Chapter 10: Building a Teaching Community: A Dialogue
I remember as an undergraduate I had a math professor who wore the same suit to work everyday. By the style of it, he purchased it in the '70s. In 1996, after years of daily wear, the knees of his slacks, the elbows of his jacket, and a few other places in the garment had become so worn that you could see through the fabric. The suit was light blue in the places that saw little movement and completely white-see through in the others.
"I remember in my early teaching days that I first tried to move out beyond the desk, I felt really nervous. I remember thinking, 'This really is about power. I really do feel more 'in control' when I'm behind the podium or behind the desk than when I'm walking towards my students, standing close to them, maybe even touching them.' Acknowledging that we are bodies in the classroom has been important for me, especially in my efforts to disrupt the notion of professor as omnipotent, all-knowing mind." Hooks
I had a very similar experience early on in my own teaching. I decided the best way for me to reach my students was to join them in their desks and work along side them. Today, as a technology integration specialist and teaching coach I often try to encourage teachers to get rid of their teaching platform, to get rid of their desk, get the podium out of the room. Usually this is met with resistance. Oddly, I've also had administrators tell me that to do so would reduce my own authority in the classroom. When I've tried to argue that to do so allows me to build an authentic authority these same people tended to dismiss me. Others have understood it and applauded it. To me this just proves that there is such a wide array of perceptions in our field as to what constitutes good teaching and what a good classroom environment looks like that there is nearly no possible way to know for sure if your superiors will think you are doing a good job. And, if they do think you are doing a good job there is even less way to know know if they are right.
As stated earlier, I certainly have experienced this.
I've also experienced this. This is also why many progressive schools will tell you that there is an unlearning period that all new students go through as they learn to unlearn bad institutionalized schooling habits.
I fear the current political climate surrounding school funding and education reform will broadly have this consequence. It is obvious that this is happening to many already, especially in cities on the front lines of these battles.
