Exit Slip #1: Frank McCourt, Inquiry-based Learning, and Recognizing Privileges

Greetings fellow teachers!

I hope that in this blogpost someone can relate to something, maybe be enlightened in some way, or have any opinion, for that matter.  And thank you to Bonyo and Marlaina for the great discussion we had at our table that helped me to write this.

Frank McCourt and My Thoughts on Inquiry-based Learning

Facing fears, biases, and other challenges are all part of our responsibility as educators.  Now, being an anxious human being whose heart races almost every time she has to public speak, I strongly resonated with Frank McCourt when he said he had to come out of a massive timidity and discover himself before his students.  I've worked as a tutor for an English language school and education company.  In both institutions, I met a diverse group of children and adolescents who always knew how to challenge me in different ways and brought me out of my comfort zone.  I had to learn a ton of math concepts that I had never seen in my early math education and it was incredibly intimidating.  However, with each interaction I made with a student, the easier and more comfortable a tutoring session felt.  In essence, learning more about my students and sharing a bit of who I am fostered a safe space for all of us; we could all be comfortably brought out of our comfort zones so that learning could really prosper.  I think that was a big takeaway from the discussions I had with my peers: one couldn't really teach effectively without constantly learning about their students and the world around them.  I believe that this captures part of what inquiry-based learning is--asking questions, thinking critically, actively listening, and soaking up as much knowledge as you can.  Learning and teaching are deeply intertwined, that to progress in one, you have to also being proceeding in the other.  And this also goes for students and teachers.

McCourt's Experiences from Another Lens

The experiences that McCourt shared were undoubtedly inspiring; however, I couldn't help but wonder how women and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color would fare if they were to pursue the same goals as he did during that time.  I thought of this when McCourt said he left White Horse Tavern and walked straight to NYU; this may sound like an easy, thoughtless task for some, but walking the streets of an American city as a southeast Asian woman during the 1950s sounds kind of terrifying to me.  Recognizing your privileges as an educator was another point I took away from the discussion with my peers.  We, as educators, should remember that everyone has their advantages and disadvantages in life.  If we can always implement empathy into our instructional designs, then hopefully, this empathy can breed respect and safety that'll allow for greater growth--both academically and emotionally.  The video about McCourt also made me feel grateful for the progress that's been made since his time.  His views were so clearly progressive and thoughtful; it makes me wonder what advancements in teaching will be made in the generations to come!