Yuritzy Martinez :) The way Ayers spoke about education in the beginning was bright and educated you on the image everyone has of teaching. It explained that teachers allow students to “Become more powerful and self-consciously alive”. How I interpreted self-consciously alive is allowing students to be curious, decide on the actions they want to take, and give them a choice on any decision they have to make. As I continued reading, it got more complicated, and Ayers explained teaching in a more complex way. Ayers explained how teaching is having democracy in education and allowing students to speak their mind without fear or judgment. Being a teacher means taking Ethical actions, taking responsibility and helping in questioning while giving alternatives to every question, idea, or possibility. As I was reading chapter 1, I would use the phrase “teachers having authorization but having domination “as a scale. For example, when you put a cup of flower on the left side of the scale, the right one goes up but if you put twice as much on the right side of the scale, the left side goes down. The way I see it, authorization is on the left and domination is on the right. Having authorization means having domination is very interesting to me. Teachers are the ones who have the standard of always being correct and doing what's right for students. They need to have a set of rules, and time to do everything. but they are not allowed to be too curious, so they have to dominate and always seem right. In many cases that could be good but not having an equal side of both could disrupt the scale. This chapter sparked a bulb in my mind on choosing a specific way of why I'm becoming a teacher and staying curious about why it's so important.
Cady Ayers Ayers' main point with his piece was an emphasis on connecting with the students. As an educator, of course your job is to educate your students. Some teachers abandon the idea that the environment and classroom culture are the building blocks to success among your students. Every year of one's life serves as a pathway towards the next-- therefore, every year that's spent in a classroom truly is shaping your future and personality. In my future as an educator, I strive to find the balance between being an authority, friend, and mentor. There are still negatives if you were to lean too far towards the "friendly" side. It's all about the balance.
Danny Trainham: Ayers critiques traditional schooling, arguing that it is similar to "prison" for students. When teachers act as authoritarian figures, students are expected to follow commands and obey. Students who disagree or contradict their teachers are often punished in some manner. The power dynamics in traditional schooling limit learning for all students. Ayers suggests that schools should focus on the mutual relationship between teachers and students. Teachers can guide students while simultaneously learning from them, creating a partnership in the educational process. I believe this method is best for promoting learning because it gives students greater autonomy over their education and treats them as unique individuals rather than subordinates.
Tola Reasons I think that Ayers main points that stood out to me was how students should be actively participating in their education, and be able to engage with teachers to make the most of their education. I liked how Ayers emphasized education being a form of collaboration between teachers, students, and a community "in the name of education... in hope of becoming better, smarter, stronger, and more capable...". I really connected with Ayers idea of education being a collaborative effort, and how building ones education properly, responsibly, and with balance is important. Ayers additional use of connecting his ideas to films, magazines, books, and other forms of media felt like a great way to help different groups of people connect and understand the points he was bringing up.
The overall meaning of Ayers' piece is the connection between teacher and student. I believe that it's extremely important, from an elementary teacher perspective, to understand your students, and be able to know what they're feeling without having to ask. This is especially important in elementary classrooms, because oftentimes, elementary age students aren't fully equipped with the skills they need in order to share their feelings without having an emotional outburst. From a student perspective, I still believe it's important to have a connection with your teacher. By having a friendly relationship with your teacher, oftentimes I feel more comfortable in class and aren't afraid to share my opinion, or answer a question incorrectly.
Claire Cook: Ayers' way of talking about teaching seems like it is focused on helping the students in school become independent thinkers. He views teaching as a way for students to be guided to think for themselves, rather than being told what to think and do. He thinks that they should not just agree and believe what they’re being told, but to question it and form their own opinions. His approach to teaching is about encouraging students to engage in class and grow into their own people. Implementing these ideas into schools of all grades would be very beneficial for everyone, because kids can start from a young age to learn how to think for themselves.
Veronica: Ayer believes that teachers teach children to become independent thinkers. They guide students in thinking for themselves. Like being able to form an opinion. He wants to encourage students to engage in class and just be themselves He also believes there should be a strong connection between the teacher and students.
Mack Mboh What I gathered from the reading is that schools directly resemble a society. This is an idea I have thought about before, but havent dove into. When thinking about how schools in the United States are today, it makes me realize that there is a lot of censorship and things we as a society we like to hide from future generations. A lot of people do not understand how bad slavery was because it wasn't taught that way. The way a country teaches their kids about their history greatly resembles how they also treat society. This was a new idea for me, as I always think that everywhere teaches the same things. This isnt the case.
While reading what Ayers had to say, I loved how he emphasized connecting with the children because it is extremely important. I believe all the points he made in the reading were great and very helpful. He has a very refreshing and unique way of discussing teaching. Another thing that stood out to me was him saying that teachers are not just there to teach, specifically just conveying information to the children but also there to support the students critical thinking, growth and moral development.
Emma Finn- Ayer’s started off so strong. I liked the sentence that said that teachers are an enterprise that help human beings reach the full measure of their humanity. I thought about that sentence and I think he’s saying teachers are there to help you fully understand your humanity. Science teachers teach you about the physical/biological, and microscopic/large scale aspects of the human experience. History teachers teach you about past human experiences and how those experiences affect other peoples experiences. I liked that definition of a teacher because when I read it, I felt proud that I am studying to become a teacher. When I signed up for a “diversity democracy and ethics class” I thought it would be a poli sci class but then on the first day i found out we had lots of elementary ed majors and I was confused how democracy and school could possibly tie together. I feel like page 7 of him talking about authoritative classrooms made realize how the two go hand in hand. I liked ayers writing and word choice a lot, I would read this even if I didn’t have to for my grade
Jordan Dent: Ayers' talk of teaching leaned more towards a belief in openness. I read this as in schools should operate in an ever-evolving way. Meaning that not just some of the "facts" change over time, such as new scientific discoveries and/or historical events are added to textbooks, but students are allowed to engage with information and form opinions. Not only students but teachers as well. Teachers should be encouraged to stimulate a students mind and help form critical and independent thinking skills.
The way I understood it, the main point was to connect with students. I believe that this is highly important if you want to have a successful classroom, or workplace for that matter if you truly want to bring the best out of your people. By bringing your A game on most occasions and being tentative to the things that your people want, need, and desire from life you form a safe space for them and allow them to flourish. To genuinely care about the people you influence has always been a priority of mine and has always paid dividends in the long run. For instance, if someone is running late, ensure them not to rush or hurry, to be safe and take their time to get there. If they are struggling at home and need some extra time to handle it, cut them out and give them the opportunity to take care of whats important to them. By letting them know that you genuinely see them and the struggles they are going through, support them, and also act on trying to help them a little you gain more and more of their trust and their desire to do well at whatever you need to do on a regular basis. Let them know that you are human, have feelings, and actually understand that sometimes life needs attention in other places.
The way that Ayer's speaks about education and teachers being a influence and open force rang true to me in my opinion. However as Ayer's continued and began to talk about Dr. Willner beginning to constrict students freedom with in his school sounded all to familiar. As a product of a lower income school system myself, that tale is all to familiar. The metal detectors, security guards, and just all together restricted freedoms for students are all too true. Yet, it might make parents feel better about their kids going to school everyday, it's not helping their education. Ayer's then goes on to describe the schools turing into prison like systems which I also see to be true. Which in turn makes it more difficult for teachers to do their jobs. I thinks Ayer's does a great job at explaining these points and making his point clear.
Charlie Campbell: “Never let your schooling interfere either your education.” -Mark Twain
Ayers discusses the authoritarian and certainly Orwellian nature of education. I will say our education system is doing an impeccable job of producing students who won’t challenge the orthodoxy of thought. Schooling is a critical thing to teach, you need to know 2+2 = 4 and you need to drill lines for years, the concept of forming a line outside a coffee shop for example is not a natural human behavior and outside a few countries people almost universally just clump and jockey for position.
But outside your basic schooling, something that’s excites me most about teaching is having students identify their base assumptions. “Why do you think that”. If you have ever been in an inter-cultural relationship like I have you realize very quickly you run into conflict as a couple because you’re”base-brogramming” different. The more you communicate the more you start to realize how much of your attitudes and understanding of how the world does or should work is simply drilled into your brain through reinforcement from classroom education and media.
That being said, Ayers also speaks negatively of ethics and morality as if they are so thing used to pull the wool over our eyes. But isn’t a common grounding of ethics something important for a plural democracy?
I think this boils down to a question of how much of our system is true because of its nature and how much of our system exists because of a passed shared narrative.
Riley Baber Ayers way of thinking seems extremly student oriented. He believes that teachers are there as almost like a guide for them. His whole way of thinking in my opinion differs from traditional ways of thinking because he doesn't think he's just there to throw out a bunch of information and then hand a student a test. He wants students to understand, ask questions, be interested.
Rosalyn Harper In Chapter 1 of Teaching Toward Freedom, Ayers starts by painting the picture of vibrant and uplifting teaching, portraying it as a practice that enables students to “become more powerful and self-consciously alive.” This concept shows how educators can foster curiosity, help students in making informed choices, and grant them the freedom to navigate their own paths. As the chapter goes on, Ayers explores the intricacies of teaching, explaining it as a moral and ethical pursuit grounded in democracy and liberation. He stresses the necessity of cultivating classrooms where students can express their thoughts without fear of judgment, and where teachers embody responsibility, ethical commitment, and openness to different perspectives. A particularly compelling metaphor for this balance is the notion of “teachers having authorization but not domination,” where authorization signifies the framework and standards teachers establish, while domination indicates the danger of exerting control without curiosity or fairness. Ayers argues that when the balance between these two elements is disrupted—whether domination overshadows authorization or the other way around—it throws off the equilibrium vital for effective teaching. His viewpoint pushes educators to reflect on their roles, not just as providers of knowledge but as people who grant freedom and critical thought. This chapter pushed me toward a deeper look about my own motivations for becoming a teacher and reaffirming the significance of finding a balance that guides and liberates students throughout their educational journey and life!
Alistair here: Ayers clearly is addicted to teaching. He talks very fondly of the importance of education in creating a well-rounded human and participant of society. Humanization! He mentions the active participation that each person takes in education, not as tourists but as pilgrims on an adventure. Quoting a rabbit proof fence, a film by Philip Noyce that mentions the flaws in education systems that desire to “whitewash” and erase native and indigenous culture history. So as the goal of school is educating and humanizing, many times it ends up dehumanizing. The education system is flawed, filled with rules and “authoritarian education”, leading to a relative disinterest in that level of learning. Especially for non white students. As much as it would be nice to do as Charles Darwin said: Teach these children nothing but facts, the schooling system is biased on personal beliefs and opinions teachers & up. Learning and thinking outside of the box is frowned upon from college down to grade school, teachers and boards preferring proven methods and ideas to new ones. Schooling, for good and bad, is meant to educate and socialize us into upstanding members of society. While this system is highly flawed, there are people like William Ayers that have hope in it and are determined to mending the broken parts.
Elise Ginn, Ayers teaches his children to become independent and think for themselves as well as develop their own thoughts and feelings. He made a companionship with his students so them being equal in a way but still respecting one another. He makes it a point to talk about how teachers are not just there for one thing but there for multiple reasons and can teach children other things except just the basic education.
"The voyage is underway. We are pilgrims, not tourists. There is more to see and hear." I really loved reading this because it honestly just made me excited to teach. And it made me remember my previous and current teachers who implement this principle; so much so that they stand out from the rest. The ones who transformed the room into much more than a classroom, but a lifeboat, a soaring plane through the expanse of imagination and community. They demonstrated that learning is a lifelong journey that doesn't have to be so debilitating. When I think of it truly, teachers in the school are the first people who build that impression of learning that young minds will carry with them on the course of their lives. It's very important work. And, I'll be transparent--I chose to become an education minor on a whim; from one teacher asking me a simple question after class one day: "Have you ever thought about teaching?" And for some reason, it stuck with me. Teachers show you what's possible; and Ayers does a great job of explaining why.
Nida Hadi----In Ayer’s Teaching Toward Freedom, Ayer beautifully describes what teaching truly is and its impact. Ayer, at the beginning of the chapter, opens up with the idea of teaching as an enterprise that “helps human beings reach their full humanity.” Ayer attempts to further describe teaching as enabling teachers and students to become self-consciously alive and, in doing so, will allow students to impel us toward further acquired knowledge and rather to become a part of a community that works toward our liberation. Although this is the universal goal of teaching, Ayer emphasizes that some schooling systems prioritize the practice of conformity and obedience, even repressive training. Ayer notably discusses the history of how that education manifested into our contemporary schooling system through examples such as the indoctrination and force of mere whiteness onto the Aboriginals of Australia to erase their identity and cultures. In our school systems today, some of that authoritarian style and, as someone mentioned in a previous blog, an Orwellian/1984 school of thought heavily persist and exist today, from book banning to banning critical race theory to how the origin of the founding of our nation and the structured ideals are taught through the lens of American exceptionalism and other forms of propaganda, etc. However, it is not solely the curriculum that teachers teach their students but the structure of how our schooling system is taught. This is why Ayers notably stresses the importance of dismantling the authoritarian teaching style within our school systems and promoting a rather more universal vision of a humane, democratic structure and style of education and teaching. A style of teaching that advocates for independent thought, tolerance of difference, active participation, and freedom not for students but for teachers to think freely without fear of any repercussions.
Alistair here, I think I posted my reply wrong: Ayers clearly is addicted to teaching. He talks very fondly of the importance of education in creating a well rounded human and participant of society. Humanization! He mentions the active participation that each person takes in education, not as tourists but as pilgrims on an adventure. Quoting a rabbit proof fence, a film by Philip Noyce that mentions the flaws in education systems that desire to “whitewash” and erase native and indigenous culture history. So as the goal of school is educating and humanizing, many times it ends up dehumanizing. The education system is flawed, filled with rules and “authoritarian education”, leading to a relative disinterest in that level of learning. Especially for non white students. As much as it would be nice to do as Charles Darwin said: Teach these children nothing but facts, the schooling system is biased on personal beliefs and opinions teachers & up. Learning and thinking outside of the box is frowned upon from college down to grade school, teachers and boards preferring proven methods and ideas to new ones. Schooling, for good and bad, is meant to educate and socialize us into upstanding members of society. While this system is highly flawed, there are people like William Ayers that have hope in it and are determined to mending the broken parts.
Halie murphy- I think that Ayers way of talking about teaching is moving. The way he writes you can tell that he really cares about the topic and is knowledgeable. When educating others about a topic it is so important to be passionate and show how much you care about the topic so that your student might have the opportunity to feel the same way. He made me think that the way in which you teach makes all the difference to the child. He talks about how when a student is put into an authoritative environment all desire to learn shuts down and the teaching is useless. This make me think about my past educational environments and his theory definitely checks out. Reading this article really showed me how much the teachers style affects the learning outcomes and school is meant to be a place for students to grow their perspectives and learn all while enjoying their time and connecting with their instructors and administrators.
Mia Shirey- I think the idea of teachers having authorization but not domination is very important. It may seem very basic but when a teacher "dominates" students, it creates tension and the students may resent the teacher.
Taylor Duquette Ayers is very passionate. He also compares traditional schooling to prison. He illustrates the concept of teaching as an inspiring and transformative practice. He describes it as a process that empowers students to be more powerful, highlighting how educators can nurture curiosity, help students make informed decisions, and give them the freedom to chart their own paths.
Robert Horvath To me, Ayers ultimately states that you must adapt and provide a caring and positive learnings environment. That it is important to break away from the traditional norms and strict structure of a classroom setting and go beyond the basic curriculum in order to connect with students in a way that is impactful. I have always believed in this throughout my teaching journey which is definitely non-typical. As a work center supervisor or drill instructor I have always found it important to connect with my people when teaching, that the impact of your words is greatly amplified when the people you are trying to foster growth within know that you actually care about their well being and their ability to grow. To be able to have a connection with your students absolutely allows you to draw them further into conversations and apply themselves more intensely to the material you are trying to present and allows them to learn it much more effectively.
Deborah Mattos - Ayers’ way of speaking on teaching he is critical of current authoritative ways of teaching, because of the power the teachers have over students, and how they are easily punished if they step out of line. There needs to be a happy medium between being friendly towards students and controlling the classroom. A teacher doesn’t have to harshly punish each child for a minor mishap, but they also cannot let things slide easily because then it’s more likely for the situation to happen again.
Talia Gose: I appreciated the way Ayers talks about teaching. Teaching is often viewed as just delivering information or getting kids to pass a test, so it was refreshing to hear him talk about it as building a real connection with students. I really liked how he emphasized that teaching is a moral and political act too, because I think that's something people don't talk about enough. The way you teach, what you choose to teach, and even how you treat your students, all of that plays a role in shaping society. It made me think about how children are super impressionable, and how important it is for teachers to be aware of that. Ethics is always going to be a part of education, whether people realize it or not. I also liked that Ayers talked about teaching as optimistic. It reminded me that teaching isn’t just about information, it’s about helping kids grow, question things, and become thoughtful human beings. Honestly, it made me feel a little more hopeful about education, too, because sometimes it feels like the system forgets about all that and just focuses on scores.
Yuritzy Martinez :)
ReplyDeleteThe way Ayers spoke about education in the beginning was bright and educated you on the image everyone has of teaching. It explained that teachers allow students to “Become more powerful and self-consciously alive”. How I interpreted self-consciously alive is allowing students to be curious, decide on the actions they want to take, and give them a choice on any decision they have to make. As I continued reading, it got more complicated, and Ayers explained teaching in a more complex way. Ayers explained how teaching is having democracy in education and allowing students to speak their mind without fear or judgment. Being a teacher means taking Ethical actions, taking responsibility and helping in questioning while giving alternatives to every question, idea, or possibility. As I was reading chapter 1, I would use the phrase “teachers having authorization but having domination “as a scale. For example, when you put a cup of flower on the left side of the scale, the right one goes up but if you put twice as much on the right side of the scale, the left side goes down. The way I see it, authorization is on the left and domination is on the right. Having authorization means having domination is very interesting to me. Teachers are the ones who have the standard of always being correct and doing what's right for students. They need to have a set of rules, and time to do everything. but they are not allowed to be too curious, so they have to dominate and always seem right. In many cases that could be good but not having an equal side of both could disrupt the scale. This chapter sparked a bulb in my mind on choosing a specific way of why I'm becoming a teacher and staying curious about why it's so important.
Cady Ayers
ReplyDeleteAyers' main point with his piece was an emphasis on connecting with the students. As an educator, of course your job is to educate your students. Some teachers abandon the idea that the environment and classroom culture are the building blocks to success among your students. Every year of one's life serves as a pathway towards the next-- therefore, every year that's spent in a classroom truly is shaping your future and personality. In my future as an educator, I strive to find the balance between being an authority, friend, and mentor. There are still negatives if you were to lean too far towards the "friendly" side. It's all about the balance.
Danny Trainham:
ReplyDeleteAyers critiques traditional schooling, arguing that it is similar to "prison" for students. When teachers act as authoritarian figures, students are expected to follow commands and obey. Students who disagree or contradict their teachers are often punished in some manner. The power dynamics in traditional schooling limit learning for all students. Ayers suggests that schools should focus on the mutual relationship between teachers and students. Teachers can guide students while simultaneously learning from them, creating a partnership in the educational process. I believe this method is best for promoting learning because it gives students greater autonomy over their education and treats them as unique individuals rather than subordinates.
Tola Reasons
ReplyDeleteI think that Ayers main points that stood out to me was how students should be actively participating in their education, and be able to engage with teachers to make the most of their education. I liked how Ayers emphasized education being a form of collaboration between teachers, students, and a community "in the name of education... in hope of becoming better, smarter, stronger, and more capable...". I really connected with Ayers idea of education being a collaborative effort, and how building ones education properly, responsibly, and with balance is important. Ayers additional use of connecting his ideas to films, magazines, books, and other forms of media felt like a great way to help different groups of people connect and understand the points he was bringing up.
The overall meaning of Ayers' piece is the connection between teacher and student. I believe that it's extremely important, from an elementary teacher perspective, to understand your students, and be able to know what they're feeling without having to ask. This is especially important in elementary classrooms, because oftentimes, elementary age students aren't fully equipped with the skills they need in order to share their feelings without having an emotional outburst. From a student perspective, I still believe it's important to have a connection with your teacher. By having a friendly relationship with your teacher, oftentimes I feel more comfortable in class and aren't afraid to share my opinion, or answer a question incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteClaire Cook:
ReplyDeleteAyers' way of talking about teaching seems like it is focused on helping the students in school become independent thinkers. He views teaching as a way for students to be guided to think for themselves, rather than being told what to think and do. He thinks that they should not just agree and believe what they’re being told, but to question it and form their own opinions. His approach to teaching is about encouraging students to engage in class and grow into their own people. Implementing these ideas into schools of all grades would be very beneficial for everyone, because kids can start from a young age to learn how to think for themselves.
Veronica:
ReplyDeleteAyer believes that teachers teach children to become independent thinkers. They guide students in thinking for themselves. Like being able to form an opinion. He wants to encourage students to engage in class and just be themselves He also believes there should be a strong connection between the teacher and students.
Mack Mboh
ReplyDeleteWhat I gathered from the reading is that schools directly resemble a society. This is an idea I have thought about before, but havent dove into. When thinking about how schools in the United States are today, it makes me realize that there is a lot of censorship and things we as a society we like to hide from future generations. A lot of people do not understand how bad slavery was because it wasn't taught that way. The way a country teaches their kids about their history greatly resembles how they also treat society. This was a new idea for me, as I always think that everywhere teaches the same things. This isnt the case.
While reading what Ayers had to say, I loved how he emphasized connecting with the children because it is extremely important. I believe all the points he made in the reading were great and very helpful. He has a very refreshing and unique way of discussing teaching. Another thing that stood out to me was him saying that teachers are not just there to teach, specifically just conveying information to the children but also there to support the students critical thinking, growth and moral development.
ReplyDeleteEmma Finn-
ReplyDeleteAyer’s started off so strong. I liked the sentence that said that teachers are an enterprise that help human beings reach the full measure of their humanity. I thought about that sentence and I think he’s saying teachers are there to help you fully understand your humanity. Science teachers teach you about the physical/biological, and microscopic/large scale aspects of the human experience. History teachers teach you about past human experiences and how those experiences affect other peoples experiences. I liked that definition of a teacher because when I read it, I felt proud that I am studying to become a teacher. When I signed up for a “diversity democracy and ethics class” I thought it would be a poli sci class but then on the first day i found out we had lots of elementary ed majors and I was confused how democracy and school could possibly tie together. I feel like page 7 of him talking about authoritative classrooms made realize how the two go hand in hand. I liked ayers writing and word choice a lot, I would read this even if I didn’t have to for my grade
Jordan Dent: Ayers' talk of teaching leaned more towards a belief in openness. I read this as in schools should operate in an ever-evolving way. Meaning that not just some of the "facts" change over time, such as new scientific discoveries and/or historical events are added to textbooks, but students are allowed to engage with information and form opinions. Not only students but teachers as well. Teachers should be encouraged to stimulate a students mind and help form critical and independent thinking skills.
ReplyDeleteThe way I understood it, the main point was to connect with students. I believe that this is highly important if you want to have a successful classroom, or workplace for that matter if you truly want to bring the best out of your people. By bringing your A game on most occasions and being tentative to the things that your people want, need, and desire from life you form a safe space for them and allow them to flourish. To genuinely care about the people you influence has always been a priority of mine and has always paid dividends in the long run. For instance, if someone is running late, ensure them not to rush or hurry, to be safe and take their time to get there. If they are struggling at home and need some extra time to handle it, cut them out and give them the opportunity to take care of whats important to them. By letting them know that you genuinely see them and the struggles they are going through, support them, and also act on trying to help them a little you gain more and more of their trust and their desire to do well at whatever you need to do on a regular basis. Let them know that you are human, have feelings, and actually understand that sometimes life needs attention in other places.
ReplyDeleteEntry for Rob Horvath. Again, i forgot my name at the top...eventually I will start to remember this.
DeleteHa!
DeleteThe "Ha!" is form Kurt...I also forgot!!
DeleteLol! I'm pretty amazing at letting my brain get ahead of everything else that I am doing and forget 1/2 of what im supposed to do. Gotta love ADHD!
DeletePeyton Plummer
ReplyDeleteThe way that Ayer's speaks about education and teachers being a influence and open force rang true to me in my opinion. However as Ayer's continued and began to talk about Dr. Willner beginning to constrict students freedom with in his school sounded all to familiar. As a product of a lower income school system myself, that tale is all to familiar. The metal detectors, security guards, and just all together restricted freedoms for students are all too true. Yet, it might make parents feel better about their kids going to school everyday, it's not helping their education. Ayer's then goes on to describe the schools turing into prison like systems which I also see to be true. Which in turn makes it more difficult for teachers to do their jobs. I thinks Ayer's does a great job at explaining these points and making his point clear.
Charlie Campbell:
ReplyDelete“Never let your schooling interfere either your education.” -Mark Twain
Ayers discusses the authoritarian and certainly Orwellian nature of education. I will say our education system is doing an impeccable job of producing students who won’t challenge the orthodoxy of thought. Schooling is a critical thing to teach, you need to know 2+2 = 4 and you need to drill lines for years, the concept of forming a line outside a coffee shop for example is not a natural human behavior and outside a few countries people almost universally just clump and jockey for position.
But outside your basic schooling, something that’s excites me most about teaching is having students identify their base assumptions. “Why do you think that”. If you have ever been in an inter-cultural relationship like I have you realize very quickly you run into conflict as a couple because you’re”base-brogramming” different. The more you communicate the more you start to realize how much of your attitudes and understanding of how the world does or should work is simply drilled into your brain through reinforcement from classroom education and media.
That being said, Ayers also speaks negatively of ethics and morality as if they are so thing used to pull the wool over our eyes. But isn’t a common grounding of ethics something important for a plural democracy?
I think this boils down to a question of how much of our system is true because of its nature and how much of our system exists because of a passed shared narrative.
Riley Baber
ReplyDeleteAyers way of thinking seems extremly student oriented. He believes that teachers are there as almost like a guide for them. His whole way of thinking in my opinion differs from traditional ways of thinking because he doesn't think he's just there to throw out a bunch of information and then hand a student a test. He wants students to understand, ask questions, be interested.
Rosalyn Harper
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 1 of Teaching Toward Freedom, Ayers starts by painting the picture of vibrant and uplifting teaching, portraying it as a practice that enables students to “become more powerful and self-consciously alive.” This concept shows how educators can foster curiosity, help students in making informed choices, and grant them the freedom to navigate their own paths. As the chapter goes on, Ayers explores the intricacies of teaching, explaining it as a moral and ethical pursuit grounded in democracy and liberation. He stresses the necessity of cultivating classrooms where students can express their thoughts without fear of judgment, and where teachers embody responsibility, ethical commitment, and openness to different perspectives. A particularly compelling metaphor for this balance is the notion of “teachers having authorization but not domination,” where authorization signifies the framework and standards teachers establish, while domination indicates the danger of exerting control without curiosity or fairness. Ayers argues that when the balance between these two elements is disrupted—whether domination overshadows authorization or the other way around—it throws off the equilibrium vital for effective teaching. His viewpoint pushes educators to reflect on their roles, not just as providers of knowledge but as people who grant freedom and critical thought. This chapter pushed me toward a deeper look about my own motivations for becoming a teacher and reaffirming the significance of finding a balance that guides and liberates students throughout their educational journey and life!
Alistair here:
DeleteAyers clearly is addicted to teaching. He talks very fondly of the importance of education in creating a well-rounded human and participant of society. Humanization!
He mentions the active participation that each person takes in education, not as tourists but as pilgrims on an adventure.
Quoting a rabbit proof fence, a film by Philip Noyce that mentions the flaws in education systems that desire to “whitewash” and erase native and indigenous culture history. So as the goal of school is educating and humanizing, many times it ends up dehumanizing.
The education system is flawed, filled with rules and “authoritarian education”, leading to a relative disinterest in that level of learning. Especially for non white students.
As much as it would be nice to do as Charles Darwin said: Teach these children nothing but facts, the schooling system is biased on personal beliefs and opinions teachers & up.
Learning and thinking outside of the box is frowned upon from college down to grade school, teachers and boards preferring proven methods and ideas to new ones.
Schooling, for good and bad, is meant to educate and socialize us into upstanding members of society. While this system is highly flawed, there are people like William Ayers that have hope in it and are determined to mending the broken parts.
Elise Ginn,
ReplyDeleteAyers teaches his children to become independent and think for themselves as well as develop their own thoughts and feelings. He made a companionship with his students so them being equal in a way but still respecting one another. He makes it a point to talk about how teachers are not just there for one thing but there for multiple reasons and can teach children other things except just the basic education.
"The voyage is underway. We are pilgrims, not tourists. There is more to see and hear."
ReplyDeleteI really loved reading this because it honestly just made me excited to teach. And it made me remember my previous and current teachers who implement this principle; so much so that they stand out from the rest. The ones who transformed the room into much more than a classroom, but a lifeboat, a soaring plane through the expanse of imagination and community. They demonstrated that learning is a lifelong journey that doesn't have to be so debilitating. When I think of it truly, teachers in the school are the first people who build that impression of learning that young minds will carry with them on the course of their lives. It's very important work. And, I'll be transparent--I chose to become an education minor on a whim; from one teacher asking me a simple question after class one day: "Have you ever thought about teaching?" And for some reason, it stuck with me. Teachers show you what's possible; and Ayers does a great job of explaining why.
Forgot to add my name^^Amaya Robinson
DeleteNida Hadi----In Ayer’s Teaching Toward Freedom, Ayer beautifully describes what teaching truly is and its impact. Ayer, at the beginning of the chapter, opens up with the idea of teaching as an enterprise that “helps human beings reach their full humanity.” Ayer attempts to further describe teaching as enabling teachers and students to become self-consciously alive and, in doing so, will allow students to impel us toward further acquired knowledge and rather to become a part of a community that works toward our liberation. Although this is the universal goal of teaching, Ayer emphasizes that some schooling systems prioritize the practice of conformity and obedience, even repressive training. Ayer notably discusses the history of how that education manifested into our contemporary schooling system through examples such as the indoctrination and force of mere whiteness onto the Aboriginals of Australia to erase their identity and cultures. In our school systems today, some of that authoritarian style and, as someone mentioned in a previous blog, an Orwellian/1984 school of thought heavily persist and exist today, from book banning to banning critical race theory to how the origin of the founding of our nation and the structured ideals are taught through the lens of American exceptionalism and other forms of propaganda, etc. However, it is not solely the curriculum that teachers teach their students but the structure of how our schooling system is taught. This is why Ayers notably stresses the importance of dismantling the authoritarian teaching style within our school systems and promoting a rather more universal vision of a humane, democratic structure and style of education and teaching. A style of teaching that advocates for independent thought, tolerance of difference, active participation, and freedom not for students but for teachers to think freely without fear of any repercussions.
ReplyDeleteAlistair here, I think I posted my reply wrong:
ReplyDeleteAyers clearly is addicted to teaching. He talks very fondly of the importance of education in creating a well rounded human and participant of society. Humanization!
He mentions the active participation that each person takes in education, not as tourists but as pilgrims on an adventure.
Quoting a rabbit proof fence, a film by Philip Noyce that mentions the flaws in education systems that desire to “whitewash” and erase native and indigenous culture history. So as the goal of school is educating and humanizing, many times it ends up dehumanizing.
The education system is flawed, filled with rules and “authoritarian education”, leading to a relative disinterest in that level of learning. Especially for non white students.
As much as it would be nice to do as Charles Darwin said: Teach these children nothing but facts, the schooling system is biased on personal beliefs and opinions teachers & up.
Learning and thinking outside of the box is frowned upon from college down to grade school, teachers and boards preferring proven methods and ideas to new ones.
Schooling, for good and bad, is meant to educate and socialize us into upstanding members of society. While this system is highly flawed, there are people like William Ayers that have hope in it and are determined to mending the broken parts.
Halie murphy-
ReplyDeleteI think that Ayers way of talking about teaching is moving. The way he writes you can tell that he really cares about the topic and is knowledgeable. When educating others about a topic it is so important to be passionate and show how much you care about the topic so that your student might have the opportunity to feel the same way. He made me think that the way in which you teach makes all the difference to the child. He talks about how when a student is put into an authoritative environment all desire to learn shuts down and the teaching is useless. This make me think about my past educational environments and his theory definitely checks out. Reading this article really showed me how much the teachers style affects the learning outcomes and school is meant to be a place for students to grow their perspectives and learn all while enjoying their time and connecting with their instructors and administrators.
Allie Mann
ReplyDeleteHis main point was to connect with the students.
Mia Shirey-
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of teachers having authorization but not domination is very important. It may seem very basic but when a teacher "dominates" students, it creates tension and the students may resent the teacher.
Taylor Duquette
ReplyDeleteAyers is very passionate. He also compares traditional schooling to prison. He illustrates the concept of teaching as an inspiring and transformative practice. He describes it as a process that empowers students to be more powerful, highlighting how educators can nurture curiosity, help students make informed decisions, and give them the freedom to chart their own paths.
Robert Horvath
ReplyDeleteTo me, Ayers ultimately states that you must adapt and provide a caring and positive learnings environment. That it is important to break away from the traditional norms and strict structure of a classroom setting and go beyond the basic curriculum in order to connect with students in a way that is impactful. I have always believed in this throughout my teaching journey which is definitely non-typical. As a work center supervisor or drill instructor I have always found it important to connect with my people when teaching, that the impact of your words is greatly amplified when the people you are trying to foster growth within know that you actually care about their well being and their ability to grow. To be able to have a connection with your students absolutely allows you to draw them further into conversations and apply themselves more intensely to the material you are trying to present and allows them to learn it much more effectively.
Deborah Mattos -
ReplyDeleteAyers’ way of speaking on teaching he is critical of current authoritative ways of teaching, because of the power the teachers have over students, and how they are easily punished if they step out of line. There needs to be a happy medium between being friendly towards students and controlling the classroom. A teacher doesn’t have to harshly punish each child for a minor mishap, but they also cannot let things slide easily because then it’s more likely for the situation to happen again.
Talia Gose:
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the way Ayers talks about teaching. Teaching is often viewed as just delivering information or getting kids to pass a test, so it was refreshing to hear him talk about it as building a real connection with students. I really liked how he emphasized that teaching is a moral and political act too, because I think that's something people don't talk about enough. The way you teach, what you choose to teach, and even how you treat your students, all of that plays a role in shaping society. It made me think about how children are super impressionable, and how important it is for teachers to be aware of that. Ethics is always going to be a part of education, whether people realize it or not. I also liked that Ayers talked about teaching as optimistic. It reminded me that teaching isn’t just about information, it’s about helping kids grow, question things, and become thoughtful human beings. Honestly, it made me feel a little more hopeful about education, too, because sometimes it feels like the system forgets about all that and just focuses on scores.