Cops and Robbers and Facilitators

Brittany Godfrey brings up the idea of rules and why they are created. This ties so much into my praxis site and how the teacher is very structured. Godfrey states, "The actions that are not allowed to take place are those that take away from the freedoms of others, or in other words are those actions that will take away a right of another." My practicum coop strives for structure and ordinance and on Wednesdays, his classes are at another school. It totally throws him off that he is in the band room and does not have a smart board or has the same structure as the other school. Although he tries to adapt lesson plans, he does not personalize lessons for the new environment. There are so many instruments in the band room and even at his usual site that he does not use. It is because he is afraid of discourse.

It's interesting that at Westminster, we are all about changing the classroom, reforming lessons, and transforming the way students learn. But when we get out and teach, we see the "cook book" lesson plans from method books, smartboard activities and interactive movies. Are we robbing children of their freedom to learn by sitting in front of a smart board to learn staff notes. Or are we robbing from our freedom to teach students our way. The freedom to teach students through conscientization. The responsibility to teach students and for students to teach themselves.

Now I am not docking on my coop teacher for using cook book lesson plans. He is not bad at all, but I am know there are teachers everywhere that do this. Godfrey goes on to say, "It is against the law because there is an underlying moral and ethic that you do not take from others what they don’t give to you." What are your morals and how do your aesthetics affect you will teach a class. As for Dewey, "Democracy is a moral obligation. It is an obligation to have social equality so that there are not a select few people that are the mere dictators taking away from a person’s right to freedom," (Godfrey). Are we robbing our students of their freedom to learn?

It is my sole duty as a practicum students to give every child at my site a membranophone and give it hell's storm. I am ready for discourse and so are my students and it will be something they will remember. Of course there will be structure but not created solely by me. The new structure will become an example of how team work can create and facilitate progress. Most importantly it display the antithesis of discourse and chaos. I am focused on helping create a community in each of my classes. Each student will have a task whether it's playing the ostinate, being a back up singer or prima ballerina. Everyone will learn to cooperate as a whole. I just have a feeling this won't come around until I'm probably done with praxis, but it isn't about just me anymore.

What has your moral obligation, as a teacher, done for their learning?