Other People

Gatto The six-lesson schoolteacher: Gatto writes about six factors of the schooling system. He tells it how it is, in a very brutally honest way. It seems as though he mocks the entire process throughout the document. And I find it hard to believe he actually enforces these as a teacher. Through these 6 steps he explains effective methods to teach student so they can get the "best education." Gatto makes the point that the way the schooling system is set up takes about from students as individuals. Students are taught from textbooks, they are taught facts and knowledge and are taught the exact opposite of how to think for themselves. He talks about how we are almost being watched. There is no privacy in a student’s life. That we are like animals acquired with strict limitations and under constant surveillance. This education system has a strict curriculum that never allows a student to express their full potential of creativity; they are deprived of having any time to themselves to learn on their own. Instead of being a place of self discovery school acts as a sorting machine where "Numbering children is a very big and profitable business.” that the teacher knows how to direct the attention in their room. Teachers conduct the classroom in a way where they control the attention in the room. Students are taught when to "turn on and off like a light switch.” Meaning students know what to do next, they are aware of what they should be doing and where to direct their attention. He ends his piece with a harsh and sad statement that describes, "School is like starting a life with a 12-year jail sentence in which bad habits are the only curriculum truly learned."

Having never thought about it before I realize now how mindless most of what we do everyday is. We are always stuck at school, or at home doing schoolwork. The other time we have is wasted on mindless electronic devices. We deal with all of it like mindless zombies with the same standard responses and the same ideas and information as everyone else. I do not feel like we get enough time where we are able to learn things for ourselves. It would be nice not to just learn what we had to but more of what we wanted too. SOF does offer some difference classes to take, but for the most part they are very similar. I think schools, ours included, should have classes or take trips that allow students to developed ideas themselves. I have heard of schools that have wood shop for students who are curious about building and forensic science for kids who like that difference type of science. But here and in most places these courses are not offer and therefore we will never know.

Freire is the man who came up with the idea of this “bank depositing” system of teaching. It works with a teacher depositing what he knows into the minds of students. Making the teacher the one with ALL the knowledge and the students the ones who know nothing. After the information is basically forced fed to them they are suppose to have learned something. The students really cant thin for themselves. The only perspective they ever get is the one from the teacher. This system does not allow students to develop their own ideas or thoughts about anything. With this system I do not see any way there can be any progression. If students all know the same things and have the same ideas, there is no room to expand. He brings up the other idea of the "problem-posing" educational system. Which involves the teacher creating dialogue with the students, and they both share their ideas. which allows both the student and the teacher to learn something new from each-other. This technique of teaching has the student come to perceptive of the reality of their situation.

The bank depositing method is not the way to go. Students do not get to come up with their own idea. it reminds me of the medieval method of 'Teaching by pouring in'. When they would drill holes in the human head and using a funnel would pour information into the persons brain. Either way it is not effective. the posing problem perceptive seems similar to the education that is taught at our school. We simply sit around and chit chat for the whole class, where the teacher and students exchange dialogue and in the end walk away learning from each-other. It does seems to work fairly well in our classrooms, Because all different ideas are laid out on the table to pick and chose from. From this system i might admit that i have learned alot.

Lisa Delpit has surrounded her studies on the education of children. This interview shows her opinion on how schools should go about teaching. She believes that schools often misjudge a student’s brilliance. Delpit makes a point that a student’s knowledge can not only be judged in their test taking. She discussing the lack of effort teachers make in order to discover their students strengths, “I don't think we do a good enough job of showing teachers how to uncover the children's strengths.” The best way to discovery a student’s skill is through art. She recommends teachers to encourage their students to do art, which allows them to see their students in a new light. Another technique is to have an idea of what the children is like outside of school. by talking to people who are with the students. That way the teacher gets more of sense of who the student is and where they come from.

I think her methods make the most sense. Each person has something different to offer. Spending time getting to know a little bit about student can be beneficial. It helps the teacher teach the student in more of way they can learn and relate too. It helps the student by being able to learn more and feeling more comfortable with the teacher. I believe that people are the way they are for reasons. If people in generally (and teachers) were aware of a persons situation that might explain some of the things they do. For explain if someone acts out in class on a regular basic, instead of assuming they are just a bad student it helps to know what might be causing it. Maybe the student is ignored at home and wants attention and acts out as a way to get it even if it is negative. I feel like this is a good method to use in schools.

Mr. Manley a current English teacher at school of the future and just about the nicest guy ever came to talk to us about school. From being a student to than being a teacher everything is a lot different. Coming from a very traditional educational system SOF he says is a lot different. From his experience students sat a desk everyday, with very little minorities. He said overall he enjoyed his school experience. He went all the way to college before ever thinking about becoming a teacher. Currently loves his job at SOF. He describes this teaching job as a very rewarding because here he is able to connect with students, teach more freely. Manley says interacting with students that he is constantly reminded of himself.

From our conversation with Manley I realize how different our school is from others. I realize the difference in our environment, the people, the curriculum, and our relationships with teachers; it’s all very cool. I do not think I would like being at a traditional school (Although that might be because I have been here for so long already.)

He remembers a school he taught at where he was told to only teach grammar. He was informed how he should never talk about his personal life. Standing, teaching grammar and only grammar day after day was not a good experience for him. However it was a learning experience and that’s how he ended up at SOF. I can honestly say I am glad our school does not teach like that. I like being able to interpret things for myself, and talk freely in talking about it.