December 2009 Question of the Month

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Permalink Reply by Michael Mcknight on December 1, 2009 at 11:39pm

Kim... hope this finds you well.

“Education is always a vocation rooted in hopefulness.” ( B. Hooks )

Democracy in any classroom starts with creating environments of respect and caring. That needs to start with adults... and the key components of the circle will lead toward the creation of a culture where democracy will florish. Those components....BELONGING-MASTERY-INDEPENDENCE-GENEROSITY.....

I think Nel Noddings has something important to say about it:


Thoughts from Nel Noddings...........

"If we want children to learn how to be cared for, so that eventually they will have the capacity to care for others, we must make it a primary goal of school to care for them." P. 28

Caring defined:
“ First, there is a special form of attentiveness, which I have called engrossment; this form of attention is acutely receptive and is directed at the cared for. Second, there is a motivational shift; the motivational energy of the carer begins to flow toward the needs of the cared for. Children who are genuinely cared for learn early to detect these signs in adults around them.” P28

“ Alice Miller (1983) has written powerfully on the damage that can be done by what she calls “poisonous pedagogy.” Such pedagogy is rigid and coercive; it seeks to substitute the will of the teacher for that of the student. Throughout the process of “educating” teachers guilty of poisonous pedagogy take a highly moralistic tone, insisting that what they are demanding is right and that coercion and cruelty, if they are used, are necessary “for the child’s own good.” P29

“ Children today need desperately to know how to care for themselves and for intimate others. I think it would be hard to exaggerate the mistakes schools are making in this domain.” P.31

“Critics are right to question some of the strategies educators use to raise self-esteem, but they are wrong to ridicule its importance.” P. 34

“
“Our society does not need to make its children first in the world in mathematics and science. It needs to care for its children-to reduce violence, to respect honest work of every kind, to reward excellence at every level, to ensure a place for every child and emergent adult in the economic and social world, to produce people who can care competently for their own families and contribute effectively to their communities. In direct opposition to the current emphasis on academic standards, a national curriculum, and national assessment, I have argued that our main educational aim should be to encourage the growth of component, caring, loving, and lovable people.
( Noddings, 1992 )


Teachers who want to shift from obedience toward the teaching of the skills to care for others and participate in a democracy could turn the idea of classroom or school rules around..... like this example........

Rights and Responsibilities

My Rights:

I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times. This means no one will laugh at me, tease me or hurt my feelings.

I have the right to be safe in this school. This means that no one will…
hit me
kick me
push me
threaten me
hurt me.

I have a right to expect my property to be safe in this school.

I have a right to hear and be heard in this school. This means that no one will…

yell
scream
shout
or otherwise disturb me.

I have a right to learn and be given assistance to do so.

I have a right to express my ideas, feelings, and thoughts without being interrupted or punished.


I have a right to expect all these rights will be mine in all circumstances so long as I am exercising my full responsibilities.


My Responsibilities:

I have the responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect. I will not laugh at others, tease others, or try to hurt the feelings of others.

I have a responsibility to make the school safe by not…
hitting anyone
kicking anyone
pushing anyone
threaten anyone
hurt anyone.

I have a responsibility not to take or destroy the property of others.
I have a responsibility to help maintain a calm and quiet school. This means I will not…
yell
scream
shout
or otherwise disturb others.


I have a responsibility to honor the right of others to learn in this school.


I have the responsibility to listen to others, consider their ideas, and allow others to be heard.

I have a responsibility to protect my rights and the rights of other by exercising my full responsibilities in all circumstances.


be well......mike

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Permalink Reply by Angie on December 10, 2009 at 5:12pm

Michael could not have had said it better, I believe that to instill human values in the youngest minds of our society produces a cause and effect form of thinking where a child must understand that they are not bad for being disrespectful but that they have engaged in behavior that is harmful to others and that the degradation of others in any way shape or form is unacceptable. If we are to create a more humanistic, caring and just future for posterity, it must begin in the classroom, where children are exposed to their peers daily and are able to exercise their social skills. In a democracy, every person has an equal voice; it is important for children to understand the significance of fairness, equal opportunity, and taking turns. The characteristics that we find faulty in our society can only be corrected by our active participation. Whether in the home or in the classroom, children absorb lessons everyday, we must be aware of what we are exposing them to and how our actions model a life philosophy for them.

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