Ten Letters - Written 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 was four years ago that this happened, and now the moment has arrived… …What can we say about someone who has impacted our careers, friendships, and love? About someone we believed should never fade away, yet now only exists in spirit, text, and teaching? Can we write a fair preface? What does Paulo hope us to say?
Unanswerable questions, only time can answer—although we knew Freire was humorous and often carried a deep sense of pain about the world, he passed away on May 2, 1997. It was easy to see that he was indifferent to fame, laughing off theuse of his work and name. It was also not difficult for us to mock the academic charlatans who eagerly sold the "Freire method." Sometimes it was hard to believe the words of those who claimed to represent Freire. Naturally, Freire's unique approach was to neither resent these newcomers nor mock them 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, cited from Donald Macedo: "Ignore your enemies." She often found it hard 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 was so prominent in the office). Of course, for those who accepted Christianity and its family values, it was not difficult to smile at the wicked! God bless those who could turn the other cheek.
Paul knew early on that time should be spent changing and enlightening the world; complaining was meaningless. This does not mean that Paul was a "defeated general" (after all, he had been imprisoned and soon to be expelled from Brazil). But he firmly believed that the only correct 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 existing experiences and unconditional love. The miracles Paul 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 "empathetic education method" is not enough either. Paul called for commitment, political engagement, and action: after all, teaching is a political act, an act of love and insight. Prebought 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 Freire's empathy is not just about doing things; educating children and empowering them is not enough with mere empathy. Children need good teachers who educate them, teachers who never shy away from their responsibilities, set schedules for students, 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 flowed from the keyboard, we were so grateful and longing for Freire. When this book is published, we want to say to him: Thanks 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 Nita, whom he loved, as she continues to fight for her cause in the next millennium.
This book is a collection of ten letters written by 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.