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>Dear Diane I know the story about the fact that a teacher once in the
>classroom can close the door and do whatever. In my country may be this the
>true problem. I had the opportunity of teaching at many different age
>levels along my life, from the middle high school to the high school.Now
>I'm teaching at the university and again at different age levels coming
>to the doctoral courses. What I can say is following: the only moment in
>which I felt well supported in my teaching was when we had both in the
>schools and at the university the experience of a joint teaching with some
>colleague.For exemple teaching Italian literature and physics in the high
>school or psychology and physics in the first years of the medical faculty.
>I began to think that perhaps this can be explained by the core of
>teaching/learning actiity, which is, according to the AT approach
>(Leont'ev,Davydov,a.s.o.) a form of social production. Anyway let me
>communicate to you that I'm following your debating with a real concern and
>interest! Serena Veggetti>
I think what's worth wondering about, in the discussion of
teachers and privacy, is the idea that, as Valerie Walkerdine says,
teaching is impossible. The issue to me is not "what's up with the
teachers?" or "what can we do with teachers that will help them be more
cooperative..."
but
what can we change about the assumptions built into the practice?
The assumptions are that (i) teaching is some sort of gift; (ii) a good
teacher is an ecxellent "classroom manager";
that teaching is somehow about WHO, and not more about WHAT - like, what are
teachers being asked to teach? what are they expected to "measure" in terms
of participation? These are what make it impossible.
How can anyone thrive in a setting (school)that completely contradicts the
value of your presence (teacher)?
I see it as a political thing. It's about curriculum. it's about unions.
it's about state participation (control) in education.
under these conditions, how can
anyone be expected to thrive?
it's not about opening or closing the doors, I don't think, so much as it
is about what the doors do - what kind of institution is structured in such
a way that the majority of its participants only feel secure when they are
locked alone in a square room?
It's just like in that British film, (based on the Ray Bradbury book)
"Farenheit 451" [the temperature at which books burn; the story takes place
in a world(?) where literacy is outlawed.]
Be paranoid.
diane
"Every tool is a weapon if you hold it right."
Ani Difranco
*********************************
diane celia hodges
faculty of education
university of british columbia
vancouver, bc canada
tel: (604)-253-4807
email: dchodges who-is-at interchange.ubc.ca