Educational Psychology—Limitations and Possibilities

Teacher–Student Communication in Education 803
cause disconnection and dividedness. These examples were followed by conveying fundamental
elements of human communication, social interaction, development of the Selves and the human
fear of rejection. Two key models of education grounded in democratic/progressive and
anti-oppressive/liberatory education were proposed that poignantly address as well as be pragmatically
implemented through in preservice training that is grounded in communication, revised
educational theory and classroom practice that implement dialogue and critical inquiry wherein
both teacher and students are active participants in the educational process, while remaining
communicatively connected.
My hope is to convey and demonstrate that such an education can encourage teachers and
students to compose lives of meaning, connection, and truth. Preservice and established educators,
I encourage you to consider the following possibilities so that you and your students
can stave off the disconnection that can so easily disrupt harmonious teacher-student relationships.
First, investigate and promote prerservice training courses and labs in Interpersonal
Communication and Conflict Resolution. Second, require service learning in areas of educational
emancipation, social justice, and civil equity. Third, commit to ongoing professional
development in emotional and spiritual intelligence involving an ethic of compassion, care, and
tolerance.
TERMS FOR READERS
Anti-oppressive Education—Educational pedagogy and praxis that specifically deals with those
explicit/implicit lessons found in a hidden curriculum that perpetuates intolerance, hatred; and
teaching, contradicts democracy and freedom in learning, and impedes social justice.
Dialectic Engagement—Critical inquiry that interrogates or examines social issues, dominant
ideologies, and hidden lessons in education and society.
Dialogic Encounter—An environment and approach that promotes community and collaboration
in teaching and learning to discover differences and common-bond experiences in everyday lived
experiences
Emotional Intelligence—An appropriate level of emotional (and communicative) response to
a given issue that arises in communication that does not violate, harm, or destroy the Self of
another.
Hegemony—Dominant social norms, frames of reference, ideologies, and mandates imposed on
the less powerful that are eventually internalized and adopted as natural.
Hidden Curriculum—The implicit/explicit social norms, values, beliefs, and regulations that
are transmitted to students through education.
Multiple Intelligences—A vast number of human capacities that cannot be accounted for through
standardized measurement and assessment.
Progressive Education—Educational ideology and practice founded in dialectic engagement
and dialogic encounter in the promotion of social justice and equity.
Spiritual Intelligence—Ability to practice compassion, care, and tolerance for differences in
human uniqueness and experience.
Styles of Attachment—Relationships practiced and adopted in adolescence ranging from highly
positive to highly negative communication and social interaction.