Respect In An Educational Arena

Zehara Eckert

In this chapter “Teaching Is A Human Act” Freire demonstrated complex and deeply moving ideas about the importance of respect between teachers and learners. “The climate of respect that is born of just serious, humble, and generous relationships in which both the authority of the teacher and the freedom of the students are ethically grounded, is what converts pedagogical space into authentic educational experience” (Freire 86). I strongly feel that my group established and demonstrated this quote on Friday with our two Marin County Community School (MCCS) students. I am not saying we (as college mentors) are teachers because I think we are learners just like the MCCS students. Although as Dominican University student mentors we were given authority to take charge in the “speak up” collaborative class activity, in our group we were not in a position of authority. This created ease because it allowed our two MCCS students to really speak up about matters that were dear to their hearts. We did not judge the worldviews of our MCCS students. As a group we came up with really powerful slogans like “see me and not my record” and “self defense is not a crime” because there was a mutual respect between the Dominican students and the MCCS students. We made the “speak up” activity all about the MCCS students and what they really wanted to speak up about. We made it their voice and it was fascinating because it gave us insight about their concerns and situations they might be experiencing. We were less authoritive which showed them that we respected their freedom to form their own thoughts and to speak up which as Freire described created a serious, humble and generous relationship and an environment that created an optimal educational experience. As a result of our collective learning and teamwork we were able to come up with meaningful slogans that will artistically “wow” viewers.

“One is to make it always obvious to the students that respect for them is fundamental” (Freire 87). I believe that the reason our group was able to come up with such powerful “speak up” slogans was because we respected each other. This level of respect got the MCCS students comfortable enough to denounce injustice and to really speak up. “On the contrary, it’s in knowing how to listen well that I better prepare myself to speak or to situate myself vis-à-vis the ideas being discussed as a subject capable of presence of listening “connectedly” and without prejudice to what the other is saying” (Freire, 107). Again, the importance of respect in an educational arena is emphasized by Freire. In my group, none of us considered ourselves superior to our MCCS students even in our educational level so it allowed us to be better listeners, which comforted the MCCS students and they really opened up and spoke their minds. The strengths and deep meaning behind our group’s “speak up” slogans illustrate the comfort and respect level that was very much present in our group activity on Friday.