Critical Reflection:
What is considered the central argument of the paper is “Proper Pedagogy” or “Productive Pedagogy.” That is, ‘What good teaching really is’ and why good teaching depends on teachers that involve their background and understanding of students…
The idea that I found to be particularly challenging from the paper is that “the quality of pedagogies is an important social justice issue in education and at the same time, the argument offered acknowledges the limitations of a teacher and pedagogical focus alone for achieving socially just outcomes from schooling” (Coleman et al, 1966; Thrupp, 1999; Hayes et al, 2005). – (Social Just Pedagogies in Changing Time, p. 2) – Talking about the limitations of the teacher that must have lowered the quality of pedagogies has been there all along. Unless a teacher questions herself of her practice and her growth mindset, she might not have strived harder to breakthrough. – This scenario has actually convinced me to go back to school and study again. That is, to gain insights, inspiration and learning. This is that practice of growth mindset which I came across from an International Seminar last September 2016. Having read more about these Two (2) Mindsets from articles in Facebook has acquainted me more with this so-called ‘Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset.’ These articles push us teachers to question ourselves on how we give justice to our assigned task which is teaching. Although we have been given seminar-trainings to develop our teaching skills and strategies, we still sometimes find ourselves following the routine that if not remedied would lead us to having “Fixed Mindset.” As a Reading Teacher before, (and even now as an Arts teacher), I collect reading materials that deal with social justice, being upright and the like. I share articles to my students on topics about the said theme which I have always found relevant. From these articles, I generate questions to be answered – which sound like Content-Based Instruction. Being obliged to create or prepare Strategic Intervention Materials (SIM) every grading period and being a Reading teacher before, I have practiced Content-Based Instruction where I have my students see and figure out the theme of the article shared to them.
The points I didn’t agree with is the idea “Productive Pedagogies model seeks to provide a pedagogy that is socially just and suitable for these globalized, postmodern times.” Although the said idea informs every one of its purpose, what happens actually is the reverse. – Unless one teacher puts herself into introspection – how she could better serve her students, the school, and the community in general, everything would be plain lip service. How one teacher despite the odds of her inadequacies, still pushes herself forward has a lot to do with the driving force to get better in her chosen craft. For what reason…? It is because, it satisfies her and unconsciously, at the same time, she is able to contribute to social justice.
The implication of the argument to my area of expertise or context is: 1) the confirmation of what “Proper Pedagogy” or “Productive Pedagogy” really is; 2) that social justice which I have been including in my lesson since before have been given me deeper meaning or perspective; 3) that despite all the imperfections, teachers can make a difference in a world surrounded by conflicts and inequalities: 4) that we are here in the profession not to just follow any recipe; 5) that even if we put so much responsibilities on our shoulders, it is a good thing to be reminded of the idea that we are not always responsible for the problems of the society, only we can make a difference through working on innovations and research; 6) that we can only accept what we can change and change what we still can; 7) that good teaching is the best way to achieve social justice; and finally, 8) that to expose students to something difficult or higher level tasks is where they would learn best, because giving them tasks within their level would not make them learn and giving tasks below their level would only bore them—this is teaching high intellectual quality.
What is desirable here is the chance for self-examination. Having been fed with ideas from the articles has opened our eyes to what is theorized and empirical. Only we can make connections to these articles based on our experiences and learnings coupled with studies that explain our experiences. Shared experiences help a community resolve a problem. And that is what the attendance in class matters. Teachers play the part of activists and reformists working to try something else by continual studies, innovations and researches.
By: Lilia S. Crisostomo | Bataan National High School – Senior High School
