The Effectiveness of Problem-Posing and Discussion

      In reference to the banking concept, Freire states, “The students are not called upon to know, but to memorize the contents narrated by the teacher. Nor do the students practice any act of cognition, since the object towards which that act should be directed is the property of the teacher rather than a medium evoking the critical reflection of both teacher and students.”(7) upon reflecting on my own learning experience, I agree with Freire’s opinion on this method of teaching. I feel that when this is the only method ever used by a teacher, that it is ineffective and that it may feel inhuman at times. I had a teacher in highschool who would go through a slide show and expect us to copy everything down in our notes. Some of these notes were her own thoughts on the material. This class was English, so some of the pieces we read had multiple interpretations. The issue with this teacher and situation as a whole was that nobody else had a chance to speak or discuss their own thoughts on the reading- causing the whole class to feel boring and inpersonable. Two years before I had the “bank-clerk” teacher, I had one that welcomed lively discussion- one who used the “problem-posing” method. Freire says, “The teacher presents the material to the students for their consideration, and re-considers her earlier considerations as the students express their own.”(7) In this teacher’s class, we often discussed symbolism and themes within reading and writing. He would often project questions on the board in order to pose discussion. I can specifically remember mentioning a part of the reading that he had not thought of before, and the additions from him and the rest of the class to the discussions that followed. I can say that I remember much more of my English class freshman year with him than my English class junior year with the other teacher, therefore proving the comparison of the two methods, and that the banking method is more ineffective long term.