ELT News Think Tank

Panelists: Chuck | Marc | Peter | Chris
Date: April 2004

Topic: "Who do your students see?"

Chris Hunt

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In the pursuit of profit corporations often take refuge in the idea that legally they are persons. Governments have been taken to court for infringing on the 'human rights' of companies. But if we step back and really look at the behaviour of 'corporate individuals' what do we find. We find it is psychopathic.

When we separate our lives into compartments to what extent do we become schizophrenic?

Maybe such thoughts don't bother you, but they sure bother me. I have enough doubts to fill a demon. How do I avoid abusing myself by being silent? How do I avoid abusing my students by abusing the position of power that I have as a teacher? How do I be as true as I can? If you have any ideas I'd like to hear them. So far the best answer I have found is to destroy teacher power.

For me to force students to listen to my Worldview would be an abuse of power. But I can make it available to them. With adults I can offer 'political' topics and put politics into 'non-political ones'. I can provide them with opportunities to question their assumptions and mine. I can ask questions that provoke thought. I can find textbooks that do the same.

Most textbooks are politically wishy-washy. But there are exceptions. A while back I came across Karma Yoga Press. I haven't actually used any of the books available from here. Perhaps I will next time one of my classes choose a book. Currently one class is using A World in Common: Global Perspectives For the Future. Another class chose not to have a textbook. Giving genuine choice is one way to destroy teacher power and probably the most important.

With children I give choice by providing alternatives. I offer co-operative games as most children seldom experience them. I also make efforts to help them understand disrespect. When children put plastic creepy-crawlies down the back of my shirt they are not being disrespectful. They are learning to recognise false authority through play. If they do so when I don't want them to that would be disrespectful. That would be breaking trust. It also works the other way round. If I force them to follow my lead because I am the teacher, that would be disrespectful, too.

For example, the other day I was doing some colouring with some 3-6 year olds. This was set up so that I had all the pens in a basket and they needed to say "Pass me a...(colour) pen" to get the colour they wanted. We did this for a while but then one of them wanted to steal the pens. So I put on a policeman's helmet and chased the thief around the room. The language focus changed. I didn't force them to stick with the pattern or even with the activity. There was an unspoken process of negotiation and acceptance. I was in the now that day. With children, the more now you have the more learning you get. How about with adults? How about with life?

Right now Dasht-E Leili is with me. I wonder how long it will remain.

Everything Changes (by Bertolt Brecht)

Everything changes. You can make
A fresh start with your final breath.
But what has happened has happened. And the water
You once poured into the wine cannot be
Drained off again

What has happened has happened. The water
You once poured into the wine cannot be
Drained off again, but
Everything changes. You can make
A fresh start with your final breath.

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Panelists: Chuck | Marc | Peter | Chris

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