Clinical Sociology Review

Article Title

Intervention in the Classroom: A Cautionary Tale

Authors

Melodye Lehnerer, Southwest Missouri State University

Abstract

"A careful analysis of the teacher-student relationship at any level, inside or outside the school, reveals its fundamentally narrative character... The teacher talks about reality as if it were motionless, static, compartmentalized, and predictable. . . The outstanding characteristic of the narrative education, then, is the sonority of words, not their transforming power" (Freire 1984: 57). Guided by a commitment to the accuracy of Freire's appraisal of the student-teacher relationship, I decided to practice a "liberating pedagogy" in my classroom. My report on this action shows that students are often less than receptive to such pedagogical strategies. Their lack of receptivity is explored, leading to the humbling fact that intervention in the classroom is a fragile process.

Recommended Citation

Lehnerer, Melodye (1997) "Intervention in the Classroom: A Cautionary Tale," Clinical Sociology Review: Vol. 15: Iss. 1, Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/csr/vol15/iss1/9