In Paulo Freire’s reading, “The Banking Concept of Education” a few main points of his really stood out to me. In the beginning of the reading Freire said, “The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without perceiving what four times four really means, or realizing the true significance of “capital” in the affirmation “the capital of Para is Belem” (103). I found this statement to be very relatable. At the beginning of my childhood I thought school was fun, we engaged in activities, were able to express ourselves however we wished, and had more time to play games. Although I understand as we grow older we need to learn harder topics which means we need more time focusing on school work, I think that it is important to keep a balance between work and play. As I moved from middle to high school I felt myself losing less interest in school. Not because I was in that moody teenage stage, but because it seemed that all that was important was getting high grades. Transitioning from middle to high school, at least to me, it seemed that to teachers it was more important that kids got high scores on our tests, rather than us actually understanding the concept and being able to apply it to real life. Connecting this experience back to Freire’s statement, it just further proves how so many kids, including myself, memorize a topic for a test, take the test, get a good score (hopefully), then forget the topic, and move on. I don't think that this is an effective way of learning at all. I think that teacher’s need to realize that it is not all about getting high test scores, and stress the importance of legitimately understanding the topic more. When I become a teacher, I’d rather take more time on a lesson if need be so the students truly understand what is going on and will be able to connect it to real life, rather than rushing through the topic, cramming the idea into their head for a short period of time, and then forgetting the whole point. I also think that it I will take the time to organize activities that involve learning but in a fun way and give my students time to reflect, practice, and collaborate with one another about issues.
Another statement that really stood out to me was when Freire said, “Education as the practice of freedom - as opposed to education as the practice of domination” (111). This was one of my favorite post it notes I commented on because, it stresses the importance of freedom. When I think of school I think of a place where students are dictated by teachers, principals, and other staff to do as they say. There is little room for students to voice their own views, wishes, and needs. As a future educator, I want to be able to give my kids as much freedom as possible. With freedom comes self-expression and creativity which is key in today’s world! When people are able to think outside of the box and think of new/innovative ways to conquer challenges it is extremely rewarding. Teachers today should be encouraging their students to express themselves and give them space to do their own thing. If I was to interview a person, one of the most important aspects I would look for in them is creativity. Creativity embraces students to make unique connections and see life in different way. Possessing this quality is so important and I firmly believe schools need to be more centered around letting their students be creative! Especially with Common Core, there is very little room for kids to solve problems their own ways and I think that needs to be changed. When I see my younger brother who is 10, doing his Common Core homework, he is often times able to solve the problems in his own ways, but they are considered “unacceptable”. I hope that teachers these days will soon start to realize that they need to let their students explore the world, create their own views, and let their children express themselves.
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