Pedagogical Practices

I was challenged to think about my own educating and teaching practices last class when we were examining the pedagogical practices discussed in Bracher’s book Radical Pedagogy Identity, Generatively, and Social Transformation.

It is difficult to analyze our own educating styles because we often assume that our practices are accurate and are benefiting the individuals we are working with. Our pedagogical practices are part of our identity and who we believe we are, therefore, it is difficult to analyze and possibly critique them. Our instinct is to defend and protect our pedagogical actions and beliefs, “merely interrogating our pedagogical practices threatens our identity” http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 135. We are often resistant to changing our current pedagogical practices or embracing new ones because these are the practices we are comfortable using and they often reflect how we were educated and trained to educate. We also assume that these are the practices that provide the greatest benefits to the individuals we are working with, however, this may not always be the case. We must also recognize “the negative consequences of pedagogical practices that we had previously assumed were producing benefits for our students and society”  http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 136. In order to become aware of how our pedagogical practices are benefiting or potentially harming those we are working with, Bracher suggests we have to perform both an individual and group analysis of our pedagogical practices http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 135.

In his book, Bracher encourages us to think about “what can bring us to identify and acknowledge, much less relinquish, the identity support we receive from the various nonproductive and harmful pedagogical practices we engage in” http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 135. Prior to taking this course, performing an analysis on my pedagogical practices would have been much more difficult. I was not aware to the extent that I am now of how my pedagogical practices are based on my own motives and identity needs. This realization is the moment Bracher refers to as “rectification”; “coming to recognize that one’s own actions, based on motives (identity needs) that one may know nothing of, have served to produce a situation that one consciously wants to prevent” http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 135- 136. It is the first moment Bracher describes in the process of (Self) analysis.

As educators, we want to be recognized for the work we are doing and the success that the individuals we are working with have. In order to be successful educators, we must be able to analyze our own pedagogical practices and the benefits or potential harm they have on others. For the past number of years I have had the opportunity to work as a coordinator in various Transition to Employment programs. These programs are designed for individuals who entering or re-entering the workforce. Often times the individuals in the groups are in receipt of social assistance, single parents or have never gained work experience. I love this work because at the end of the programs I get to see the positive changes that have happened in the lives of these individuals and their families. By the end of the program, the individuals have gained valuable work experience and many times gained further employment as a result of their work placements. However, more importantly, they have increased self esteem and confidence in their abilities and they now have a strong desire to pursue their education and/or career goals. Although I would not have previously considered it seeking recognition It gives me great pleasure to know that I was a part of their successful transition back to work  “Our most profound identity support (as is the case with everyone) comes in the form of recognition from the real: evidence that we have made a significant contribution to the lives of others” http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 137.

For each group that I work with I have to adapt the program to meet their needs.  This can be challenging because I get used to developing the program to meet the needs of one group and the next group may have completely different needs. On the other hand, it is good for my pedagogical practices because it forces me to always be completing self and group analysis. It is my practice to ask the group on at least two occasions throughout the program to complete anonymous feedback forms because I like to know that I am meeting their needs and how I can revise my practices to better meet their needs. It encourages me to analyze and explore new practices when they provide suggestions that they feel would be of a greater benefit to them. When I receive feedback from the group I like to implement their suggestions to the best of my ability because I know their suggestions will contribute to the success of the program “When confronted with the realization that one of our current practices fails to make such a contribution while an alternative practice would succeed, our investment in the current practice is automatically diminished, irrespective of whatever appeal it may still have due to various other ways in which it supports our identity”  ” http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 137.

It is my goal to be more aware of the impact my own identity has on my pedagogical practices and to try to adapt more of a critical pedagogy which “the aim is not to change students in any particular way but rather to provide them with the opportunities and resources to change and develop according to their own identity needs” http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 103. 

Affective Psychological States

As I was reading Bracher’s book Radical Pedagogy Identity, Generatively, and Social Transformation, I found myself reflecting on our education system and how it attempts to meet the needs of children and their affective - psychological states. Although some may disagree, I don’t believe that our current education system has put in place effective resources and supports that will enhance students learning through supporting their psychological states.

There are so many learning styles and psychological states within our large class sizes that it is near impossible for one person to teach to all of the students needs. The lack of support and resources available in schools may be due in part to the fact that for the past number of years the education system has been going through a transformation. With more research and studies being conducted we are learning what works and what doesn’t based on the current needs of students. Administration and teachers in the education system are aware that the system is not currently working to its full potential and that things need to change but they are not sure how to do it. A large part of decision making in the education system is based on budgets and money and not with the best interests and needs of individuals in mind. Resources and supports are expensive, so they are often cut out of the budget which also cuts out the best interests of the individuals in the system. As a parent and as someone who is involved in the education system this is very frustrating for me.  What investment is more important than our young people who will ultimately shape our future?

Everything that I am learning in this class I can relate to my seven year old son who last year was diagnosed with ADHD.  I seem to be able to put everything in context when I relate to him. His diagnosis has given me an entirely new understanding of affective - psychological states and the effect they have on learning, social interaction and all aspects of life. Bracher states in his book that affective - psychological states such as hyper-arousal “make it difficult if not impossible to learn”. http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 32. This has been our experience with our son.

Bracher also states in his book that we see the importance of affective-psychological states when they interfere with learning http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332184211&sr=8-1 p 32. It was not until our son began school that we became aware that there was more to his struggles than we were able to help him with on our own. Prior to him beginning school he had a tremendous amount of energy that we tried to channel through lots of activities but when he began school and conformity was mandatory there were problems. Although he is a bright child, he could not concentrate for extended periods of time and he was not able to sit for any length of time. His condition was clearly having an impact on his learning, his social life and also on his identity. He became so used to getting in trouble for not sitting, not doing his work and being disruptive it was almost as if he gave up on trying to conform, and he began to seek recognition for the negative behaviors he was getting attention from. Perhaps without noticing, the teacher  labeled him, the students were beginning to label him and so were their parents. He was starting to not sleep at night, have night terrors and his personality was beginning to change, he was accepting his new identity and he was becoming a different child. That is when we knew we had to seek help. To some extent we are still dealing with the effects of his experience. I think it is important that we as educators realize the impact we can have on an individual’s life in such a short period of time. It almost seems impossible that what may seem like such small experience can have such an effect on us, but I think we can all recall experiences in our own education that did have an impact on our lifelong learning and our school experiences. Many have related to such experiences in these blogs.

The public school system is challenging for our son because it is not able to provide the resources and support to his hyper-aroused affective-psychological state. He is not eligible to have a teacher’s assistant with him nor does he require one full time. However, like many other children he does require extra guidance. Following verbal directions and staying on task can be challenging for him. He also needs extra guidance in social settings because not only is he hyper- active, he is also hyper-sensitive which often leads to miscommunications amongst him and his peers. Affective-psychological states such as hyper-arousal which cause impulsive behaviors that demonstrate a lack of control can be almost unimaginable for someone who has never experienced it. This is why it is so important for us as educators to be aware of various affective-psychological states and the impact they have on learning. However, it is not enough of the educators to be aware, the system also needs to put in place the resources and supports that will enable the educators to tailor their teaching styles to meet the needs and best interests of the individual.

I do believe that the education system has recognized that individuals do have independent needs, which is why they have developed programs such as IPP’s for children who are struggling. However, creating more paper work and outcomes for teachers is not the answer and it only adds to their already large work load. I believe that they are trying to promote independent, interactive hands on learning because they are learning from research that it works. However, increasing class sizes, decreasing the number of teacher assistants and cutting funding is not going to enable any improvements! In order to improve the education system, money can’t be the determining factor. Providing the resources, supports and the education required to make this transformation complete and successful will cost more money especially in the beginning. However, as a result teachers will be able to teach to the needs of the students creating healthy and supportive learning environments.

Identity

Bracher begins his book Radical Pedagogy Identity, Generativity, and Transformation by stating that identity is “the ultimate motive underlying all human behavior” http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p3. If this is true, it is essential that we as educators understand the importance and impact that identities have on learning. I’m not confident that society has a great understanding of identities and their importance as a motivating force. As suggested by Bracher, identity principle is at the root of all human behaviors and contributes to problems in our society such as racism, crime and substance abuse http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p 3-11.


As I was reading the first chapter of this book, I was reflecting on and analyzing some of my past experiences. I couldn’t help but think of some of the young people I have worked with in schools and in my community. These young people would be those who were considered “deviant” or “bad” and were always getting in “trouble”. I reflected on their life experiences. Many of these young people had not experienced all of the qualities Bracher describes as being essential to having a sense of oneself as a force that matters in the world. These qualities include continuity, consistency, agency, distinction, belonging and meaning http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p 6.

Often you hear people saying that children are “bad”. My father always said that you should never tell children they are “bad”, because they will begin to believe it and act that way. I guess he wasn’t far off the mark! Understanding the role of identity makes it much easier to understand why some children constantly act out in a negative way. If they are always receiving negative attention then that is the type of attention they are going to seek. It becomes their identity to themselves and to others. They feel the need to maintain their identity and receive the feedback they are expecting from others who are recognizing their behaviours, even if it is negative. For these children, this feedback confirms that they are type of person they believe themselves to be  http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p 4.


Not only does this type of identity have an effect an individual’s relationships in society, it also affects their learning. Learning must support identity in some way. When people are involved in behaviors such as crime and substance abuse that is what they are interested in learning about. These behaviors contribute to problems in society. Bracher states that “motivation can be lacking when students get all of the identity support they need from other sources”. Many individuals involved in behaviors such as crime and substance abuse get the support they need from their community of practice. They, therefore, have no motivation to attend school for academic reasons. Bracher also points out that individuals involved in these groups will resist academics and learning for the sake of their identity and how it will appear to others http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p 5.

There are many challenges placed on individuals in our society, and they have an impact on our identity. It is difficult to keep up with the latest trends in clothing, hair styles, cars, houses, body image, etc. We feel pressured to have all of these trends as part of our identity in order to “fit in”. This may contribute to individuals participating in negative behaviors because they know that they can’t keep up and make it part of their identity. They begin to find other ways to get recognition and other ways to have an effect on the world. Bracher provides some excellent examples of individuals seeking recognition in his book,  including the shoplifter who felt like in the moment they were committing the crime everyone was watching them, and everyone was waiting for their next move http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p12.

 Prior to reading this book, I would never have thought of a shoplifter as seeking recognition or wanting everyone to be watching them. It is sad for me to think that these individuals feel that the only way for them to get recognition and attention is to resort to crime. Another example Bracher used was of teen mothers who like the attention and recognition they receive from their family, friends and others when they are pregnant and when they have young children http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p12.

I think as educators, we are starting in the right spot by learning how identities affect learning, “To enhance learning and to reduce our most serious social problems, it is thus crucial that educators, policymakers, and the general public come to understand more fully the nature of identity and its needs and the way these needs motivate both the learning and the failure to learn and also contribute to our social problems”  http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p6.

By providing identity support as opposed to threatening or questioning one’s identity, we can support their learning by learning how identities affect learning, http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p5. Learning must support identity in some way. This is very difficult to do, especially when another’s identity is based on negative behavior and that is who they believe themselves to be. However, if we can make their learning relevant, they will be able to learn better. Bracher suggests through supporting identities and enabling learning, we can provide opportunities that will allow people to engage in self-description and expression of attitudes through small group discussions, individual conferences and in writing. This will give attention and respect to their opinions and attitudes while supporting their identity http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p 8.

As per our discussion in class, many times the students and individuals who seem to be the most “troubled” are the ones who need the most attention and care from us, but they are also often the ones it is most difficult to give it to. However, we all have a role to play in working toward a better society. As Bracher suggests, understanding and supporting identities by recognizing their impact on learning will allow us to reduce some of our most serious social problems, and as educators we all have the ability to do this! http://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Pedagogy-Identity-Generativity-Transformation/dp/0230621112/ref=sr_1_12? s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330715535&sr=1-12 p 6.