The article makes no mention to Paulo Freire and Henry Giroux. Still, I believe the conception of a new Reality Pedagogy is based on both the Critical Pedagogy and the Theory and Resistance in Education. Independent of my personal perception, Christopher Emdin, Ph.D., makes justice the last changes in the social influence of institutional education.
(Photo by Mitch Miller - HUD) |
I call it reality pedagogy, because it’s about reaching students where they really are, making sure that their lives and backgrounds are reflected in the curriculum and in classroom conversations.Reality pedagogy interrupts the notion that teaching is about managing students and their behavior. Instead, I’ve learned to see them as co-teachers, and I create space for dialogue—in small groups outside of class—about how they experience the classroom and the world beyond it. It’s a space for connection, but also for any critiques they have of my teaching. These conversations are generative for everyone involved. Teachers need feedback from their students, who can see what teachers have been trained to ignore in their blind pursuit of a calm, quiet classroom. And students need a sense of agency, which they are often denied.