Blog Post 6

            In the excerpt we read, Freire introduces the reader to some interesting topics. The first topic Freire discusses is the banking approach to education. If I was to become a teacher, this is not the approach I would use in my classroom because it is quite alienating. There is simply no connection between the teacher and his or her students, and I would not appreciate the feeling of being disconnected from my students. As the teacher talks, the students listen, thus “filling” up their minds with narrations. Another way to look at the banking approach is by the teacher having an active role in the classroom, while the students have a passive role, just sitting in their desks mindlessly. Also, this approach does not take into account the circumstances of the students. Personally, I would want to be aware of my students’ lives outside of the classroom in order to better understand their behaviors. Thankfully, there are alternatives to the banking approach of education. For example, a teacher could begin with the experiences of the students, which is probably the route I would take in my classroom, and formulate lessons from there. There would also be a dialogue between the students and the teachers, versus the teacher being the only one speaking in the classroom. One aspect of education that aggravates me is how some teachers think they are above or superior to their students, and Freire proposes a wonderful solution to this notion. The teachers are in the classroom to learn as well, not just the students. The moment more teachers realize this, the efficiency of the classrooms throughout the globe will increase significantly.