Can you think of a time in your own educational experiences when a teacher has pushed you or other students in a way that really reflected the values of a "democratic classroom?"
What are the benefits of this approach?
How does this relate to teaching students their abc's and 1,2, 3's?
"Democracies require students to think for themselves, to make judgments based on evidence and argument, to develop minds of their own. Democratic classrooms are places where teachers encourage students to ask those fundamental questions—Who in the world am I? How did I get here, and where am I going? What are my choices? How shall I proceed?—and to pursue the answers wherever they might take them. We must refuse obedience in favor of teaching initiative, courage, imagination, creativity, and more. These are the qualities to be modeled and nourished, encouraged and defended."
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