[Teaching_Composition] Critical Pedagogy and Politics
Kathy Fitch
teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
Tue, 3 Oct 2006 07:38:09 -0500
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<<Critical pedagogy believes in problem posing. A critical classroom =
starts
with the students=92 collective interests and helps the students forge a
connection to larger ideology through analysis, facts and statistics, =
logic,
and plain old questioning. A critical pedagogue, for example, would not
assert that all hierarchies are wrong, as Kathy mentioned. Rather, he =
or
she might generate a theme around hierarchy for the students or pose it =
as a
theme that students are invited to accept or reject. The classroom is =
not
so de-centralized as to lack rigor. Rather, the instructor is sharing
authority with the students and making them responsible for their =
education.
Frequently, a critical pedagogue will make the topic of the course a =
theme
or a starting point, what Ira Shor calls an =93academic theme.=94 In a =
writing
classroom, then, students would study the topic of good writing or maybe
writing processes or what the students have learned previously about the
rules of writing. Again, the instructor poses questions and =
problematizes
major issues for the students.>>
=20
Of course, Bill=97this sounds like a course we=92d all love to be in, =
and all
aim to teach. But where is the great big threat against this approach? =
As
far as I can see, the objections are lodged and the concerns expressed =
when
critical pedagogy ceases to be what you describe (an idealized version =
to
offset what you see as a caricature of the overly politicized teacher?) =
and
becomes something else altogether. Something a whole lot pushier. I =
think
part of your concern=97and I=92d agree=97is that the line between =
critical
pedagogy and politics run amok isn=92t always as clear in practice as it =
is in
our own minds, where we know (for the most part) what we=92re up to, and =
what
our goals and motivations are. =20
=20
Unfortunately, things do get fuzzy. For instance, one could make the =
case
that a given theme itself (how it=92s selected and defined, which =
readings are
chosen to explore it, the types of assignments written around it) can
constitute a kind of argument that really brooks no opposition by =
students
who find themselves--all unawares, with no forewarning, and often with =
very
little sense of how to get out--caught in it. I=92ve inherited a few of =
those
students, and can tell you it=92s a delicate thing, indeed, =
simultaneously to
get them back on track with FYC, and to promote respect for and good =
will
toward the instructor they=92ve fled. How does a student trust comp =
after
feeling as though he or she has been forced into reading and writing =
about
gender issues, say, when those readings seem not only terribly pushy and
personal, but also essentially unrelated to what they thought would and
should be the task at hand? (It has also sometimes been a challenge not =
to
have the fled from teacher ticked off at me for agreeing to adopt the
fleeing student, but talking it through head on tends to ease things.) =
Oh,
and just think of how many first year students in that spot *don=92t* =
flee!
One approach to preventing this sort of issue is to delineate themes
clearly and carefully ahead of time. If this course is to be all about
hierarchies, or sustainable resources, or the philosophy of language, or
gender studies, or the rhetoric of war, or whatever, it=92s both wise =
and
ethical to tag it as such in the catalogue and/or schedule, and to =
circulate
(online is one good way) a fairly detailed description of it in advance.
When students are empowered to choose that way, fewer problems develop,
which is good for everyone. If I were teaching a lab/online/hybrid =
type
course in a school not heavy on technology use in FYC, I=92d even want =
*that*
(seemingly innocuous, at least to me) course tagged and described in =
just
this fashion. If FYC can=92t be presumed to be pretty much the same =
from
section to section=97as, in many places, it can=92t (thus WPAs and or =
Deans
feeling the lure of the departmental text and syllabus), then we do our =
both
our students and ourselves a great favor by clarifying the choices ahead =
of
time.
=20
I=92d have been ticked off by (and probably pretty frightened of) a =
professor
or instructor trying to transform me into her particular version of a
feminist, for sure. (It=92s brave, wonderful, and a sign of wisdom for =
any
teacher to see that=92s she done that, to regret it, to question how it
happened, and to reexamine that approach.) But by the time I landed in =
such
a situation, it was in a feminist studies course I=92d deliberatively =
chosen,
where passionate exploration and disagreement were welcome all the way, =
and
I was free vociferously to defend or attack ideas as the spirit or the
keyboard or the readings or classmates moved me. If I=92d landed in =
that spot
in FYC, it would have been a thing I=92d gone into blindly, and felt =
trapped
by and resentful of, and rightly so. =20
=20
We can demonstrate how deeply we respect both students and the =
profession by
taking the time not only carefully to examine our approaches, but also
carefully to tend to student responses. I learned this lesson very =
early on
when I was using a reader one department demanded=97a reader that =
included a
section on abortion. Couldn=92t get a lick of conversation or a spark =
of
interest going about that section (such interesting readings, too, =
na=EFve me
thought), so I finally did the only thing a teacher really can do when =
in
that spot, which is to ask the students why. They said, pretty much to =
a
person, that this was a hugely personal thing, and that whether they =
were
still thinking it through, or had already come down=97temporarily or =
no=97on one
side or the other was, essentially, none of anyone=92s beeswax unless =
*they*
opted freely to explore it with others (teachers or peers) for, say, a
research paper, or in a creative writing class, or in a class on Human
Sexuality or Contemporary Ethics, and so forth.
=20
I think they were right. Also, I expect, their response would apply in
somewhat subtler cases. Whenever we=92re crossing into the land of the
personal or the private in a course not specifically geared to those =
topics
(a course in which students can predict that those topics will make up =
the
content, and choose to enroll or not, accordingly), then student =
resistance
is not only perfectly appropriate, but downright healthy. I=92d call =
taking
that into account=97and letting that response shape our courses even or
especially when it=92s an unexpected response=97a key part of critical =
pedagogy.
=20
On a different note=97I=92ve hardly ever encountered the out and out =
morally
distasteful essay written by an FYC student. Thoughtfully designed =
courses
don=92t leave much room for them, so that=92s one thing, but the bigger =
thing is
that, for the most part, students are rooting for us just like we=92re =
rooting
for them. Mostly, in my experience, they really want to learn a thing =
or
two about writing, and they=92ll go a long way, indeed, to help us teach =
them
whatever we can in the brief time we have together.
=20
Kathy
=20
=20
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><<</span></font><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Critical =
pedagogy
believes in problem posing. A critical classroom starts with the
students’ collective interests and helps the students forge a =
connection
to larger ideology through analysis, facts and statistics, logic, and =
plain old
questioning. A critical pedagogue, for example, would not assert =
that all
hierarchies are wrong, as Kathy mentioned. Rather, he or she might
generate a theme around hierarchy for the students or pose it as a theme =
that
students are invited to accept or reject. The classroom is not so
de-centralized as to lack rigor. Rather, the instructor is sharing
authority with the students and making them responsible for their
education. Frequently, a critical pedagogue will make the topic of =
the
course a theme or a starting point, what Ira Shor calls an =
“academic
theme.” In a writing classroom, then, students would study =
the
topic of good writing or maybe writing processes or what the students =
have
learned previously about the rules of writing. Again, the =
instructor
poses questions and problematizes major issues for the students.<font
color=3Dnavy><span =
style=3D'color:navy'>>></span></font><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Of course, Bill—this sounds =
like a
course we’d all love to be in, and all aim to teach.=A0 But where =
is the
great big threat against this approach?=A0 As far as I can see, the =
objections
are lodged and the concerns expressed when critical pedagogy ceases to =
be what
you describe (an idealized version to offset what you see as a =
caricature of
the overly politicized teacher?) and becomes something else =
altogether.=A0
Something a whole lot pushier.=A0 I think part of your concern—and
I’d agree—is that the line between critical pedagogy and =
politics
run amok isn’t always as clear in practice as it is in our own =
minds,
where we know (for the most part) what we’re up to, and what our =
goals
and motivations are.=A0 <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Unfortunately, things do get =
fuzzy.=A0 For
instance, one could make the case that a given theme itself (how =
it’s
selected and defined, which readings are chosen to explore it, the types =
of
assignments written around it) can constitute a kind of argument that =
really
brooks no opposition by students who find themselves--all unawares, with =
no forewarning,
and often with very little sense of how to get out--caught in it.=A0 =
I’ve
inherited a few of those students, and can tell you it’s a =
delicate
thing, indeed, simultaneously to get them back on track with FYC, and to
promote respect for and good will toward the instructor they’ve =
fled.=A0 How
does a student trust comp after feeling as though he or she has been =
forced
into reading and writing about gender issues, say, when those readings =
seem not
only terribly pushy and personal, but also essentially unrelated to what =
they
thought would and should be the task at hand?=A0 (It has also sometimes =
been a
challenge not to have the fled from teacher ticked off at me for =
agreeing to
adopt the fleeing student, but talking it through head on tends to ease
things.)=A0 Oh, and just think of how many first year students in that =
spot *<b><span
style=3D'font-weight:bold'>don’t</span></b>* flee!=A0 One approach =
to
preventing this sort of issue=A0 is to delineate themes clearly and =
carefully ahead
of time.=A0 If this course is to be all about hierarchies, or =
sustainable
resources, or the philosophy of language, or gender studies, or the =
rhetoric of
war, or whatever, it’s both wise and ethical to tag it as such in =
the
catalogue and/or schedule, and to circulate (online is one good way) a =
fairly
detailed description of it in advance.=A0 When students are empowered to =
choose
that way, fewer problems develop, which is good for everyone.=A0=A0 If I =
were
teaching a lab/online/hybrid type course in a school not heavy on =
technology
use in FYC, I’d even want *<b><span =
style=3D'font-weight:bold'>that</span></b>*
(seemingly innocuous, at least to me) course tagged and described in =
just this
fashion.=A0 If FYC can’t be presumed to be pretty much the same =
from
section to section—as, in many places, it can’t (thus WPAs =
and or
Deans feeling the lure of the departmental text and syllabus), then we =
do our
both our students and ourselves a great favor by clarifying the choices =
ahead
of time.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I’d have been ticked off by =
(and
probably pretty frightened of) a professor or instructor trying to =
transform me
into her particular version of a feminist, for sure.=A0 (It’s =
brave,
wonderful, and a sign of wisdom for any teacher to see that’s she =
done that,
to regret it, to question how it happened, and to reexamine that =
approach.) But
by the time I landed in such a situation, it was in a feminist studies =
course
I’d deliberatively chosen, where passionate exploration and =
disagreement
were welcome all the way, and I was free=A0 vociferously to defend or =
attack
ideas as the spirit or the keyboard or the readings or classmates moved =
me.=A0 If
I’d landed in that spot in FYC, it would have been a thing =
I’d gone
into blindly, and felt trapped by and resentful of, and rightly so.=A0 =
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>We can demonstrate how deeply we =
respect
both students and the profession by taking the time not only carefully =
to
examine our approaches, but also carefully to tend to student =
responses.=A0 I
learned this lesson very early on when I was using a reader one =
department
demanded—a reader that included a section on abortion.=A0 =
Couldn’t
get a lick of conversation or a spark of interest going about that =
section
(such interesting readings, too, na=EFve me thought), so I finally did =
the only
thing a teacher really can do when in that spot, which is to ask the =
students
why.=A0 They said, pretty much to a person, that this was a hugely =
personal
thing,=A0 and that whether they were still thinking it through, or had =
already
come down—temporarily or no—on one side or the other was,
essentially, none of anyone’s beeswax unless *<b><span =
style=3D'font-weight:
bold'>they</span></b>* opted freely to explore it with others (teachers =
or
peers) for, say, a research paper, or in a creative writing class, or in =
a
class on Human Sexuality or Contemporary Ethics, and so =
forth.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I think they were right.=A0 Also, I =
expect,
their response would apply in somewhat subtler cases.=A0 Whenever =
we’re
crossing into the land of the personal or the private in a course not
specifically geared to those topics (a course in which students can =
predict
that those topics will make up the content, and choose to enroll or not,
accordingly), then student resistance is not only perfectly appropriate, =
but
downright healthy.=A0 I’d call taking that into account—and =
letting
that response shape our courses even or especially when it’s an
unexpected response—a key part of critical pedagogy.=A0 =
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>On a different =
note—I’ve
hardly ever encountered the out and out morally distasteful essay =
written by an
FYC student.=A0 Thoughtfully designed courses don’t leave much =
room for
them, so that’s one thing, but the bigger thing is that, for the =
most
part, students are rooting for us just like we’re rooting for =
them.=A0
Mostly, in my experience, they really want to learn a thing or two about
writing, and they’ll go a long way, indeed, to help us teach them
whatever we can in the brief time we have =
together.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Kathy<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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