Bizzy Bizzell

I must say that what I presented in class was only the tip of an iceberg. Bizzell has written so much and I only had a piece of what she believes. I must say though, I do agree that teachers in the 21st century need to be more aware of their students and surroundings. We are stuck in the 1960's as far as education is concerned, and Bizzell seems to recognize that.

Dr. Souder asked if a teacher could truly be neutral in the classroom. After much reflection on that question, of course not. I, myself, am not neutral; I pick the literature, the lesson, and topic for discussion and then guide the students into an intellectual experience. However, I think what Bizzell was trying to say was that the teacher needs to put aside his or her own bias and recognize the students' backgrounds. A teacher should not impose his or her middle-class values onto his or her students, but should recognize the needs of the individuals in the class. Once the students feel safe and know that the teacher is aware of what is important to them, then learning will take place. The teacher must make what is taught in the classroom relevant to the real world, the students' world.

The only way a teacher can be neutral is if he or she always presents both sides of the argument. Much like Graff discusses, teach the kids the conflict and how to discuss the conflict; but Bizzell says that the conflict should be what is important to the students at the time. If a teacher understands his or her students' native discourse community, then the teacher can tie any lesson into that child's community. This is going to take a lot of work on the teachers behalf, but if the teacher takes the time and tries to teach holistically, then students will learn no matter the culture, religion, sex, socioeconomic situation, etc. In theory, I think it is an excellent idea. Students need to be a part of their learning experience.