Expert on Pedagogy Blog: Engaged Pedagogy

In the article "Engaged Pedagogy," bell hooks argues that "...education could be the practice of freedom..." (14). In order to truly practice that "freedom," hooks believes in an "engaged pedagogy" that focuses on the wholeness, or well-being, of students and teacher alike. She further argues that rather than being passive consumers of education, students should become active participants. Students need to feel "...that the knowledge received in these settings [school] will enrich and enhance them" (19). The age of the dictatorial teacher at the front of the room is over. The classroom should become a place where student expression and feelings are validated, a place where they can "...live fully and deeply" (22).

"...there is an aspect of our vocation that is sacred..." (13)

I felt a deep connection with several different points that Hooks made in her article Engaged Pedagogy. As a teacher, I take the responsibility to provide a way for every student to learn and grow to the best of their ability. In order to do this, I have learned through my experience as a professional that I am constantly changing my instructional methods and am always faced with new challenges each school year. Although there are times when I feel like I have tried everything in my power to overcome a challenge, figure out the answers to questions I have been pondering, or finding ways to just “get through” to my students, I have realized that this process becomes much easier when there is a comfortable and positive relationship established between teacher and student. The overall theme in Hooks article revolves around teachers really knowing their students and building positive relationships with them through not only being there to share and transfer knowledge but to share in their intellectual and spiritual growth as well.

I agree. I became a teacher in order to connect with students, impact their lives, and create an atmosphere in which they pursued learning in order to better their lives. Honestly, how many of us have had teachers who were absolutely brilliant in the subject-matter, but could not possibly have cared less whether or not we learned it too? Hooks touches on this idea when she claims that students are "...striving not just for knowledge in books, but knowledge about how to live in the world" (15). If we are unable to show our students a connection between the subject-matter and their lives, it becomes far less likely that our students will care enough to learn the material. By understanding that our "...students want us to see them as whole human beings with complex lives and experiences..." (15) we will be able to connect with them as individuals -- meeting them where they are in their life-journey in order to help them grow into the decent and honorable human beings that we want them to become. Isn't that why we became teachers in the first place?

To me, Hooks' article makes a powerful statement about how impacting and inspirational education can be for students. As teachers, Hooks' believes we have to strive for classroom environments that allow "unique beings" to think critically and be engaged, not classroom environments that are only designed for a "rote, assembly line approach for learning." (13) Our students come into our classroom with "complex lives and experiences" (15) and an engaged pedagogy encourages teachers to acknowledge the connection between "life ideas learned in university settings and those learned in life practices." (15) To me, this is the purpose of education- striving for enriched classrooms where students are able to freely learn, participate, and be engaged by learning about life and experiences.

“To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin.” (13).

Throughout Hooks’ article, she discusses how several of her teachers including Paulo Freire and Thich Nhat Hanh, have inspired her the most because they all insisted that education should be the practice of “freedom”, meaning that it is crucial to encourage students, acknowledge their connections between themselves and the world they are living in, and allow them to be active participants. In the school I currently teach in, part of the philosophy is to teach to the whole child, which parallels with Hanh’s way of thinking about pedagogy “which emphasized wholeness, a union of mind, body, and spirit” (14). One piece of information I think teachers can gain from this article is that in order for their students to be truly engaged learners, become successful citizens, and ultimately live life to the fullest, they must create pedagogical practices that empower students.

After spending 12 years in public schools, and then 4 years at the university level, there were literally hundreds of "rules" that I could have chosen by which to run my classroom. I even remember one particular 8th grade class of mine that operated under "The 20 laws of Lawton." Twenty rules for one class? I couldn't make that up. It may just be my own personal belief, but that hardly empowers students to "live life to the fullest." In relationship with that idea of living life, hooks stresses the idea that students need to be "active participants" (14) in the classroom. What better way to practice being a successful citizen than practicing being active rather than passive? I must say that in that aforementioned classroom, no one participated out of the fear of breaking one of the "laws." Therefore, when it came time to design my classroom community, I decided that my classroom would operate under two principles: 1. Be respectful, and 2. Always try your best in everything that you do. What more do you need?

Another piece of information I felt was relevant for teachers to know is that “when education is the practice of freedom, students are not the only ones who are asked to share” (21). Hooks discusses that it is important for teachers to “ride the wave” with their students, “that empowerment cannot happen if we refuse to be vulnerable while encouraging students to take risks” (21). In other words, don’t expect your students to share information or take risks if you are not willing to do so yourself. Teachers who allow themselves to be vulnerable with their students in the classroom allows the students to be more comfortable and ultimately be more engaged and take their learning to deeper levels.

As a teacher of young children, I think Hooks' ideas about taking risks are very important. Young students are not going to be willing or even know how to take risks without being shown how to. Everyday I try to model this "vulnerability" and provide opportunities where my students and I are able to practice risk-taking in order to promote a critical way of learning. Hopefully this engaged pedagogical practice in my classroom will "provide students with ways of knowing that enhance their capacity to live fully and deeply." (22)

This is something that I have practiced since the first day in my classroom. It all goes back to the reason that I became a teacher in the first place: I want to connect with students. By knowing me as a person, my students will not only feel safer in the environment, but they will (hopefully) want to learn more from me. Furthermore, Jim Fay, of the Love and Logic method of teaching, argued that the best way to get a student to behave for you (and learn from you) is to get him/her to fall in love with you. No one can really fall in love without first knowing the other person. And one may call it selfish, but I see benefits for the teacher as well as the students in such a classroom. It is my personal belief that a classroom community in which students and teacher are connected on a deeper level is simply a more enjoyable place for everyone involved. No matter the goings-on of the day, I love going to work for the simple matter that it is where my students are. Plus, in Hooks' own words, "any classroom that employs a holistic model of learning will also be a place where teachers grow, and are empowered by the process" (21). We are dead when we stop growing, and I am just not ready to be dead.

In my eyes, the whole idea of "engaged pedagogy" is the utopia of teaching. My teaching philosophy is centered around the fact that while I am teaching a subject, when all is said and done, I am teaching it to students: students who are real, living, human beings with independent thoughts, emotions, and lives outside of my classroom. I found very early on, however, that this, at times, sent me into an emotional tornado. The deep passion and concern that I have for my students led me to feel personally attacked and hurt when they didn't return the respect. It is something that I have struggled with for the whole year. However, I found great comfort in Hooks' words: "This demand on the students' part [the desire for a healing, meaningful education that is connected to their own life experiences] does not mean that they will always accept our guidance....for it allows students to assume the responsibility for their choices" (19). I realize now that this is actually another facet of the education that I strive to provide for my students --this idea of responsibility, accountability, and natural consequences. If I were to expect my students to simply follow my direction without question and without failure, I would be doing a dis-service to them in the years to come. What a profound, yet amazingly simple concept...

Like Kristyn, I feel that Hooks' statement about acceptance, guidance, responsibility, and choices is a very important aspect of education. Education is much more than sharing information, it is about students' opportunity for self actualization, expressing ideas, and growing. If we take them time to recognize the significance of "engaged pedagogy" and try to incorporate these ideas into our classrooms, we will help our students grow not only intellectually, but as "whole human beings."

hooks, b. (1994). Engaged pedagogy. In Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom (pp. 13-22). New York, NY: Routledge.

Lindsay Alt

Kristyn Dehne

Kristy Tomford