Reading Notes: "Teaching 1: Critical Thinking" and "Teaching 2: Engaged Pedagogy"

Author: Bell Hooks

New Vocabulary:
1. Praxis: The process of putting theoretical knowledge into practice, often used in the context of
social or political action.
2. Engaged pedagogy: A teaching strategy that actively involves students in learning,
encouraging critical thinking and self-actualization.
3. Emotional intelligence: The ability to recognize, understand, manage, and effectively use one's
own emotions and the emotions of others.
4. Substantive: Having a firm basis in reality or fact; meaningful.

Clarification Questions:
1. How does emotional intelligence relate to engaged pedagogy, and what role does it play in
creating a positive learning environment?
2. How can educators create a classroom environment that fosters critical thinking and
encourages students to embrace it as a passionate, pleasurable activity?
3. What are some effective strategies for helping students transition from passive learning to
active critical thinking, especially if they come to college with a fear of thinking?

Useful/Important Quotes:
1. "Thinking is an action." ( 7 )
2. "Engaged pedagogy emphasizes mutual participation because it is the movement of ideas,
exchanged by everyone, that forges a meaningful working relationship between everyone in the
classroom." ( 21 )
3. "Understanding that every student has a valuable contribution to offer to a learning community
means that we honor all capabilities, not solely the ability to speak." ( 22 )

Main Key Points:

1. Both texts emphasize the importance of active learning and critical thinking in education.
2. Engaged pedagogy is rooted in the belief that interactive relationships between teachers and
students enhance learning outcomes.
3. Emotional intelligence is crucial in creating a positive learning climate and building a sense of
community in the classroom.
4. Critical thinking involves seeing both sides of an issue, being open to new evidence, and
reasoning dispassionately.
5. Engaged pedagogy encourages student agency, honesty, and vulnerability, which empower
students to become better learners.
Discussion Questions:
1. How can teachers assess and promote emotional intelligence in the classroom, and how
does this contribute to the effectiveness of engaged pedagogy?
❖ My answers:
➢ Teaching emotional intelligence in the classroom is essential, and it fits
well with engaged teaching. Teachers can check how students are doing
emotionally by listening to them, showing empathy, and ensuring they feel
supported. It's also great to encourage conversations about feelings
because it helps students become more self-aware and understanding of
others. This emotional intelligence stuff creates a positive atmosphere and
makes learning more effective. When students can manage their emotions,
they're better at thinking critically and having productive discussions,
which is what engaged teaching is all about.
2. In what ways does engaged pedagogy challenge traditional notions of fairness in the
classroom, especially concerning the allocation of speaking time and contributions?
❖ My answer:
➢ Engaged teaching changes how we think about fairness in the classroom.
It's not about ensuring everyone talks for the same amount of time; it's
more about valuing what each person says, even if they don't speak a lot.
Fairness now means recognizing that some students might need extra time
to think or prefer to participate through listening. It's about quality, not
quantity when it comes to classroom discussions.
3. How can engaged pedagogy be adapted to different educational levels, from elementary
to higher education, and what should educators consider?
❖ My answer:
➢ You can totally adapt engaged teaching to different grade levels. For
younger students, you can simplify it with interactive activities, stories,
and group projects matching their age and interests. In higher education,
you can dive deeper into critical thinking, giving students more freedom to
explore their interests. But no matter what, keep the principles of
emotional intelligence, building a sense of community, and appreciating
diverse contributions – those ideas work at any level; just adjust them to
what's suitable for your students.