Critical Roles for Teachers Chp 2

While I was reading this chapter I kept thinking about how wrapped up I have become in the lives of my students over the past 2 years in teaching EL learners in the Resource Program in my school.
Chapter 2 discussed that the use of your listening skill as a teacher gives you the opportunity to learn about your students and connect with them in order to be able to make the learning of the language more relevant o their lives and culture.

I can relate to the discussion that Freire describes as the "banking model" where teachers like to deposit information into students without gathering information about these students knowledge base or simply basing the content of what we are teaching on the students prior experience and knowledge.

One of the areas discussed in this chapter that peaked my interest is where the author suggests taht teachers should work from outside the classroom to better help students be successful by getting involved in the policies that affect EL learners . Teachers need to get involved on a larger scale to influence policies . If nothing else to be a catalyst to raise the consciousness of families in the communities of EL learners about the policies that directly affect their children's education.