Pedagogy and Reality...

I have been learning all sorts of ways in which I, as an instructor, am supposed to inspire and enlighten my students through brilliantly innovative handouts and wonderful discussion. These lessons in pedagogy always transpire the same exact way, and I wonder what sorts of things that one must do in order to break the cycle.

Let me walk you through a typical class session:

I show up, walk in the door, and find a seat. I have been a good student and read the assigned essays on the topic of the day. Now, as I read these essays, which declare that as long I actively involve the students with each other and with the subject matter, you know "make it real" to them, then I will see exponential returns on my intellectual investment, I find myself frowning more and more often as I remember that morning's class that I taught. I prepared. I engaged. I did all of these things that this person is telling me, but there is nothing but blank stares and meaningless nods.

Needless to say, I go into the pedagogy class a bit skeptical that this will really improve me as a teacher. Over the course of the class, there is plenty of opportunity for questions, and I continually raise my hand and ask for advice in given situations that seem to defy this presentation of a new approach to teaching. However, every time that I emerge with a brilliant stumper, the professor has either a brilliant response at her fingertips or she simply states, "Sometimes there is nothing you can do."

Gradually, I begin to succumb to the logic of these arguments. I return to my office and type out new assignments and exciting changes. "Yes," I think, " I can do it! And if I don't, then it is not my fault! I can change the world!" I meant this in the least "Ruler of the Universe way."

Then the next morning, I stride into the classroom, rearrange the desks (if the pedagogy of the day indicate), I place some mellow music into the cd player, and we are ready to learn!

Or not.

I think the problem with pedagogy as a discipline is that it, to some extent, assume students who genuinely have some desire to learn and to express their opinions. I many ways education makes the same assumptions as democracy. It assumes a populace who cares.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. I know that I am generalizing. There are many students in America today who care greatly about learning and challenging themselves, but it seems that most of these have not been instructed on how to begin such pursuits.

The other day I asked the students about what their opinions were in regards to the readings we had been doing, and they sat blankly, staring at me. Now I could understand this if we had been studying quantum mechanics, Heidegger, or economics, but we had been reading about the trends in the world of people becoming fatter and fatter and the potential causes/solutions thereof.

You would think that these young students would have *some* opinion on the matter. After five minutes of complete silence, I just called on someone. (the five minutes of silence is another "brilliant" pedagogical tool that is supposed to play on the discomfort of contemporary students with silence, ha)

So I guess my question to the universe today is, "What can possibly be done?"