*In response from week 1-Meghan and I spoke*
In the reading, “Bringing more than I contain’: ethics, curriculum and
the pedagogical demand for altered egos” by Sharon Todd shares information from
Cornelius Castoriadis about ontological violence in regards to teaching. As educators, we want to refrain from only
presenting our beliefs about education to the families of our students, however
it will happen in some instances because we all have our own biases which we constantly
work to overcome when working with our students and their families.
This article has some valid points and connections,
but when we are talking to families and referring to our tiny students in
kindergarten I would not explain learning as becoming
as an “inherently violent activity where the social environment exacts a
traumatic price from the psyche” (Todd, 2001). My biggest question that I take
away from this article is how would I share the information in the article with
families without using the psychological and philosophical language?
Todd
cites Castoriadis and states that “educators
teach in the hope that others will learn and change” which has been a large
assumption within education (Todd, 2001). Later on, in the article she refers
to a scenario that a student teacher experience while in a kindergarten
classroom in which a student had an accident in her pants due to not be able to
use the washroom during ‘O Canada’, In this scenario the teacher was ignoring
the student in hopes that this would be a lesson they take from their accident
and establish a routine, and potentially use the washroom before the morning announcements
comes on. As teachers, we want our students to learn and change, but not in the
same way this article describes. As a teacher, I want my students to change with what they learn, not change
in order to learn
A quote that stood out to me in this article is
that “the [student]
learns to become a being in relation to others it encounters, learning values,
behaviours and modes of thinking within the nexus of culture, language and
social relations” which Castoriadis sees
a violent influence
(Todd, 2001). Majority of students, even people, learn by watching and doing
which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it has negative impact when we encourage
them to learn in ay that isn’t their own.
Todd, S. (2001). `Bringing more than I contain’:
ethics, curriculum and the pedagogical demand for altered egos. Journal of
Curriculum Studies, 33(4), 431-450.
I think it is really good that you acknowledge that as educators we can never be completely neutral. Your questioning of how to share information with families is important, and a great way to begin to think about how to authentically work in collaboration with families. I wonder how you feel inquiry-based learning supports or doesn't support children to learn in ways that are personally meaningful.
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