The journey of a teacher
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William Ayers' To teach: The journey of a teacher and The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia approachùadvanced reflections, edited by Carolyn Edwards, Lella Gandini, and George Forman are impressive works that testify to the dedication and love of the educators involved. Challenging the practices of traditional classrooms, the educators in these books create a dynamic and vibrant classroom that encourages children to reveal their passions and take center stage. Instead of being focused on teaching techniques and the orderly completion of curriculum, these teachers train themselves to listen to the children and shape the lessons through their interaction with the children. Ultimately, the educators seek to bring the classroom and the community together. For the children, it is essential for them to learn the importance of being a contributing member of the community. For the adults and parents, they realize that the success of education is impossible without their active participation. In To Teach, Ayers challenges the prevalent educational practices and institutions from a personal and intimate perspective. He starts the book by examining the reasons for teaching. Instead of simply celebrating the altruistic objectives of idealistic teachers, he also explores the realistic barriers that confront them (Ayers, 1993, pp. 8-9). According to him, a good teacher does not have to know all the materials and to control the classroom. Instead, a good teacher is open to
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. Not only are the children passionate about the learning, they are also actively applying concepts from different subjects. Compared to the usual option of studying abstract concepts from textbooks, Ayers' idea is far more exciting and more powerful because the students are experiencing the usefulness of these seemingly abstract concepts directly (Ayers, 1993, pp. 101-102).
In addition, Ayers does not hesitate to attack the educational institutions for their failure to embrace diverse peoples and cultures. His description of the bias suffered by African-Americans in standardized testing captures powerfully the problems of race bias in education (Ayers, 1993, pp. 82-83). Considering the significance of such tests for attending higher institutions, African-Americans will have to abandon their culture and their distinctive way of speaking in order to excel in these tests.
In this book, Ayers demonstrates his tremendous experience and passion for teaching. What is particularly impressive about this book is his celebration of diverse cultures. His use of the letter from the Native American parent is highly effectively in voicing the anxieties of the Native American parent for their school-going child, because of the underlying
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Approximate Word count = 1492
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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