EDF 1005 Reflection Paper #10

Jackie Lawrence
EDF 1005
Reflection Paper #10

According to our textbook, Teachers, Schools, and Society, by Sadker, Sadker, and Zittleman, teachers ask students up to 348 questions throughout the course of a school day. And that’s only counting questions; over a thousand verbal exchanges occur daily as well. Philip Jackson labeled this process gatekeeping, in which “teachers determine who will talk, when and for how long, as well as the basic direction of the communication.” In essence, educators govern exactly what will go on in their classroom every single day and are ultimately accountable for student’s successes and/or failures. This is an enormous responsibility, but not necessarily an impossible feat to overcome. In fact, I believe that passionate and motivated teachers can use gatekeeping to their advantage.
For instance, teachers initiate the pedagogical cycle around 85% of the time. This succession basically includes lecturing, questioning, and reacting. If teachers spent more class time on questioning, students would be forced to think creatively and critically. It is a known fact that silent, passive students have less positive attitudes and lower grades then students who are actively involved in classroom discussions and activities. It is up to the teacher to create an exciting, motivational learning environment in which all students have the ability to truly comprehend the given material. Anyone can read out of a textbook and assign homework from the end of the chapter, but this just doesn’t cut it. Long, boring lectures put kids to sleep, and busy work is even worse. Kids need an incentive these days, and teacher that incites enthusiasm and excitement for learning is the key. Looking back on my own education, I vividly remember every single teacher that made an impact on me. I could tell you right now how they looked, dressed, spoke to me, and even smelled. I can remember my grades and what we learned in class. Those teachers made an effort to know me, realized I had the potential to excel academically, and forced me to do so. Those teachers are the key reason why education is such a significant aspect of my life today. I was lucky, a lot of kids aren’t. If more classroom time is spent pushing students to challenge and conquer, gatekeeping could produce children that are dying to get to the classroom so they can thrive.