I notice that I am the last one to write a blog post for this class, and I don’t really feel like ending this with Trump. Instead, I would like to talk about democracy in our classroom. Since the theme of this course is “voicing democracy,” our professor tends to get things done “democratically” such as letting us choose the second book that we were going to read. However, none of us participated in that event. One of the reasons might be that some us are quite by nature and the other reason might be that we are not used to a democratic classroom. We are more used to syllabuses, deadlines, exam dates set by authorities. Although we don’t necessary like how things work in the class, but few people try to challenge them. Why?
The very first classroom in the world might simply be composed of the following: someone who wants to learn and someone who wants to teach. However, as people realize the importance of education, a classroom becomes a requirement that is forced on the youths. Some of them might want to learn, but I believe that most of them do not due to the laziness in human nature. If the classroom is truly democratic, most students would vote for the “no-more-class” party on the ballot. Therefore, there need to be some kinds of regulation in a classroom, and the teacher then becomes an authoritative figure who doesn’t necessary need the supports from his/her students. The students then slowly accept the teacher as an authority and follow what they are told.
However, I am thankful that this classroom made it comfortable for us to raise our opinions and to express our thoughts. I remember that we were able to push the due date of the second essay for a few days, and I was proud of that participation of democracy. Thank you all for being in this class. ❤️
I agree with your statement about authority in a classroom wholeheartedly. There definetly needs to be an authority figure in class but not because of the students who don’t like class. Students need an authority figure in class because they don’t no any better. The whole point of coming to class is to learn something we didn’t know before, how can we be democratic about something we don’t fully understand? Nevertheless, I do think there should be a degree of freedom in the classroom so that students can explore these new topics freely. Its the balance between democracy and authority that is the most important aspect of both, a classroom and a government.
P.S. I’m also thankful for the oppurtunity to share multiplr classes with you guys.
In my opinion, a classroom with students under the age of 18 is a democratic setting between the teacher/professor and the parent of the student. As minors, students are “unable” to make a decision of whether or not they need education and are thought of to make rash decisions. Generally, going to school remains a decision we make for ourselves, but with possible consequences. As college students, we are able to make our own choice of coming to class, but it would be wise to go as we are no longer going to school for free.
I think your thoughts on this classroom is spot on. Many of us are accustomed to following the teacher’s instructions of “Do this, do that”. So giving us the opportunity to choose what we want to do in a classroom feels wrong to us. It feels wrong to change something that we have followed for the past 13 years of our lives even though we want to change how a classroom should function. Education and being able to voice an opinion are the biggest factors in a learning environment, at least that’s what I believe in.
This post was a bit relaxing, thank god you didn’t focus on trump. I feel like Trump has just been dictating every conversation I engage in. I agree that our classroom is really comfortable and democratic. There are a few students who are quiet and does not want to step out in front of the class to pitch in thoughts and ideas. But you also need to remember we live in a society where if you don’t speak you will stay unheard.
I liked that idea that we are a democracy and that we do have a say uncertain subjects. Most other classes do not have a say in anything that goes on and the teacher becomes more of a dictator than a democratic leader. also to the point of we just come to accept that our teacher rules over us and that we ourselves don’t challenge enough like in the first educational settings. At the same time i feel like we don’t have a democracy at all, yes we do talk about subject with the teacher and yes they hear our opinions,but ultimately they are the deciding factor and what ever they say goes. The reason we feel it could be a democratic environment is because our teachers are normally fair and cater to the needs of the people as best as possible without losing any of their powers.
I thought this was a cute and quirky way of thinking about our classroom. I never actually looked at our class this way, but after reading this I can definitely agree. I think Professor Sylvor successfully implemented the idea of democracy throughout the entire course. It was interesting to discuss democracy in its many different forms, as well as participate in it. I think this helped me to form a better understanding of democracy, aside from the basic definition we were all taught in elementary school. I am glad that I got to take this class because it was not just any ordinary English class, but I managed to take a lot of away from it such as this idea of democracy.
Your post is the exact reason why I feel that having a purely democratic system would not do well for our country. In that scenario, the students would most likely deny the education they need but don’t want due to laziness (a poor excuse for staying uneducated).
In the context of America, I understand our freedom is important but it is also important to consider that if we want to be a proper functioning country, then we have to sacrifice some of our freedom to be properly governed by the government. We have to give up some of our freedom to gain security and protection, whether it’s avoiding terrorists or identity theft.
I really liked how you used your last blog post to reflect on our class as a whole and how democracy plays a role in education. I can relate to what you’re saying about how people react when they get the opportunity of freedom in the classroom. Most students aren’t used to getting to choose how the curriculum runs so when we are asked to contribute suggestions or even vote to choose aspects, such what book should be read, we blank out. I also agree on your point that certain regulations in classes are needed in order to keep order in the class and for it to run smoothly.
I loved your idea of closing up your last post with your reflection of this classroom. I agree with you that there is limited amount of democracy for students in a classroom. I think that is a positive thing though. If we had more power we would take actions that would be unbeneficial for our future such as voting for “no-more-class”, just as you mentioned. It is important that we have an authority figure in the class to lead and guide us. I also think that it is important to have a good relationship with your professor and work things out. This way, students can get democracy such as extending due dates and other things. Overall, a classroom would obviously be incomplete without an authority figure and students need to let their voices be heard in order to have mutual agreements with the professor.
This is a good blog post to end the semester since all we talked about this semester was the presidency. Democracy in the classroom is important but should not be the way the classes are ran. We, as college students, are there to learn from the teacher since most of what they teach is important to our studies and simply they know more about the subject. But I liked that when everyone needed a few more days working on the paper , Ms Sylvor changed the due date. This has been overall a good class. Good luck everyone.
I completely agree with what you have said here. Having a democratic system in a classroom is a great way for students to contribute to how the class should go. it creates a much more enjoyable class and people are more likely to speak up. But like you said there must be some regulations or else we would vote for canceling class. A perfect mix of democracy and authority would be like yin and yang. Really enjoyed this post because it was light way to end blog posts.