Freire Response

"Those truly committed to liberation must reject the banking concept in its entirety, adopting instead a concept of women and men as conscious beings, and consciousness as consciousness intent upon the world." 

I feel this quote holds true to the idea of eradicating the banking system. I feel that the banking system is only a positive thing for certain subjects and certain learning methods- ONLY if this is followed by students using their critical thinking skills to ensure their full understanding of the material taught. Not so much for younger students, but for older students I think it's really important that teachers don't always see themselves as the authoritative figure who "knows it all". Classes are much more successful, efficient, and worthwhile when the teachers see the students as equals, when they understand that though students may be younger they still have thoughts and ideas that are relevant and intelligent.

"The teacher is no longer merely the-one-who-teaches, but one who is himself taught in dialogue with the students, who in turn while being taught also teach. They become jointly responsiblle for a process in which all grow."

I never understood why Jody Cohen's classes were so special to me, but this is the reason. Not only does she lean far away from a lecture approach, she puts herself in with us (look at where she sits during class). She asks questions that ignite fuels inside of us and makes us think critically. She's always open to hearing our thoughts, ideas, and feelings, and you can see that in many situations she also learns things from us. This sets her and her class apart because it's evident to every student that she isn't JUST depositing knowledge into our banks, she's ensuring that we're learning by leading us to critical thinking, and more importantly, she's learning along with us.