Banking Concept of Education

In his essay, "The Banking Concept of Education," Paolo Freire explains that far too often, education is a static process of teachers "filling" students with information.  He calls this the "banking" concept of education, where a teacher "makes deposits which students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat" (75).  In this type of classroom, students only receive, file, and store deposits from the teacher.  There is no discussion, exploration, or curiosity, since students take on the role of receptacles waiting to be filled.  I have acted as a knowledge-receptacle for much of my life, as many of my teachers have employed the banking concept of education.

I have taken two comparable History classes at UWM, and the teachers who led the discussions contrasted greatly in their teaching styles.  Ben was comfortable playing the role of the typical "teacher."  He was confident, commanding, and knew how to speak to a classroom.  However, attending his classes felt like a waste of my time.  He regurgitated information from the book and what the professor said in lecture.  Ben stood at the front of the class and talked at the students, who sat in desks, in rows, facing only him.  The class should not have been classified as a "discussion"; there was no dialogue between students.  Ben used the banking concept of education, and he expected the students to act as receptacles for his "deposits" of knowledge.  Bill taught my other History discussion, which was very different.  He had less confidence than Ben, was quiet, and did not seem quite comfortable in his "teacher" role.  However, his role in discussion was much more valuable.  We all sat around a conference table so we could actually have a conversation.  Before class we were expected to read primary sources related to the lecture.  In the discussion, Bill asked questions and encouraged us to think abut the biases and motivations of the authors, the context, and the events leading up to and resulting from the articles.  Bill did not dominate the conversation, but allowed the students to engage with each other and the material.  I was not just memorizing history, I was uncovering why it happened.

Engaged Pedagogy

"That learning process comes easiest to those of us who teach who also believe that there is an aspect of our vocation that is sacred; who believe that our work is not merely to share information but to share in the intellectual and spiritual growth of our students" (bell hooks, "Engaged Pedagogy," p. 67). 

Although I have never articulated it as well as bell hooks, one of the reasons I am becoming a teacher is so I can help my students grow as people and individuals.  hooks calls this sharing in the "intellectual and spiritual growth of our students."  School is not just for learning how to do math; it is not only for learning how to to spell words, write essays, or memorize historical facts.  Yes, math and spelling and essays and historical facts are important, but they must not be the only goal of education.  Those things are just the tools students acquire on their path to becoming healthy, well-rounded, curious adults who can use their knowledge to grow as individuals. 

I can relate this quote to my summers as a camp counselor working with eight to fourteen-year-old girls.  I taught girls a lot of skills while I was their counselor at summer camp.  They learned how to light fires, how to canoe and kayak, and how to set up a tent and cook a meal in the dark.  Although I wholeheartedly believe these are valuable skills to possess, I was most interested in helping the girls grow on a different level.  Yes, the girls learned how to light fires, but most importantly, they learned that they could light a fire, they were capable of setting up a tent by themselves, and they were tough enough to keep on canoeing through the wind even though they were tired.  These girls were used to being coddled.  Many of their parents treated them like fragile little girls.  I taught them to be strong, capable individuals who could take care of themselves.

Teachers in the classroom can do this too.  When I become a teacher, I want to challenge my students to think for themselves, make connections to their home life, and help them make important decisions about their futures.  I believe in what hooks said, that "there is an aspect of our vocation that is sacred."  Yes, teaching is about intellectual growth, but I can make it about all-around growth as well.