Education is not teaching

My bachelor degree is English Education Department of Teacher Training Faculty of Sanata Dharma University. I graduated in 2000, quite sometimes ago. When I enrolled to this department, I already had in my mind that I did not want to be a teacher. I just wanted to learn English better. It was back in 1995.

Two years later or so, in 1997, I joined a class, hmm....I forget the subject. Well, it is 13 years ago, right? I learnt about Philosophy of Education, what a name. But, at the end of the day, I found it beautiful and interesting. The philosophy is stated by Driyarkara. Maybe amongst the Protestants, his name is not that famous. He was one of the founder fathers of PTPG Sanata Dharma (PTPG=Perguruan Tinggi Pendidikan Guru/Teacher Training Higher Education), the main seed of recent Sanata Dharma University. His name is attached to Driyarkara Philosophical Institute in Jakarta (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Filsafat Driyarkara). Anyway, through this subject, I found his notion is meaningful and interesting. I still remember it ‘till now.

Education is not teaching. Education is more than teaching. Education is shaping and evolving human beings in positive directions. Teaching is (only about) giving or sharing knowledge, but not always towards positive directions. For instance, we can teach our kids to be thiefs, how to lie, how to cheat during exams, how to be corruptors, etc.

Education is not that way. Education is sharing our knowledge and shaping others to be better human beings. Driyarkara’s phrase is ‘memanusiakan manusia’ (humanizing the human beings). We educate others to be better persons and look alike God, because God created human beings based on His image. Isn’t beautiful? Through education, we develop ourselves towards God’s image. The process of education is everlasting. It will stop when the humans die. It is a whole life process.

Moreover, I learnt that education places students as subjects, not objects. They are not empty bottles. They are people. As empty bottles, we only give and pour things based on what we think are correct for them. Then, they only receive what we give. They ‘are not allowed’ to respond or react on what we give since they are only objects.

It is not the way it is. Through education, we share knowledge to them and face them as people. Then, we have to realize that they have their own ideas or opinions. Therefore, they can express their opinions and share their ideas to others and to the educator (hm....instead of teacher), not only receiving on what we share or give to them. They are the subjects of the education.

Knowing such philosophy of education, I was amazed with the works of educators. They have enourmous responsibilities to educate students. Not only they teach the subject, but also educate students to become better persons. They have huge responsibilities before God. God puts the tasks to shape students to become more look alike God coz people is God’s creation, His image. That’s why I think becoming an educator should have the calling. If not, I am afraid, s/he will only be a teacher, instead of an educator.

Time went by. In 1998 or so, there was a good movie, namely ‘Dangerous Mind’. It was inspired from a true story. The actrees was Michelle Pieffer. The famous soundtrack was Gangsta Paradise. This movie tells about a female ex-marine who tries to find a job. She (Michelle Pieffer) gets a job as a high school teacher in a slum area. The area is full of Afro-American people and Hispanic people. Each of group has their own ‘stereotype’. Michelle Pieffer is an English teacher who gets a tough class. The students make gangs based on their cultural identity. Drugs and violence are there. The students look down to her. She tries hard to attract their attention. Finally, she finds the way. She teaches about a poem. She gives an A for each student from the beginning. She said that it is easy to get an A, but it is difficult to keep an A. Then, everytime she throws a question to students, she will give a bar of chocollate for each correct answer.

Some conflicts raise. Gang war is one of them. One of her students is murdered by ‘member’ of other gang. She is so upset that she cannot stop it coz the headmaster does not want to listen to her. Pregnancy is another problem. She then has to ask the student’s mother to let the pregnant student attending the class after birth delivery. Finally, the student goes back to school. Conflict due to racism is there as well, between Afro American and Hispanic students.

Perhaps you are wondering what the relation is between philosophy of education and this movie. I just want to share that this movie moved me. This movie inspired me to be a teacher (well,....I do not know whether I was an educator). It was this movie which brouht me into reflection that it is awesome to be a teacher. I can share what I know to them. I feel that I am useful for people around me. I can actualize myself before my students as well. (Hm....another fact is that I really like ‘performing’ before people. I love doing presentation in front of people, as part of my narcism).

Finally, I decided to be a teacher, a teaching staff to be precise. But, I know myself well. I did not want to teach young kids in kindergarten or elementary school. They are too fragile. Their brains and their attitudes are easily influenced. They absorb new things easily and imitate adults easily. They are vulnerable coz they learn from their environment. I was not patience enough to face them. I was afraid to offend them too much through my words or my deeds. I was afraid that the way of my teaching is not appropriate to young students. Shortly, I was an English teaching staff of Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta for one year.

Everytime I started a new class, I always said, “I am not your teacher. I am just your friend to accompany you learning English. I might know better and more on English than you do. But, it is not always the case. You may know better and more than me on some issues. So, let us share our knowledge. If you ask me something and I do not know the answer, I prefer to say, ‘Hold and wait. I will try to find the answers and bring you the answers next week’. I am not Miss Knowing Everything. I want to place you as adults, not as children. So, I consider you that you know your responsibilities as students in this class. We can have discussion. You can share your opinions.”. Well...I do not know whether I was a good educator, but at least I did try.

Hmm....I miss being called as “Miss Wenny!” in class....(By: Agatia Wenan Tyawati)