Great Educator

Early in age, we are taught that experience is the best teacher. Question is: does experience define what we look for in a great educator? In days of old, it did. In today’s time, that idea is shifting. Now, we are looking for teachers with talent regardless of previous experience. To create a full listing of talents or skills that teachers’ need may be impossible. They change based on exposure and/or experiences. Some of the talents include having a passion for teaching and having an ability to show their students that passion. Teachers need to be talented communicators with an ability to interact with people of all ages and they must be problem solvers. Thinking on their feet is a necessity. Being supportive and having patience are also talents.  Teachers who possess these few talents are separated from those who don’t. They are easily seen as teacher-leaders who are conscious about the way they carry themselves in the face of students because they understand that students watch and mimic what they see.

A great philosopher who focused on the study of societal influences and schools suggest that learning is impacted more by society influences rather than school itself.

“When the school introduces and trains each child of society into membership within such a little community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and providing him with the instruments of effective self-direction, we shall have the deepest and best guarantee of a larger society which is worthy, lovely, and harmonious” (Dewey, 1899,  p. 28).

What educational problems and possibilities are presented to teachers by these cultural contexts, and why are they viewed as problems and possibilities to todays’ educators?  What difference can and should teachers make for learners since schools are secondary to the wider society in their influence? The major problem that can be presented is the use of teachers in the classroom who lack talent. There will be no respect of culture which will lead to a misunderstanding of student need.  Issues may arise in school that could be seen as behavioral rather than cultural. As a result mislabeling, changing educational environments, increased drop-out rates, decreased economy, etc. will develop. This is a phenomenon for all cultural environments. Talented teachers must seek to understand cultural background and traditions that students come to school with. They will make huge differences in the learning of their students when they integrate aspects about student culture/society into their daily lessons. Students will be more apt to volunteer their attention and learning will increase.

Dewey, (1899) shared the following quote as he ventured to reform what was known as public school:

“The school,” he wrote, “must be made into a social center capable of participating in the daily life of the community . . . and make up in part to the child for the decay of dogmatic and fixed methods of social discipline and for the loss of reverence and the influence of authority. Children were to get from the public school whatever was missing in their lives elsewhere that was essential for their balanced development as members of a democratic country" (Slideserve.com, 2012).

Please visit http://ebookbrowse.com/dewey-school-and-society-pptx-d261541724 to learn more about John Dewey.

References:

http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/teaching.html 

http://www.slideserve.com/titus/school-and-society-by-john-dewey http://ebookbrowse.com/dewey-school-and-society-pptx-d261541724

http://www.powershow.com/view/4be26M2VlY/John_Dewey_Educational_Philosopher_flash_ppt_presentation



Education: The Great Debate

As educators, we have talked, discussed, spoken, collaborated, cooperated, worked together, and joined forces as a means of working out advancing teaching and learning despite cultural differences in the educational environment. Much of it was to dispel myths about each of the ethnicity, cultural and diverse needs of all.


Cultural differences have been noted since the beginning of time. I suppose that if we looked real hard at Biblical times, we can see that cultural hegemony existed between the 12 Tribes, Romans, and Egyptians. There were unequal power relationships between two or more cultures, ideologies, and socioeconomic groups even then.


To better understand cultural hegemony, I have added a link to a very illustrative video.
http://youtu.be/EDxmzCVFLu8 . Now what does all of that have to do with what happens in the classroom? How does it define the relationship between the meaning of hidden curriculum and the role of schools in cultural hegemony? In addition to what Tozer shared regarding cultural hegemony, I found that there is a foundation that prides itself with providing teachers and administrators with valuable training on topics dealing with culture. It is called the Educultural Foundation. The foundation aims to provide workshops that focus on self - awareness and an in-depth insight to the way culture and society works. Everyone brings a different culture and tradition to the classroom. The way of life for one person can be perceived very differently by diverse students in the very same classroom. Teachers will need to ensure that they strive to create a classroom environment that encourages differences. Curricula should be accessible to all students regardless of cultural background. In order for all students to gain full exposure to the curriculum, teachers must make a conscious effort to share vocabulary and 1st hand examples of the happenings on particular subject matter. School districts will need to provided professional learning experiences that deal with the integration of major cultural aspects into the classroom such as art, film, dance, and literature.

In today's contemporary society, we know that in order to keep people from running wild with their imagination or asking too many questions, groups are to remain marginalized. Society will fight to the end when they do not want to see their communities change & leek in social ideals that don't really fit the mold. The need for learning will ultimately deteriorate if students won't participate in courses for their own sake of learning. Perhaps educators may turn a blinded eye and pretend that it just does not happen in their classroom or building or school district. Truth is, they more than likely do not know what to look for.