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Cindy Eason
All-star
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:40 pm Posts: 32
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After reading The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People's Children, I couldn't help but wonder about giving explicit vs. suggestive directions. I grew up in a very explicit household, meaning that it wasn't "suggested" that I take a bath, but rather I was told explicitly to do so. I'm assuming that most of you grew up that way as well. However, most of my teachers in school were very suggestive in their orders as opposed to giving straight up directions. I assume this is because I was a white middle class student in a white middle class school system. I had the occasional authoritarian teacher throughout my school career, but for the most part (especially elementary school) there was always an attempt to diminish the exhibition of power. And I responded to that - I rebelled my mom who would tell me exactly what to do, where as I was such a "good girl" to my suggestive teachers. Lisa Delpit explains that for black teachers and black students, it is often the other way around and that "the attempt by the teacher to reduce an exhibition of power by expressing herself in indiret terms may remove the very explicitness that the child needs to understand the rules of the new classroom culture".
I honestly don't know how I feel about that. In other words, I don't know what kind of teaching style I will use, nor do I know which one is best. I see myself as a pretty direct person, and ultimately a pretty direct teacher. However, in the classroom setting, is it easier for me - a white middle-class woman - to be suggestive in order to diminish my power and authority?
I don't know the answer to that because I haven't really known otherwise.
What do you guys think?
_________________ Cindy Eason
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Mon Feb 14, 2005 12:20 pm |
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Matt Lail
Semi-pro
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:46 pm Posts: 24
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Personally I think that I will be pretty structured teacher with a more "here's the way it is" approach. This is not to say that I won't ever let my students be involved with what goes on, but even then there will be a way in which that will be handled. For instance, we may have the option of doing different activities and the students will have a say in what we choose to do. However, there will be a set way of voting or deciding and I will be responsible for the structure of it. I believe that structure is important to create a good learning environment for a student. With that said, I also have to say flexibility. You may want things a certain way and most times it may happen that way, but sometimes it may not and you must be able to go with the flow and then eventually return back to your structured room.
I think that the way you teach will depend on several factors which include: personal preference, type of students, school you are working in, etc.
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Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:20 pm |
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heathersapp
Semi-pro
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:49 pm Posts: 26
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I feel that it will depend on the particular class that I teach, whether or not I use mainly direct instructions or indirect ones. That is a very hard question to answer. I am going to want what is best for the children I teach and if some of them follow indirect instructions better, I will use those. With the other children I will have to use direct instructions. I guess like the article said, it has a lot to do with how the children are given directions at home. I can't really remember if I was told what to do most of the time or given suggestions phrased like questions. I can see how that would greatly influence the way children view directions given to them. Some people learn better when they are told exactly what to do and others would rather not be told exactly what to do. I hope that I will be able to find a balance between being authoritarian and more passive. This reminds me a lot of something I had to write about in a class last semester. I took a marriage and family class through the sociology department. We were asked to think about different parenting styles and write about what kind of parents we would be to our children. That really got me thinking. I think too much of one way or the other can be bad, so a balance is the best bet. [/b]
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Thu Feb 17, 2005 2:53 pm |
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Janet Johnson
All-star
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:47 pm Posts: 46 Location: Lincolnton
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At home with my children, I do use the suggestive method when asking them to do something. It has often backfired on me because my daughters can use the excuse, “You didn't tell me to.â€
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Thu Feb 17, 2005 3:43 pm |
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