Leticia Rivera

Final Paper
04-15-13
What is my topic? The topic that I chose relates to the article from Paolo Freire,
Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Freire discusses the way students and teachers communicate
in their classroom setting. Freire views two problems of education known as banking and
depositing. Students see the educational system as a form of oppression in the classroom
when teachers present their lecture to their class, students are expected to repeat, receive
and memorize what they are being taught. Education becomes an act of depositing and
teachers assume that students are passive learners. Teachers feel that sometimes students
have to be forced fed with information, which makes students become collectors, storing
what is being deposited to them. Students have to learn to adapt and fit into the class.
When promoting the banking system students become oppressed because students learn
to accept it and do little to question it. This becomes a problem because students' and
teachers' try to teach each other. The banking system does not allow students to engage in
critical thinking but control their way of thinking instead. In the contrary problem
posing students'' are no longer docile listeners. They become critical co-investigators in
dialogue with the teacher. This allows students to express their opinions and not become
oppressed when it comes to their education. Education will be practice of freedom since
students will be able to participate allowing them to become more knowledgeable and
transform. Students become more successful when they engage in dialogues that acquire
thinking skills, rather than filling them up with information. Students should be able to
understand the material instead of grasping what is being taught. My topic addresses the

banking and depositing system of education. Teachers are dehumanizing and minimizing
students creative power.
Who did I interview? The type of questions that were asked was based on trying to find
the problem and what I wanted to learn. My interview took place at Dr. Julian Nava
Learning Academy Middle School in the Los Angeles. I interviewed a student and her
teacher. Janice Ramirez started teaching Middle School in 2006.Half the time she taught
English, History, and ESL. She also taught two years of math and science. She is the first
in her generation to attend college. She went to Middle and High School that was
primarily low-income Latino and Asian community. She was always intrinsically
motivated to go to college. She transferred from PCC to UCI and received her B.A, then
continued her education at UCLA for her Masters in Education. She is currently teaching
math and science. The student's name is Miguel Angel Villasano. He is 13 years old and
his ethnicity is Mexican American. He lives in a low-income community in Los Angeles
with his older sister, parents and aunt. His parents moved here for their children to pursue
a higher education and more opportunities. Both his parents work really long hours and
he doesnt have the support he needs when it comes to his education. During the
interview I wanted to see the type of student-teacher relationship they both have and
whether the information they provide me somehow have a connection to student's
education being oppressed. The teacher will give me her own perspective in education
and how the student views his education and his teacher. What did I ask? 1st Question:
As a science and math teacher do you have to constantly force-feed students what you
teach? Mrs. Ramirez mentioned that she tries to break down her lectures to make it easier
on students to understand the material so that they actually learn. She said, Sometimes

we have to, its like a constant drill to help students practice until mastery is reached.
Unfortunately, in the school year, teachers are sometimes forced to rush through material
due to large quantities of standards and interruptions to the school calendar. Some
students either want to learn or they don't. Students who fall behind don't always receive
appropriate support, intervention, due to the budget cuts and large class size.2nd
Question: Do students ever question what you teach in class? No, not really. I wished
they did because it shows critical thinking. There are many students that don't care. They
always complain that the lectures are either boring or that it covers too much
information.3rd Question: How do you keep your students engaged? Model first, then
group work or small group rotations, then students try to solve problems on their own.
Difficult standards are spiraled throughout the year for repetitive practice. Technology
and art, kinesthetic, visual activities. I try different teaching methods, trying to break
down lectures in order for the students to actually understand what I am teaching. I try to
make it fun and interesting without having to change the standards.4th Question: Do
your students show the desire to learn? Sometimes they lose desire because school is not
relevant to them or because school is not a priority. Those who are struggle ling never ask
for help. Sometimes it's frustrating when everything is done for them and they still don't
try. These students give up trying because they don't feel capable and smart enough.
Sometimes they are scared to fail and they don't even bother trying.5th Question: (Was
asked to the student Miguel): Have you ever question what your teacher is teaching? No,
because she's the teacher. There is too much writing and it's boring. She knows what she's
doing. She knows everything and she is always right. That's her job. I don't like to
participate because I dont want to. It seemed that this student didn't care what was

being taught. He showed no interest in the material the teacher provided. I asked these
questions to see the connection between my argument and Paolo Freire. This helped me
relate to his argument as well. The most important questions were number two and five.
Question number two addressed the evidence to my argument. Mrs. Ramirez said, ''No
not really, they don't question the material. Some students don't care. Question number
five the student said, ''No, I never question the material because she's the teacher. She
knows everything and she is always right. With this information I am able to compare
both arguments. Looking at Freire's argument it shows that the students are passive
learners. They don't care or question what is being taught because the teacher is right.
What I learned? The student and teacher lack communication between each other. For
example, students do not question the teacher on the type of material being presented to
them. They seemed careless and unmotivated to learn putting themselves at a
disadvantage in becoming successful in their education. It affects both the teacher and the
student. The teacher believes students don't have the desire to learn and that they are
passive learners. Students aren't encouraged to use critical thinking skills since they learn
to adapt to memorizing, repeating and storing what is being taught. Sometimes students
feel scared to answer something wrong because their classmates might make fun of them.
If students have fear of answering questions then they won't be using critical thinking
skills and fail in their education. What do I argue? I argue that because students dont
question what is being taught and lack communication with the teacher, then their
education becomes oppressed when using the banking and depositing method. Students
dont always have the desire to engage in lectures. For example, the student I interviewed
seemed careless to participate and ask questions to his teacher. He said that it was the

teachers job to know everything and that his teacher was always right. This shows that
students are lacking the desire to promote critical thinking and learning how to become
passive learners instead. Secondly, students do not communicate with either the teacher
or the students. For example, Mrs. Ramirez mentioned that most of her students dont ask
her any questions and that she has a lot of students that dont care although some of her
lectures include working with groups as well. Students that fall behind dont receive the
appropriate support and students either want or dont want to learn. This shows that
student is careless and does not communicate with his teacher. As a result of this, students
education becomes oppressed when using the banking and depositing method, since
students lack communication with the teacher and dont question what is being taught.
Students arent encouraged to develop critical thinking skills but rather adapt and be
filled with information without allowing them to grow and become successful. Students
should be able to have some type of communication and conversation about what is being
taught to them, expressing their opinions allows them to learn and construct ideas. The
banking system is a way of teaching that makes students become empty boxes while
teachers constantly have to force feed students with information. This way does not allow
the student to get any knowledge in return. Students should be able to engage and
participate in class rather than always having to memorize information so that they can
learn.