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Paradoxical Tensions - The Courage to Teach - Coggle Diagram
Paradoxical Tensions - The Courage to Teach
The space should honor the "little" stories of the students and the "big" stories of the disciplines and tradition
This paradoxical tensions means that the teacher listens to the students' little stories so that they have a chance to talk about their personal experiences. Then the teacher can pull in the big picture by adding a universal story to the mix. This is so the students figure out how their personal experience ties in. Listening to the little stories helps students learn how to respect and listen to the big stories.
I will use this paradoxical tension by asking my students questions about how they days are and their interests. This honors their little stories and then maybe they'll even listen to my or other teachers stories. There are different ways to do this like teaching them a lesson while playing or doing actual school work. Either way I will make sure that this paradoxical tension is in my classroom.
The space should welcome both silence and speech
This paradoxical tension means that words aren't the only way to be taught. Ideas sat on in silence are absorbed well too. You don't need to talk all the time for an idea to be absorbed. However, there is fear in this because fear drives us to talk. On average there is a 15 second time window till it takes someone to want to break the silence. But, it is best to work past the fears and implement this as well.
I will use this paradoxical tension by just interacting with my students. Sometimes in my class, all I might get is silence because they may not want to participate or they're nonverbal. Either way, silence will always happen, but we will always try and get them to use their voices the way that they can.
The space should be bounded and open
This paradoxical tension means that you help keep the focus on the subject at hand, but the students are free to talk with guidance from the teacher and materials. The materials are used best when they are interesting and not too challenging. If they are neither interesting or too challenging the students will start to stray from the task.
I will use this paradoxical tension by asking questions to my students to get some ideas flowing. This activity would depend on the type of special education students I'm working with, but I would probably put them in centers around the room that are more relationship-based. Along with this, I will make sure that the situations don't get out of control as well and that we all reach a common goal.
If there is no bounding the classroom is chaotic. However, with openness you have to figure out how to reach your final destination without making the classroom chaotic. It was best said by Palmer, "The openness of a learning space reminds us that the destination we plotted at the outset of the journey may not be the one we will reach, that we must stay alert for clues to our true destination as we travel together" (77).
The space should be hospitable and "charged"
This paradoxical tension means that you have to keep the space from festering fear. When you have open space, a lot of fear comes with that. It is best if you are hospitable so that your classroom can be open but also safe.
When there is a difficult topic, more reassurance is needed. So providing a learning environment with rest, nutrients, and shelter is essential. However, we still need to push the students so that the topic and goal can be achieved and so they don't get too comfy they fall asleep.
I will use this paradoxical tension by making sure my students know they are safe and can be comfortable with me. The world isn't always the kindest to individuals with special needs, so if my classroom can be the part of the world that is incredibly kind to them, then it will be. I want to ensure that my students want to return to school, not just for the inclusive feeling but also to learn.
The space should support solitude and surround it with the resources of community
This paradoxical tension means that learning needs solitude to soak up information but to also make sure the students is feeling intellectually respected inside. The community helps bring about more ideas and discussion that are possibly new. This is so students don't have to just sit with their own and old thoughts.
It is best not to force everyone to speak. It doesn't help surround the class with community and brings resistance to it. According to Palmer, "...a learning community can help us see both barriers and openings to the truth that lives within us" (80).
I will use this paradoxical tension by giving my students the space that they need. Special education students need a lot more solitude than others, and community can get exhausting for them. I want to be able to facilitate their solitude time into something that is really constructive for them, their learning, and their peers learning.
The space should invite the voice of the individual and the voice of the group
This paradoxical tension means that students are able to use their voices whether their ideas are approved by others or not. Learning happens best when students can speak their mind so that their annoyances, grievances, and prejudices aren't bottled up inside.
The individual voice needs to be heard within a group. This is so the good of the group can be heard, and then they can challenge the individual. This individual could be the teacher. The teacher might facilitate the conversations or be the "devil's advocate" to get students thinking.
I will use this paradoxical tension by inviting as many voices as possible into a conversation. Whether they use devices, can speak, or are mute, I want to invite everyone to be friends with each other. My students will probably be with each other for a long time and need to learn how to work together. They will all have their challenges, but those will always be able to be expressed, whether they are verbal or not.
