Teacher’s Lounge Room 5113

January 20, 2021

Educational Theories and Teacher Identity

In this week’s episode, Amanda identifies as holistic meets critical theorist. In her own words, “while in the classroom, I’ve always been drawn to inquiry-based learning. One of my favorite activities to do in any class is the Socratic seminar and I see great teachers as facilitators of learning more than some kind of dispensary of knowledge.” However, especially in the last few years and in teaching in a district that is primarily Black and brown students, Amanda sees a shift in herself to more of the critical theorist approach. “I see the urgency and immediacy of the need for students to possess critical thinking skills that they can apply to their current social context to bring about radical change and shed light on injustices and disparities that they face on a regular basis. Teaching in a school that served affluent white students next to brown students taking the city bus from across town every morning showed me that students may not necessarily come to certain conclusions about society unless given the space to ask questions and practice empathy. Without a teacher willing to maximize opportunities to identify “official meta-narratives” students could easily perpetuate their parents ideals or the misgivings of their own place in society. The goal of school should be to create curious, critical contributors to a better society, not churn out replicas of the model student from the 1990s. While, I see the importance of having balance and teaching students to navigate a system that tends to reward linear thinking, I believe we can simultaneously show students opportunities to dismantle unjust hurdles that exist in our current world.