Empowerment
I was reading "What Is Feminist Pedagogy?" by Carolyn M. Shrewsbury before I interrupted myself just now to journal. I have to write about something that's been on my mind recently, something that involves the past, present, and future of myself and our society.
That something is "empowerment."
"Three concepts, community, power, and leadership, are central to [steps towards transformation of academia] and provide a way or organizing our exploration into the meaning of feminist pedagogy . . . [o]f the three central concepts, empowerment has been the most frequently discussed . . ." (10).
Earlier today I thought about how one of my educational goals is to empower students. I am pleased to be reading something for my Women's Studies class that will encourage my goal!
Traditional education in our society has centered around the concepts of authority and obedience. Theories to break away from these have been around for years, such as the Montessori method, but they have still not been mainstreamed. When I am in a teaching position, which is a stereotypical position of authority, will I be able to draw the line? Will I be able to define my boundaries and break out of what I was taught?
I already know about some steps to empower students, such as the love and logic method of discipline, which puts control in the hands of the students. A teacher can offer them a couple of decisions for reference, such as "would you rather sing a song with the rest of the class or sit on a pillow and read?" This way they can learn societal norms at their own pace, and if they are not in the mood for doing what they are "supposed" to be doing they don't have to.
A more personal thought that comes to mind when I think of my career aspiration and "empowerment" is that I am feeding a stereotypical image of what a woman is supposed to do with her life - nurture and care for children. Unfortunately, this can be disheartening. I wish I could say I were becoming an engineer or something that would help to break the mold, but no, I want to be a teacher. "Just 21 percent of the nation's 3 million teachers are men, according to the National Education Association (NEA) (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/15/national/main680061.shtml)" Even if I wanted to be a professor that would be better (in the UK the ratio of male to female professors is 6:1, according to BBC News.)
But I want to be a teacher to inspire social change. I want to teach those little girls that they don't have to be teachers . . . which is sort of confusing . . .
Well, who knows how many times I will change my mind? So far I am pleased with my aspiration. I think I can accomplish a lot as a teacher. I think about the wonderful teachers I've had - Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Wendlick, Woody, Mr. Valez, Mrs. Van Lom, Mrs. Allers, and Mr. Schlichting. I want to take all of the best things that they had to offer me and offer them to my future students.
In that way I will empower myself as an educator, and in that way I can empower future generations to do what they most desire, regardless of American culture standards.
That something is "empowerment."
"Three concepts, community, power, and leadership, are central to [steps towards transformation of academia] and provide a way or organizing our exploration into the meaning of feminist pedagogy . . . [o]f the three central concepts, empowerment has been the most frequently discussed . . ." (10).
Earlier today I thought about how one of my educational goals is to empower students. I am pleased to be reading something for my Women's Studies class that will encourage my goal!
Traditional education in our society has centered around the concepts of authority and obedience. Theories to break away from these have been around for years, such as the Montessori method, but they have still not been mainstreamed. When I am in a teaching position, which is a stereotypical position of authority, will I be able to draw the line? Will I be able to define my boundaries and break out of what I was taught?
I already know about some steps to empower students, such as the love and logic method of discipline, which puts control in the hands of the students. A teacher can offer them a couple of decisions for reference, such as "would you rather sing a song with the rest of the class or sit on a pillow and read?" This way they can learn societal norms at their own pace, and if they are not in the mood for doing what they are "supposed" to be doing they don't have to.
A more personal thought that comes to mind when I think of my career aspiration and "empowerment" is that I am feeding a stereotypical image of what a woman is supposed to do with her life - nurture and care for children. Unfortunately, this can be disheartening. I wish I could say I were becoming an engineer or something that would help to break the mold, but no, I want to be a teacher. "Just 21 percent of the nation's 3 million teachers are men, according to the National Education Association (NEA) (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/15/national/main680061.shtml)" Even if I wanted to be a professor that would be better (in the UK the ratio of male to female professors is 6:1, according to BBC News.)
But I want to be a teacher to inspire social change. I want to teach those little girls that they don't have to be teachers . . . which is sort of confusing . . .
Well, who knows how many times I will change my mind? So far I am pleased with my aspiration. I think I can accomplish a lot as a teacher. I think about the wonderful teachers I've had - Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Wendlick, Woody, Mr. Valez, Mrs. Van Lom, Mrs. Allers, and Mr. Schlichting. I want to take all of the best things that they had to offer me and offer them to my future students.
In that way I will empower myself as an educator, and in that way I can empower future generations to do what they most desire, regardless of American culture standards.