Trust in the Classroom

Paolo Freire argued that trust is essential to what he called the “problem-posing” model of education. This chapter builds on that insight and explores different ways that trust plays out in the classroom, focusing on three different types. The first type of trust is from teacher to student – trusting that students will show up prepared and ready to do the work together. The second type of trust is from student to teacher – trusting that the method and design of the course (from the assignment structure to story arc of the topics and texts) will be coherent and worthwhile. The final type of trust is that which emerges holistically, in which what Freire called the teacher-student and student-teachers build a trustful epistemic community together.