School Visit: It was a private unaided English medium school. Basically,it was a coeducational school. The students come from lower middle class of society. The school follows the state [Maharashtra] syllabus.
The Class: I observed 5th standard section d English class. There were sixty students. The duration of one class was 30 minutes. The class situation was little noisy due to numbers of students.
Sitting arrangement: As I mentioned there were 60 students in the class. The children were sitting in three lines [group] of 15 students. There was no distinction between girl and boy in terms of sitting arrangement. Both boy and girl sat together and study together.
[Teacher entered the class along with text book]
Teacher: good morning.sit down. Open your English book. Today we will study lesson 10 ‘George Washington Carver’.
Teacher [she]: writes lesson and lesson name on the board which is to be taught. She had written meaning of difficult words previous day. First, I am going to read lesson. Look in your books and listen carefully. Do not talk in between. She started reading the paragraphs and later she explained it. Having taught the paragraphs, she started asking the question of the lesson.
Teacher asked to the class to tell about whom we are talking about?
Students answered: Carver.
Teacher asked to the class when Carver was born?
Several children answered looking from books: Carver was born in 1861.
Teacher walked around and told them not look into book. If you tell looking into book, I will hit you with a stick.
Teacher: asked the class who was great scientist?
Almost students replied: George Washington Carver.
Teacher asked them to tell who ware slave?
Students: silenced prevailed and nobody opened their mouth. Later they were looking down and murmuring.
She then explained that in ancient time there were two types of people: Black and White .White people were considered as a master. They thought that they were sent by God to rule over Black. Black people were called slave. Black people were sent to do forming. They were not allowed to go to school and not to sit with White people.
Teacher asked: what do slave do?
Students: there was no answer from children.
Teacher again answered that slave used to do forming.
Teacher asked: which color was invented by Carver?
Several students replied: blue color.
My reflection and perception:
I think that banking / traditional theory of mind was being applied by teacher. The teacher was using rote learning pedagogy in which I found that the children were applying their accumulated knowledge in order to answer the question. The basic objectives of teacher’s pedagogy to enable them remember the information of text and develop their comprehensive skill. Apart from this teacher’s method of reading in the class also make children’s better pronunciation/articulation of word for future. For example,’’ Teacher: asked the class who was great scientist?
Almost students replied: George Washington Carver’’
The structure of the class was strongly framed under control of teacher. Teacher had overwhelming control in the class. All the students were being manupulated by her. The children were given little space for sharing their understanding and opinion. Because of strong framing under the teacher’s authority, children did not dare to think what right and wrong give even wrong answer is? For the example ‘‘Teacher asked them to tell who ware slave?
Students: silenced prevailed and nobody opened mouth and then they were looking down and murmuring.’’
The teacher pedagogy of teaching was authoritarian and less democratic. She demonstrated her authority during question and answer with students. She provided only bookish knowledge with tradition manner. Classroom was fully in her control and whatever she had planned and did accordingly. She did not encourage students at all. Children seemed to me suggest that children understand but could not find situation able to convey properly. Teacher did not give individual opportunity to speak rather allowed giving equal time and space to all the students to answer. The classroom seemed to me remind Freire ,Paulo who argues Tradition/Banking education and put process of enquiry in his ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ . For instance this sentence might seem to be arrogant ‘’ Teacher walked around and told them not look into book. If you tell looking into book, I will hit you with a stick’’
To the best of my knowledge teacher’s teaching was fully teacher centered [authoritarian].the teacher was reading the lesson very fast. The students were dominated by the teacher. As the result of it students could not answer actively due to language problem and hesitation. She was imposing the bookish knowledge over pupils. Teacher was imparting the knowledge whatever given in text and nothing beyond that. The students were supposed to know/remember whatever is written in book and reply when it required. All decisions and instructions were taken by teacher. The classroom interaction was based on rote learning. For example’’ Teacher asked to the class when Carver was born?
Several children answered looking from books: Carver was born in 1861.’’
