Chapter 8: Democratic Teaching Practices

This chapter provides guidance for teachers who wish to function in the democratic tradition. This process is fundamental to implementing an Issues-Centered Decision Making Curriculum. It highlights aspects of democratic teaching that will not be too complicated. It gives attention to questioning, listening and the responses teachers use to nurture classroom dialogue. It also details information regarding useful resources for the library and classroom that both beginning and experienced teachers will find helpful.

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An Issues-Centered Decision Making classroom requires democratic teaching practices to the greatest extent possible. This curriculum requires an open classroom climate and teaching procedures that embrace substantive knowledge about significant problematic conditions, controversial issues and higher level thinking focused on drawing conclusions, decision making and identifying values. It is extended by service learning or social action. Certainly, the teacher’s ability to sustain dialogue in the classroom by facilitating student-to-teacher as well as student-to-student interaction is fundamental to the goals of this, or any other democratic curriculum. These are challenging and demanding teaching responsibilities. For many, if not most teachers, these new learnings and responsibilities require letting go of conventional teaching practices that they have observed in their own schooling on a regular basis and in the case of experienced teachers who have taught for a number of years, such teaching practices have become habits that worked for them. Habits are always hard to break. However, a gradual letting go is possible. Nonetheless, letting go of teaching habits is not sufficient. At the same time, teachers must take on new practices that are necessary if this curriculum is to be implemented authentically and successfully. At first, teachers may find a facilitative role uncomfortable and the responses of student-citizens may be unpredictable but when the need is evident, most professionals who see the need for constructive change, can make adjustments and adjust their practices on a gradual basis.