Pedagogy of the Opressed

This article was astonishing to me. Until reading this, I had never heard of the term "banking" in relation to teaching and education. Learning of this concept was very sad to me, because I think it is such poor teaching. When the article talked about teachers being the “depositors” and students being the “depositories”, it really opened up my eyes. I think when we think about teaching, a lot of the time we subconsciously picture this idea. Teachers can get so focused on just getting the information across to the students that sometimes (we) can forget to stress the importance of the information we are trying to teach. There is always a reason for why we are teaching what we are teaching, so it is crucial that students are aware of these reasons.  Students need to be taught what all this information actually means, and why it is relevant to their life.

The idea that students are “containers” and teachers are the ones who fill those containers, is so close minded.  Students are way more than a container that needs to be filled. They are sponges that can absorb endless amounts of water, if they are being taught by the right teacher.  Or, a better metaphor would be students are the plants, and teachers are the watering buckets. We water the plant, and they drink that water to grow stronger and healthier. This metaphor has  way more meaning. Also, students are not the only ones who can participate in the learning, contrary to what the “banking” concept says, teachers can also learn a great deal from the students! I hear my professors say all the time, “I learn so much from you guys.” I think that is one of the coolest parts about teaching. It is a two way street. This banking concept of education to me is mind-boggling, but I am so thankful we have evolved our mindset and are slowly but surely making the education system stronger, more fun, and more effective.