Change Wisely

We often think of education as a set of procedures- procedures that, if successful, will result in a being that will contribute to society. While we often accept the fact that teachers play a role in who their students will become, we sometimes fail to see the student as an individual human, whose present life is also influenced by the teacher.

When I think about the word oppression and how it appears throughout education systems, I think of individuals who unjustly suffer, or are affected by a figure that holds power. This doesn’t have to be official authorities; when segregation occurs and official or unofficial hierarchies are formed, oppression often follows. This can obviously take extreme forms, but when it comes to schools, oppression is typically subtler. However, since the way we teach children establishes the future of a society, it is in no way less important.

Before arriving in Peru, we had an online discussion about the concept of power and its role in education. We talked about the forms power takes, including force, finance, fiction, and fealty. Throughout history, force has been so commonly used that the words “power” and “force” are almost thought to be synonymous. Financial stability and wealth also significantly influence ones power and has throughout history. One aspect that I was not as familiar with is fealty. Nyberg describes fealty as “faithfulness or loyalty that is based on trust and and mutuality.” I would argue that this is the best, most caring, and most effective form of power that should be used. By establishing fealty as a form of power in education, we can instill this into the heads of future generations.

There is a quote in one of the middle school classrooms at Colegio Roosevelt that says “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

While divisions of class and financial wealth, unfortunately, decide where one goes to school and the quality of education he/she receives, there are many other factors that contribute to the quality of education within individual schools. As I discussed in my last blog, diversity is a broad, general term that isn’t necessarily a good or a bad one. What determines the quality of diversity is whether it is an inclusive environment or an exclusive one. If a student doesn’t feel comfortable or welcome at school their capabilities and capacity to learn are limited.

So, what types of teaching inhibit learning? An inclusive one. One where everyone is comfortable to express themselves. One where fealty is used, rather than force. One where students think creatively, rather than memorize. One where students’ brains grow, rather than get filled. An active one, rather than a passive one.

Just because something is done a certain way, doesn’t mean it has to remain that way. We must break the mold of “that is just the way it is- it has always been that way and always will be” and we must allow younger generations to do the same.

“Atrévete a ser cambio” –Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya

“Change wisely” –Colegio Roosevelt

“Be the Difference” –Marquette University