Response to Peter McLaren’s “Critical Pedgogy: A Look at the Major Concepts”

In Peter McLaren’s “Critical Pedgogy: A Look at the Major Concepts”, I felt there was further clarification of how Freire’s “Pedogogy of the Oppressed” may be applied to American classrooms of the 21^st century.  I find it frustrating as a student, when the teacher inserts his or her own values or political views overtly in a lecture.  The teacher has a position of power in the classroom and possibly undue influence over the student regarding his or her views.  To realize beyond this obvious attempt at applying their own particular bias, there are countless hidden ways the teacher may influence the students is something I haven’t really stopped to consider.  This information will make me much more aware of what perspective I take when presenting a subject and will help me remember to keep as objective a view of the piece as possible. 

Although I can’t say it was a complete surprise, it was disheartening to hear how the male and female students were still being treated differently in our classrooms.  I would have thought at the time of this writing (2009?) there would be more awareness of, and more success at curbing, sexist or racist bias in classrooms by the teachers.  The mention that even though the boys were out talking the girls three to one, the girls were the ones held up as the more disruptive with their talking.  Although this is clearly a bias which short changes the female students, this result calls into question for me what other outdated and narrow-minded treatment are all of our students subjected to.