TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
OF
EVELYN NEWMAN PHILLIPS
Living in complex societies requires that students not only know
information related to diverse disciplines but also be astute
problem solvers. Corporate downsizing, computer technology and
the reconfiguration of national borders remind us that today's
relevant information may be obsolete tomorrow. The key to being
an astute global citizen is being able to critically analyze
situations, understand the context in which they arise and adjust
as necessary.
Therefore, to prepare students to live
competently in a complicated planet, my teaching philosophy is
undergirded by the theoretical assumptions of critical pedagogy.
Critical pedagogy is methodology proposed by Paulo Freire. This
approach suggests that teaching students tools of inquiry
empowers them to investigate diverse situations when the teacher
is no longer available.
For such learning to occur, certain conditions
must be created in the classroom. The hierarchial relationship
between the teacher and student is reconfigured. Learning should
relate to students' world and allow them to find their distinct
voices. Overall, a critical learning atmosphere must permit an
open dialogue between teacher and students who bring diverse
worldviews to the learning process.
I began this essay by discussing the need for
critical pedagogy in helping students become proactive citizens
in the world. In the remaining section of this paper, I will
discuss how critical pedagogy became a part of my approach to
facilitating knowledge. Later, I will explain how I apply
critical pedagogy in the classroom and the implications for my
approach with students here at Central Connecticut State
University.
While a Peace Corps volunteer in the Gambia, I
was confronted with the responsibility for developing a health
education program for Mandinka women who were not formally
schooled. This formidable task was eased as I encountered Paulo
Freire's work for the first time. I was inspired by his
conviction that "every human being, no matter how 'ignorant'
or submerged in the 'culture of silence' he (sic) may be is
capable of looking critically at his world in a dialogical
encounter with others. Provided with the proper tools he can
perceive his personal and social reality as well as the
contradictions in it, become conscious of his own perception of
that reality, and deal critically with it." Freire argues
that each person has the capacity to analyze his or her world and
to transform it. This outlook eliminated what could have been a
dialectical and yet dependent relationship between me, as
teacher, and the women as students. Instead it revealed that as a
health worker I had to become an astute observer of the women's
lives and understand how their actions were linked to their
culture. This encounter led me to incorporate critical pedagogy
as a part of my teaching experience.
The value of this approach was further affirmed
when I studied for my doctorate. During this period I was trained
to critically analyze others' positions and synthesize my own
thoughts. My professors encouraged me to find my own voice
without degrading the perspectives that I brought to the learning
process.
As a professional I left feeling even stronger
about problem- posing education. I believed that problem-posing
education should be initiated in undergraduate training. Knowing
that not every undergraduate has an opportunity to enter graduate
school, I decided that in addition to helping students to
understand the specific content of anthropology and social work,
I was required to help them to explore why things occur in
various contexts and what can be done to improve conditions.
To empower students to become problem solvers, I
seek to demystify the learning process. The first aspect is to
humanize the relationship between me and the students. I tell
students that as a teacher, I am not an omnipotent being; my role
is to help facilitate their learning. They are reminded that
learning is a mutual relationship between teacher and student. To
demonstrate this belief to the students, I negotiate with the
students each syllabus. I want students to offer suggestions
concerning topics and issues that interest them. I want students
to know that I occupy the position as teacher simply because I
have spent more years studying issues in anthropology and social
work--not that I am better than they are. The second aspect of
the demystification of the learning process involves eliminating
the concept of intelligence. The construct of whose is smart and
who is dumb often undermines one's passion to learn. As an
anthropologist, I pose how different problems may be addressed in
different cultures to show what may seem to be common sense and
intelligent in one culture may be considered inappropriate and
imbecile behavior in another. Furthermore, the context of
intelligence tests are discussed and students are shown why
anthropologists agree that intelligence can not be measured and
is merely a social construct. Without an assumption of
intelligence as a defining characteristic of one's capacity, I
seek to motivate students to go beyond what has been typically
expected of them. Proverbs and quotes are freely distributed
throughout my syllabi to remind students that persistence rather
than "intelligence" is a major key to achievement.
In addition to eliminating false assumptions
about learning, I seek to draw on the students' world to link and
teach new concepts. I often use journals, life histories, guest
lecturers and field trips to remind students that constructs
written about in texts are related in some way to their lives. In
various classes, students are asked to document life histories of
local community members in order for them to gain a better
understanding of how historical events and conditions figure
prominently in everyday life. In a social work class, when
discussing different cultural perspectives toward health and
healing, I introduce students to botanicas in New Britain and
Hartford. To help them to understand the context and role of the
botanicas, they are urged to link this resource to immigration,
finance and spirituality in the Puerto Rican and Latino culture.
These activities help students see that learning is not an
abstract and sterile exercise but is related to their lives.
To further provide students learning experiences
that they may apply in their everyday existence, I actively
engage students in research, cross-cultural experiences and
communities.In 1995, Maribel Santana, a social work student
assisted me in documenting indigenous organizations in Hartford
through a Faculty-Student Mentorship grant. During the 1997-1998
term, two students accompanied me to St. Petersburg, Florida. As
researchers, they talked to residents, attended meetings and
helped conduct archival research. Also, during the past two years
with Professor Charles Mate-Kole, I have led students to Ghana
for study tours. This year I was instrumental in creating
opportunities for four students to spend spring semester at the
University of Ghana at Legon. Recently, I developed an internship
program in anthropology. I believe if students are permitted to
apply their knowledge in settings outside of the classroom, then
they are more likely to gain confidence and skills.
Integrating students' world views in the learning
process is crucial in reducing cognitive dissonance when
introducing new concepts. Proposed theories, assumptions and
facts may challenge students values and beliefs. This issue often
arises when teaching evolution. Before we discuss the data, some
students will explicitly state that they do not believe in
evolution. My purpose is not to convert them but simply to offer
them information which they may integrate as they feel necessary.
To show respect for students' beliefs and provide them concrete
ways of considering the possibility of evolution, I share various
creation stories from diverse cultures. Also, I may pose
questions about how practices and appearances in their own
families have evolved during the past hundred years. A review of
family albums may indicate that height and size have changed
significantly since their grandparents' generation, primarily due
to nutrition and social conditions. Without denying students'
beliefs, I encourage them to question how beliefs about evolution
emerged and under what conditions people adhere to certain
concepts. The answers that they find are generated by their
investigations rather than my imposition as a professor.
My teaching philosophy encourages students to reframe learning experiences, observe, pose questions and analyze situations. If students are able to critically examine their world, understand contexts and the interconnectedness of life, then advanced technology, downsizing and people with different cultural views are not considered major threats but opportunities to explore new prospects. Data may become obsolete but the tools of inquiry will enable them to survive and help transform their world.
Class Syllabi
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Contact Information:
Dr. Evelyn Newman Phillips
DiLoreto Room 110C
Central Connecticut State University
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT 06050-4010
Email: phillipse@ccsu.edu
Phone: 860-832-2617