“When children are instead required to accept or memorize a ready-made truth, they do not really “learn” in any meaningful sense of the word… This may be the way to prepare children to take standardized tests (though it doesn’t appear very successful); it is not the way to help them become learners” (page 66). Through my years in chemistry and other science classes, this method of teaching was utilized most often which is a real shame because chemistry can be so exciting. Chemistry has lots of vocabulary and facts that teachers could just ask student to memorize; however, teaching chemistry using hands on, interactive activities will make a lasting impression. Making students passionate and excited about you content is the best way to help them become learners. I really don’t like standardize tests and I can go on forever about how we should eliminate them. 

The traditional classroom models followed an authoritative model for quite some time where educators tell students “do as I say or here’s what exactly will happen.” Students should not be threatened to get them to change. By threatening students you are cognitively disturbing them by hovering a dark cloud of fear above them and subjecting them to strict guidelines with little to none innovation or change. There has been a significant change in classroom management being made in many different school systems by including students in rule-making process. By allowing students to engage in the rule-making process provides them with a sense of ownership to the rules instead of the autothorative model where the teacher decides and enforces the rules. Students will be able to learn how to self-regulate their behaviors based on the agreed standards by them and their teachers. Students need the opportunity to reflection why something is right or wrong and a chance to disagree. The job of a student is not to just do what they are told instead they should be taught knowledge and skills so they can formulate the autonomy to become a productive member of society.

I feel like this quote expresses the predicament that the majority of teachers find themselves in. They have goals and expectations of what they want or need their students to reach, but most know that they can not be a strict authoritarian educator that forces compliance to meet these goals. Reflecting back on my own experiences, the teachers that did, in fact, act in an autocratic manner were rarely successful and only encouraged more acts of resistance to learning. Despite this effect, a “discipline focus” approach to classroom management persists within many classrooms across the country. I think this because it can be seen as a common default model of classroom management for many teachers, as they believe that if they can get students to behave, obey, sit quietly, and complete their tasks then learning must be occurring. But as we know, learning stretches far beyond grades, compliance with school rules, or conforming to the role (often one that favors white students) that many teachers believe fits the mold of a “good” student. It is important to remember that seemingly critical content objectives can conflict with the ultimate objective for students to be “sophisticated people who think for themselves”.