Ten Letters (To Those Who Dare to Teach)

Author: Paulo Freire
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: When we discovered that Paulo Freire would be writing for this series, we were deeply honored and excited, feeling that we should write a short preface for the book. It has been four years since that moment, and now the time has come...
...What can we write about someone who has impacted our careers, friendships, and love? About someone we believed should never fade away, yet now exists only in spirit, text, and teaching? Can we write a just preface? What does Paulo hope us to say?
Unanswerable questions, only time can answer—although we know Freire was humorous and often felt a deep sense of pain about the world, he passed away on May 2, 1997. It was easy to see that he was humble, laughing off the theft of his work and name. It was also easy to mock the academic charlatans who eagerly sold Freire's "method." Sometimes it was hard to believe the words of those who used Freire's name to elevate themselves. Naturally, Freire's unique approach was to neither resent nor condemn these newcomers but simply smile and wish them well. He was too busy working to have time to clarify such "trivial matters." In Sherry's office, there was a quote by Freire, attributed to Donald Macedo: "Ignore your enemies." She often found it difficult to do so, as she was deeply influenced by the Old Testament's teaching of "an eye for an eye" (which was also why the quote stood out in the office). Of course, for those who accepted Christianity and its family values, smiling at the wicked was no difficult task! God bless those who could turn the other cheek.
Paulo knew early on that time should be spent changing and enlightening the world; complaining was pointless. This doesn't mean Paulo was a "defeated general" (after all, he had been imprisoned and recently expelled from Brazil). But he firmly believed that the only right approach was to adapt to students' existing experiences and help them with unconditional love. The key to understanding Freire's thought lies in finding the intersection between lived experience and unconditional love. The miracles Paulo created at this intersection not only provided a model for education but also pointed the way for our lives.
No one can simply copy Freire, and the so-called "empathetic education" is not enough. Paulo called for commitment, political engagement, and action: after all, teaching is a political act, an act of love and insight. Pre-purchased videos or workshops cannot enable teachers to engage in thorough teaching—only serious scholars and those committed to social justice can become "Freire-style" teachers. We must firmly remember that, in Freire's sense, empathy is not just about doing; educating children and empowering them is not enough. Children need good teachers who never shy away from the responsibility of education, who set schedules for them and correct them when necessary. Freire firmly believed that this is democratic teaching. It is this kind of education that gives students rights and liberates them from oppression.
As this short essay flows from the keyboard, we are so grateful and longing for Freire. When this book is published, we want to say to him: "Thank you and goodbye" (Obrigado and Tchau). We know that he will live on as a dear friend. We also want to offer our deepest love and support to his beloved Nita, who will continue to fight for her cause in the next millennium.
This book is a collection of ten letters from the renowned Brazilian educator Paulo Freire to young people about to become teachers. It explains his world-famous Freire method, telling people that as cultural workers, teachers can do more than just teach students to read and write—they should establish new teaching relationships and treat educational activities as important political practices, enabling students to educate themselves and participate in the creation of knowledge.