I was prompted to return to writing something on my own blog by reading a blog of one of my ex-students, where he asks a question about teaching methods and I couldn’t hold back a response, despite it being ten years since I was in a classroom and about five since I worked one-to-one.
Anyway, here’s what I wrote in answer to his question about the restrictions imposed on the learning process by teachers who follow the banking concept of teaching:
“Hello ****, it is good to read this. As you probably remember, despite being a “qualified” teacher, I rarely worked with what might be called conventional groups or classes; I was fortunate enough to choose a career with those pupils/students who didn’t fit in with the system and so were somewhat discriminated against. Hence I was largely left to my own devices, at secondary, further and higher levels. Such freedom to deal with, as you put it, the process of learning, was always attractive to me, rather than the “banking” concept of education (which is pretty useless on its own) and allows little room for even the slightest eccentric aberration from a prescribed syllabus.
I have known and admired some teachers of “mainstream” classes who were able to venture easily into such areas and activities, going where their pupils’ questions took the lesson; thus, they were not afraid to say “I don’t know” and education would occur!”
Anyway, 2012 has brought a new knee for Barbara, a permanent post for Jill and the third anniversary of my giving up smoking. Can’t think of any interesting additions, hyperlinks or pictures right now, maybe later.