When it comes to critical pedagogy, I think teachers’ self-reflection and the definition of the relationship between themselves and students really matter.
When the teachers see themselves as the authority, there is the danger that the teaching and pedagogy would fall under traditional “banking” education, where the teachers are trying to fill the students with “knowledge”. When the teachers define themselves as all knowing, standing on the alter to look down the students as passive, empty receptacles, no equal conversation and idea exchanging would happen. The path of critical thinking and learning would be blocked.
Source: http://www.evangelicalsforsocialaction.org/happy-news/new-copernican-empowerment-dialogues/
Only when teachers realise the value of dialogic exchange between teachers and students, critical pedagogy just get started. Teachers’ self-reflection should be seeing themselves not only teachers but also learners. Actually, that works for students too, learners and sharers at the same time. When teachers walking down the alter to have equal dialogues with students, they learn and participate together. That will be the foundation of further critical pedagogy attemps. I like the picture above, I think that should be the relationship and self-reflection of teachers and students. No matter we are students or teachers, we are individual learners and sharers.
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