Teachers as Cultural Workers.Letters to Those Who Dare to Teach

Citation

Nolan, T. (1998), "Teachers as Cultural Workers.Letters to Those Who Dare to Teach", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 189-189. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijem.1998.12.4.189.4

Paulo Freire (deceased 2 May 1997) addresses teachers in ten letters and sets out for them his approach to teaching. In a foreword, Donald Macedo and Ana Maria Araujo Freire give an excellent exposition of the author’s educational thinking which assists the reader through the text of the book.

In the first chapter entitled First Words, before Paulo Freire begins his letters he writes:

My intention here is to demonstrate that the task of the teacher, who is also a learner, is both joyful and rigorous. It demands seriousness and scientific, physical, emotional, and affective preparation. It is a task that requires that those who commit themselves to teaching develop a certain love not only of others but also of the very process implied in teaching. It is impossible to teach without the courage to love, without the courage to try a thousand times before giving up.

Each chapter has references and the book has an index.

The book is recommended because the author speaks directly to teachers about the lessons learned from a lifetime of experience as an educator and a social theorist.