Paulo Freire, in Pedagogy of the Oppressed [Continuum, 2000)] says that “human activity is theory and practice; it is reflection and action” (p. 106). This is true in teaching as well. The main object in teaching is to help the children learn how to do things on their own and to spark curiosity about learning so that they can become self-learners.
Becoming a Self-Learner
This idea of being a self-learner is an important one because it requires the students themselves to be teachers as well as learners. In both a high school and college setting, a popular teaching strategy is to assign the students into groups, have them research a topic, and then present it to the class. This involves the students into the learning as well as the teaching aspect.
Teaching and Learning at the Same Time
Teachers need to be careful that they do not teach a lesson with the attitude that the students are there only to learn and that the teacher is there only to teach. This attitude prevents optimal learning and becomes oppressive to the students. Teaching with the attitude that there is always something new to learn will assist in conveying the information more effectively to the students. It will also display an attitude of curiosity and an openness to learn new things, which the students can then use to build the same attitude in their own approach to learning and teaching.
The Never Ending Learning Process
Learning is a never-ending task that begins at birth. There is a proverb in Spanish that says "mientras se vive, siempre se aprende". A rough translation basically says that as long as one is alive, he or she should always be learning. Shakespeare, in The Taming of the Shrew [Washington Square Press, 2004] says “O! This learning, what a thing it is”. Each person should view learning as a treasure to be grasped and a thing that he always has before him, yet is just out of reach.
Freire says “the unfinished character of human beings and the transformational character of reality necessitate that education be an ongoing activity” (p. 65). These serve as examples of the importance of continuing to learn. Whether preparing a lesson, teaching a class, cooking dinner, or even answering the phone, there are innumerable lessons to be learned.
Children as Teachers
Some of the most important lessons taught in the classroom are not history, art, or mathematics. Rather, they are the lessons that the children teach. Children can teach the importance of innocence, the lesson of how simplistic honesty can be, and the lesson of kindness. You can learn lessons of peer pressure that you may have had your senses dulled to, lessons of enthusiasm for trying new and exciting things, and lessons for not giving up when the going gets tough.
They can teach lessons on how simply going up to another person on the edge of the group and inviting them to join in the activity can make an impact on that person’s life. There are so many things to learn, lessons everyone need to learn over and over again. These lessons are often taught by your students. May you open your eyes and begin to learn all over again.
In order to be the best teacher you can, you must remember that you are never just the teacher. You are also the student with a class full of young teachers brimming with youthful wisdom waiting to be realized. Teach your students to become self-learners, and allow them to teach you each day.
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