Good Reads...

There were two articles that I read this semester that made a very big impact on me.  The first was written by William Cronon and titled "Only Connect..The goals of a liberal education."  Cronon makes a list of ten qualities that he admires in people and I have printed out the list and added it to my file of resources.  I intend to refer back often to this list and use it to help me define myself as a teacher. The one that I like the most and want to work towards is #9: "They nurture and empower the people around them."  This is very basic and yet I believe at the core of what I, as a teacher, should be striving for as I try to make connections with my students.
The second article took me by surprise and I am guilty of "judging a book by it's cover" or in this case "an article by it's title".  I tend to cringe at the word feminist.  Although I am proud of being feminine and I embrace my inherent qualities, I am usually against what most would consider feminist movements. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that the article was not about a feminist movement.  The article is called "What is feminist pedagogy?"  and was written by Carolyn M. Shrewsbury. I enjoyed it mostly because it presented a style of teaching that focused on the student and teacher relationship as a joint adventure into exploring the world together. I have become fairly disenchanted with traditional teaching methods and I thoroughly enjoy finding new ways to bring joy and wonder and excitement for learning back into the classroom. This article is a "must-read" for anyone that wants to break out of the test-driven world that the politics of education are forcing on schools and to really explore the nature of engaging in learning through empowerment, community and leadership.

I found most of the reading for this course to be interesting and useful, but I was able to relate on a personal level with these two.  They have helped to shape my teaching philosophy and I highly recommend them.