While doing some training this past week I was reminded of what Brookfield (2015) says in chapter 18 about the power differential between a teacher and his or her students. On day two of a two-day course called Our Common Purpose, we discuss the power imbalance between our front-line staff and the people who request services from CLBC. One of the activities we do in this class, is to ask learners to divide into pairs and identify what they can do to reduce that power imbalance, so individuals and families feel more comfortable with the planning support they receive from our staff.
Thinking about this activity further and reflecting on Brookfield's discussion about teacher power makes me wonder if I should try to reduce the power differential in the classroom, or if I should focus more on using my power responsibly. I will need to reflect on this further, as I have not given much thought to the power I have in my role. However, after reading Brookfield’s discussion about teacher power, my first thoughts are that it is first of all important to acknowledge my power as a teacher, and then rather than trying to reduce it, use this “power in justifiable and helpful ways” (Brookfield, 2015, p. 240) for the learners.
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom
(3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Thinking about this activity further and reflecting on Brookfield's discussion about teacher power makes me wonder if I should try to reduce the power differential in the classroom, or if I should focus more on using my power responsibly. I will need to reflect on this further, as I have not given much thought to the power I have in my role. However, after reading Brookfield’s discussion about teacher power, my first thoughts are that it is first of all important to acknowledge my power as a teacher, and then rather than trying to reduce it, use this “power in justifiable and helpful ways” (Brookfield, 2015, p. 240) for the learners.
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom
(3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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