Customer Reviews

Teachers As Cultural Workers: Letters To Those Who Dare Teach (Edge, Critical Studies in Educational Theory)

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This book was recommended reading for the professional leadership team of a summer program for highly able, but economically disadvantaged youth. For those of us working in the field of education for several years, it is a wonderful reminder of why we chose this profession.
It is worthwhile reading -- especially for those who are getting 'tired'.

The presence of the word "letters" in the title should perhaps have warned me what to expect, but as my first exposure to Freire's writing it fell far short of his reputation. I did learn something from the 95 pages of this book, but I could have learned as much in ten were it not for the rambling and repetition throughout. I suspect that starting with Freire's classic Pedagogy of the Oppressed would have been a better use of my time.

Another "problem" with this book is that Freire's critique is specific to the context of his work in Brazil: not just the words but the lessons themselves may require translation. For those who are more interested in a radical critique of education in the US, I'd recommend Schooling in Capitalist America: Educational Reform and the Contradictions of Economic Life as a better starting point.

I get it. Freire's an academic and if it's too easy to read then no one will take him seriously.

Seriously dude, You're killing me. Some of the most important nuggets were lost on me because of all the $50 words used rather than straightforward speak.

That being said there is some value in this work, particularly if you will be teaching any ELL's or children coming from any socialist country. It's good to know what the expectations will be of the new learners and their families.