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Finishing up my first week at Colegio Roosevelt, I have been reflecting upon the pedagogical practices I have seen thus far. I have witnessed a broad range of students and subjects, and have also witnessed different teaching styles in the process. Being at Roosevelt, a school for the most elite in Lima and with every resource available, has led me to compare what I have witnessed while student teaching in the Milwaukee Public School (MPS) system. Last semester, I was at a high school on Milwaukee’s Southside (bottom left). I absolutely loved my students and the school, and I find myself wishing that I could spread the resources and programs in Roosevelt to schools like this one.
The last couple of lectures we’ve had in our education classes here in Lima have been on contemporary pedagogical practices that may oppress students. In the instance of MPS, often times educational oppression occurs due to a lack of resources and understaffing. In my class last semester, I had around forty students crammed into a windowless classroom in the basement of the school. I feel as though the number of students made it difficult for the teacher to both differentiate lessons and employ classroom management tool. The focus on standardization and standard testing outcomes in the school also led to oppression, because the end-goal of education was not inquiry and the solving of real-world problems, but of learning what was necessary to pass government standards asked of the school. This kind of learning tends towards the “banking system” that pedagogical philosopher Paulo Freire warns teachers against. Although there were many positive teaching practices that I saw in MPS, including cultural appreciation, having a strong rapport with students, and a fostering of the arts, a lack of resources made innovation difficult.
When taking a look at the airy, plush campus of Colegio Roosevelt,
with its abundance of resources and manageable class sizes of 8-25 students, a non-oppressive education system seems much more viable. Whether it be in the Innovation Academy I have observed, or the 9th grade English class, the curriculum appears to promote critical inquiry. As I mentioned previously, I observe a 10th grade classroom which has created an actual magazine to be published (their very professional-looking storyboard is pictured below.) I have witnessed a TOK class debate the question “Why do we seek alternative answers in faith?” This question was posed by the teacher and left up to the class to investigate. Much of the pedagogy that occurs at Roosevelt seems to fall under Freire concept of “correct teaching,” and of problem-based teaching and learning.
One could argue that, therefore, there are no oppressive teaching practices at Roosevelt. In fact, with its exceptional educational practices and creative staff, educational oppression is almost IMPOSSIBLE to find. However, although Roosevelt is a fantastic school, with so many effective and passionate teachers, I feel as though there could be room for improvement in one area. The almost complete seclusion of Roosevelt from the rest of the Lima community seems to be considered a necessity, but never seems to be considered a loss or disservice to students. This leads me to think about the rich cultural experiences I have experienced during my time living in the district Jesus Maria and in the surrounding districts, including the procession I have pictured to the right. A
few teachers I have talked to, who are not initially from Lima, do not even know that these districts exist. What is more, they do not seem consider this a loss of important culture(I would like to note that this by no means describes all teachers at Roosevelt.) From what I can tell, many Roosevelt students tend to stay in the rich areas of Lima, like Mira Flores, Barranco, or La Molina. What seems to be a separation of United States and Peruvian culture, as well as the school’s physical separation from the rest of the community, could potentially be seen as forms of education oppression. According to Freire, students are to learn in such a way that they inquire, form an accurate perception of the world around them, and become agents of social change. I do not believe that this can truly happen at a school if it is too separated from the world in which it resides.
To clarify and to be fair, I have only been at Roosevelt for one week. All that I write here comes from what I have observed and who I have talked to, along with my impressions of the school from those experiences. I can only give my input on oppressive education from an outsider’s perspective, from someone who is fairly unfamiliar with both Roosevelt and Lima. Thus, I may be assessing the environment of the school completely incorrectly. Even if this is so, the idea of cultural appreciation and competency as necessary to combat contemporary educational oppression still stands. Roosevelt does an amazing job of forming young minds into young leaders, and to create students who inquire and problem solve instead of passively listen. Now, if the school can do all of this in a way that teaches and celebrates the value in each person, culture, and district of Lima, those young leaders can become catalysts of social movements; they can become part of Peru’s bright future. I will be looking for instances of this kind of transformational learning in the upcoming week. Until then, adios!