. They are the teachers that can teach, but can deliver because listening to them is like watching paint dry. Then there is the "Over your Head" teacher who expects you to be a genius upon entering the classroom, and be able to understand and recite Shakespeare at the age of 7. Most of us have experienced these teachers, but many of drop there classes before the pain truly ensues.

Have you guys experienced these kinds of teachers? Any other one's that you thought of that this blog didn't cover?

SEX!

Performed Ethnography as Critical Pedagogy

          In class a couple of weeks ago we performed a play created by Tara Goldstein called Snakes and Ladders. Snakes and Ladders is what Goldstein calls a performed ethnography. A performed ethnography is a play which exposes a specific flaw or flaws in a given situation. Goldstein wrote Snakes and Ladders using “data from an empirical study on anti-homophobia education [which she] undertook in four Toronto schools from 2002 to 2003” (Goldstein, Collins and Halder, 2008). In recent classes we have also been discussing critical pedagogy, an "educational movement, guided by passion and principle, to help students develop consciousness of freedom, recognize authoritarian tendencies, and connect knowledge to power and the ability to take constructive action" (Giroux, 2010). If we look at this definition it seems clear that Goldstein’s performed ethnography is an example of critical pedagogy.

Critical Pedagogy in Our Classroom

On February 14th we were asked to come up with ideas to create our ideal high school. Some of the dimensions we were asked to looked at and think critically about were curriculum, staff, teaching methods, and infrastructure. By brainstorming with other students and critiquing our current education system and being able to come up with innovative ways to change and improve the system, this activity worked as critical pedagogy. Critical pedagogy is the idea that we should be able to look at the flaws in our education system and think, and speak about ways that could improve the system and then take action in order to make a change.

The Banking Method vs. Problem Posing Education

In Paulo Friere's book Pedagogy of the Opressed he discusses his theory of the banking education and problem posing education. Friere takes a critical look at the traditional education system and works to create a more progressive education system that would be more of a benefit for students. Chapter two of his book brings to light his idea of the banking method. [Here is a link that summarizes Chapter 2!] The banking method is the way in which traditionally teachers “deposit” information into the students brains (Freire 72, 2000). This transfer of information does not engage the student however, it is the notion that the teacher has all of the information and that the student has to absorb and accept the information being given to them (Freire 73, 2000). The banking method places the teacher on a pedestal. They are thought to be all knowing, the discipliners, the enforcer of choices, etc. (Freire 73, 2000).

Work vs. Education

I grew up in a family which encouraged the pursuit of a higher education in order to obtain higher paying professional jobs after graduation. For my family, education was always the highest priority and I was always taught that education should be my focus and not working. I was fortunate enough to have a family that could support me financially through my academic years so that I would not have to work during the school year and only work during the summer months. However, for most of my friends and peers this was not the case. With the price of university rising and the high cost of living many of the people I go to school with have to work during the academic year. I would like to argue that not only does this affect their education but it also affects the students in their classes.

Private Schools vs.Public Schools

Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital is present in our everyday education.  One aspect of our education system that especially highlights the presence of class-based cultural capital is private schools. Private schools are based around the very idea that only a specific group of people will be able to attend and obtain the education they provide. By charging people money for a ‘better’ education private schools are excluding any classes that would not be able to afford the charges. Although class is not specifically determined by the amount of wealth a person possesses, private schools are able to deter the majority of the lower and some of the middle class from obtaining this education by making tuition unreasonable for those classes.