The Donkey

We have our share of Donkeys in the educational system and it may not be a bad thing. In the picture book “Why is the Sky Blue?” the Donkey was the wise old teacher and he demanded complete focus and control of the curriculum and his student. The young student rabbit found it difficult to sit still and listen and his inquiring young mind lost interest in the lesson. In the beginning the Donkey held firm to his convictions and his transmission model Barnes (1992) of program delivery. It was clear that this model was not working and there needed to be a shift in thinking.

Teachers in the Ontario classroom are often driven towards this type of curriculum and classroom control and it is tiring them out. The definition of insanity may be presenting the same old programs, the same old way and expecting a new favourable outcome. We favour the good and obedient student but few students are programmed to sit and obey. Learning must be an active and shared experience and the classroom must expand out into to the real world. As a teacher in the classroom, are you a stander, a sitter or a listener? Just like the Donkey, we can sit back and think we know it all, but we don’t. We can assume we understand all our students’ needs, but we don’t. As teachers of the Ontario curriculum, I believe that we have a great deal of professional freedom and some teachers are actually enjoying the journey. In the end, the Donkey got it right and so can we. We can become the learner and through this new lens we can gain insight into our students. Murray (1982) in The Teaching Craft describes this type of classroom experience. He states, “I may no longer know what I will teach in class or what I will learn in class. I am never sure in fact what has been learned. But I do know that learning has taken place.”
Harste (2009) believes that teachers who assume that students have comprehension create a literate classroom where students are empowered and discussions are enriched. For many of us older folk, these enlightened school experiences growing up were few and far between. One of my few authentic literacy experiences involved listening to a good novel and maybe having the teacher share and relate a personal experience. The teachers who got off topic, were easily distracted, or revealed their human side were my favourites. I agree with Belensky et al (1986) who believed that, “so long as teachers hide the imperfect processes of their thinking, allowing their students to glimpse only the polished products, students will remain convinced that only Einstein or a professor could think up a theory. We all look brilliant when we have the teacher’s manual or the answer key. It takes a certain amount of courage and confidence to reveal a lack of knowledge to a class of 33 teenagers. By “thinking out loud”, and problem solving along with the students we’re are actually modelling effective inquiry and reasoning skills.

In the Critical literacy classroom, we believe we are preparing students for the real world and I was witness last week to some incredible student role models. I had the privilege of hearing student rights activist and founders of Free the Children, Craig and Marc Kielburger speak at an Education Conference. At 12 years old, after reading about the plight of a child labour worker in the newspaper, Craig gathered together a small group of his Grade 7 classmates from his Thornhill, Ontario, school and Free The Children was born. Their goal is to “Free the children from poverty. Free the children from exploitation. Free the children from the notion that they are powerless to affect change”. These are the critical literacy messages that fuel Craig's mission. His message to the teachers in the audience was not to underestimate the influence and power we have in the classroom to bring about change. He and his brother spoke of the importance of compassion, courage and the building of community in the classroom at a very young age. They believed that the single most important factor that inspires students to affect change in our community and environment is teachers modelling altruistic behaviour. Frank Smith (1993) believes the first essential component of learning is the opportunity to see how something is done. Critical literacy is a way of acting and thinking. These two Ontario students are living examples of what can happen when youth (now over one million strong) become engaged, informed and empowered to open their minds and think beyond the walls of their classroom.