Lathrop | Reflection | SLANG

After an interesting conversation with my MT, I began to research how to create professional relationships with students. The conversation I had with my MT surrounded slang and how students react when teachers use slang.  Stemmed from my finding out the hard way what the term "rachet" means. In my MT's experience, using slang causes a breach in the boundary of student and teacher relationships that allows the teacher to remain in charge.  

This conversation immediately raised some questions in my mind. According to Pablo Friere, " The only effective instrument is a humanizing pedagogy in which the revolutionary leadership establishes a permanent relationship of dialogue with the oppressed. In a humanizing pedagogy the method ceases to be an instrument by which the teachers (in this instance, the revolutionary leadership) can manipulate the students (in this instance, the oppressed), because it expresses the consciousness of the students themselves" (Freire 17). Freire was big on cutting down this very boundary that my MT leans on to create control in the classroom. So while I am thinking this over, I think to myself that Freire taught adults. His students were people who had fully developed. Does that make a difference? And how does it relate to slang terminology. What is it about slang that allows students to relate to one another, but disrespect a teacher? Well, I have never used slang on a regular basis. My kids (the ones I birthed) made fun of me one day for using the term "legit." My oldest claimed ownership of the word, stating it was from her generation and that I shouldn't use it. She learned quickly how wrong she was as we watched MC Hammer sing "Too legit." Anyhow, so why would it be inappropriate to use slang if you were a person who used it regularily? Do you think using slang makes teachers ineffective as classroom managers? 

Friere’s primary argument is that dialog can free the students from their oppressors. Do you agree with that? Are we the oppressors? 

My thought is that we are leaders as educators and unlike our students, we are in our professional environment and that is why we who do not regularly use slang should not use slang. We need to be examples of what we want our students to act/speak like when they are adults in their own workplace. I also believe that if a person uses slang while teaching, that is up to them. If it does stop them from being able to manage their classroom, then it is up to administration to coach them. I honestly don't think there is a blanket answer.  

By Amardip Singh, Poonam and A. K. Ghosh. "Paulo Freire Pedagogy Of The Oppressed Full Pdf - Free Ebooks Download." Paulo Freire Pedagogy Of The Oppressed Full Pdf - Free Ebooks Download. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.