Saturday, August 08, 2020

Teaching Isn’t About Managing Behavior by Christopher Emdin

According to this thoughtful piece by Dr. Christopher Emdin, teaching should be about relationships and cultivating in students a sense of agency together with the skills and dispositions that they need to possess in a democracy. regardless of whether they are online or in person. At their best, our nation's classrooms are sanctuaries for our children where all children can thrive precisely because education "reaches them."Dr. Emdin refers to this as "reality pedagogy."

From where I sit, this is Ethnic Studies. It includes content, but it's the pedagogy itself that is liberatory because it gives children voice. This kind of pedagogy is social justice-oriented, situated in the lives and experiences of the children.  He calls out how white guilt is what limits our children in the classroom.

I encourage you to also hear this excellent presentation by Dr. Christopher Emdin at Teachers College where he elaborates more fully on reality pedagogy. Teachers and university professors should take interest in this. Enjoy!

-Angela Valenzuela


 ON TEACHING

Teaching Isn’t About Managing Behavior

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