Giving Wonder and Love: A Pedagogy of Becoming
摘要
The purpose of pedagogy is a becoming where children are at the heart of pedagogy. Pedagogy cannot be an arriving, because learning is an evolving practice, nurtured by teaching and learning. The purpose of pedagogy is reflected in practice through the reciprocal way teachers and students interact. Children learn with teachers and without teachers, but learning can be greatly enhanced through thoughtful pedagogy. This chapter is about children as co-creators of pedagogy. These are captured through the anecdotes of two young children. Children are the authors of their own stories. Their voices capture their everyday thinking and wisdom about learning, schooling, being, and becoming. Their astute understandings show what matters to them and what wisdom we gain by carefully listening to children. As they speak, they are working out aloud how things are. They have not yet learned to think inside their heads. Their anecdotes were written down by their mother, parent as pedagogue (Schaefer, 1972) about the wonder of children and their wisdom and knowing. Megan Laverty’s work focuses on the importance of teaching philosophy to children as a pedagogical practice. She invites us to explore philosophy with children as she thoughtfully reflects on the use of everyday anecdotes in philosophical dialogue, where children come to understand themselves and make meaning from their surroundings. Pedagogy, from a philosophy of inquiry perspective, involves thinking, knowing, being, narrative, and storytelling. As children share anecdotes and construct narratives with their teacher, teachers create conditions of meaning with them through their pedagogical practices by listening, or responding, giving space and presence to their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. The practices of confession are integral to a pedagogy of becoming as confessing, or truth telling from children, or adults is the beginning of learning. Laverty has faith in the minds of children to think philosophically. She believes in the reciprocal and giving pedagogical practices of educators to wonder together with children, co-leading pedagogy together. This chapter also draws on John Dewey, Deborah Meier, Julie Diamond, and Max van Manen to develop a view of pedagogy as originating in wonder and love. What I stress within the context of these august figures, is the value of allowing children to inquiringly think together about the concepts that are common to us all and make a difference in how we live our lives: concepts like ageing, learning, and expertise.