Teaching To Transgress : A Dialogue Between Bell Hooks And Ron Scapp

This was the title of an essay by bell hooks that my theology professor assigned in seminary. A number of my too-holy-for-their-own-damn-good classmates ran to the Dean's office to object: "Do you know what's being taught in your school? I knew she wasn't saved!" The Dean asked, "Did you read it?" They replied "Of course not! I'm not going to pollute my spirit with this filth. Hallelujah!" The Dean said, come back when you read

As future alumni, of Emmerich Manual High School, going on the fourth year here, I have an abundance, and variety of memories. Undoubtedly, the incomparable memory I have, was the day I realized I had found the diamond in the rocks. In the course of my sophomore year, one of my teachers motivated me by saying; “You’re selling yourself short, and turning in hogwash to get by.” The following day these words were regurgitated over and over in my head. While enduring this repetitive selection of words, I registered everyone I was surrounded by were also being navigated by almost the same words. Subsequently we all joined in on a healthy academic competition. We hustled each other, and continue to do so; my friends became my ‘saving grace’ this day. Regardless of this experience, Manual was not always a great place to go to school. Essentially Manual could have been considered a zoo by anyone who read, Matthew Tully’s 2012 book, Searching for Hope. Tully’s book details a school that contained students with academic apathy, violent action, and crippling attendance. These students demolished many opportunities that Manual yearned to present to the students. While Manual today resembles Tully’s Manual in the way some students maintain the prior students’ characteristics,

On the other hand, Paulo Friere argues about the authority educators exerts over the students, how educators believe they have more power and knowledge than their students. “His task is to "fill" the students with the contents of his narration” (Frierre 1, paragraph 2). We memorize other people’s information and we think we are doing a great job, but what would happen if one of us unfolds and break the boundaries between authority and communication. What will be the consequences for us; are we going to fail the class for thinking outside of the box. We are not empty receptacles to be filled with recited words; we have the right to express our point of view and listen to our way of thinking. When are going to get the benefit of the doubt, what educational system do we have to follow, we are lost between consumerism and the lack of

In today's society, people of color have been conditioned to suppress and deny any form of racism. This sort of silence perpetuates oppression and racism by letting it happen over and over again. From the moment they are born, people of color are both advertently and inadvertently told to ignore and deny any forms of racist acts they or people like them may endure. Then when these inhumane acts occur and no one acknowledges them the society believes everything is alright. Men and women are being taught to be silent and disregard these actions in many institutions, including schools. The educational system plays a critical role in both shaping and challenging this silence, as schools have the power to influence and manipulate what tomorrow’s

Our strongest teaching remains equally committed to the content we develop and the minds and hearts we nurture. We recognize that the students we work with are continuosly constructing their understanding of themselves and of the world around them. This workshop invites participants to reflect on their own practice as progressive educators. We will share powerful and practical tools to foster a classroom community infused with honesty, transparency, mindfulness, and activism.

     The United States provides our society with the undeniable right to learn. The right to higher education is not limited to the middle and upper classes; it allows the less privileged, minorities, as well as both sexes, to receive an equal education. Two arguments which present interesting views on higher education are bell hook’s “Keeping Close to Home'; and Adrienne Rich’s “What Does a Woman Need to Know?'; Hooks views higher education with a concern for the underprivileged, whereas Rich views it with a concern for women. Of the two works, I personally do not agree with Rich’s argument.

One of the biggest problems, schools face is dealing with the problems society presents. In Parkay’s third chapter titled “Today’s Schools” he states, “a complex and varied array of social issues affects schools. These problems often detract from the ability of schools to educate student” (84). Not only do these social problems affect schools but they greatly affect students. Not only do students need a safe environment, but they also need support from the people around them. However, we do not live in a perfect world and society’s problems are problems that affect a vast majority of these students. The students who are in fact affected by these problems are then at risk for problems with their learning throughout their time in the education

Knowledge beautiful and powerful because of it is influential and vast, in fact, it is pivotal for one to understand that knowledge will forever be limitless. For instance, modern day education philosophers such as bell hooks and Ann Margaret Sharp are known for their thought-provoking intellectual beliefs regarding education. Nonetheless, bell hooks is known for her intriguing philosophies regarding African-American feminism—cultural studies, social issues, and education. hooks’ beliefs derived from her personal experience with social and racial discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s. On the other hand, Ann Sharp is known for fighting against ageism; she believes that children should be respected as individuals. The purpose of this journal

Suddenly, I went from sipping a juice pouch in the small cafeteria of Thoreau Demonstration Academy to the hustle and bustle of a Memorial High School hallway. I felt as though I had been sent to a different planet. There were kids who were doing drugs, kids who had kids, and probably the most frightening of all, teachers who’s job was not to hand out gold stars every time I did something good, but to teach, and that was it.

At school the teacher is an authority figure meaning that the children can be influenced by the teacher greatly, simply because of the power they have in that particular role (teacher’s give orders, students are expected to follow). However, the teacher being an individual themselves

As we discuss feminism and the equality of the sexes words like oppression, privilege and exploitation are bound to come up. While these words have been defined by the likes of generally accepted dictionaries like Webster and Macmillan the philosophers who write on these topics also define these terms on their own. This is not to say that their definitions will be readily adapted but they do this to better convey the points they wish to make. In this paper we will discuss the thoughts, words, and definitions of three feminist philosophers who have some commonalities and one who stands out quite a bit. These philosophers are Betty Friedan, Marilyn Frye, and Bell Hooks.

Although education clearly offered Hooks an academic learning experience, the passage focuses on the lessons about the intersection of races and class that Hooks learned about. Due to crippling financial issues within her family, Hooks’ mother taught her to label any of her costly desires as wrong. She soon believed that the issue of money and class was too much of an issue for her to worry about having “things a girl of my class would not ordinarily desire.” This was the “hidden curriculum” she learned of at home.

In the time-honored educational model, students are the only receiver of knowledge from the teachers, not a person of equal standing with the professor in the classroom. In Hooks’ model however, all members in the classroom are of equal standing. Every opinion is unique and none is common. The classrooms become a lively place for all members to engage and challenge each other. Hooks claims that teachers who are not self-actualized had multiple rules enforced onto students to appear authoritarian.

Gloria Jean Watkins, better known as, her pen name bell hooks, is an American writer who is best known for her focus on feminism and black women’s perception in America. Hooks lived through segregation in the south and as a result has become a successful writer and professor, speaking and writing about her childhood and views. She is from Hopkinsville, KY and adopted her pen name from her great-grandmother. I found interesting when reading about her that she chose to use lower case for her name, to put focus more on her work, rather than the person behind it. (Biography) She is the writer of a book named “where we stand: CLASS MATTERS”, which is a book she wrote to explain her views on social class and how based on her life experiences she

And there is nothing you can do about it.” This quote describes how the teachers think of their students. They use their authority and power to belittle the students.