Reading Class Diary

1. How do you feel Reading texts? What emotions are trigger and after reading
the text?

When I read these chapters I felt a big responsibility of being a teacher, specially of
developing impact educational projects in this dominant system. First, I have to say that
I really want to be an activist teacher, not merely an instructor. These texts showed me
many aspects for humanizing our profession. As apple said, we have a special role and
academic status, but it is not an excuse to enclose ourselves in academic facts. We must
go and give other people the opportunity to speak. It means give voices to unvoiced
communities. Moreover, as teacher, we can´t think that our knowledge is the reason for
excluding people or ignoring real world situation. A real teacher practices critical
pedagogy which includes “the praxis” instead the silence.
 2. Visually represented one of the ideas that talked to your mindbodyspirit.

3. Conversation
 Authors encounters:
Antonia Darder, which is my chosen author, has many similar ideas with the
content of these chapters. Freire and apple words´ encourage to be and
activist teacher and to critic dominant and oppressor system. Antonia is
herself, a real example of these kind of educators. So, the first encounter is
the characteristics of Darder´s work and proposal and the assumptions which
appeared in these chapters. In terms of ideas, Darder shares the importance
of a critical pedagogy, specifically in her article the preface of her book “In
Search of Peace in a Culture of War” she mentioned as an important part of
education “the power of collective political commitment, critical
consciousness, and the power of love” ( p, 21) . Finally, I consider that the
main similarity among these author is the capacity to see the world from
serious perspective , to analyze current political and education system and
not only to talk about activism, but to be real agents of change.

Apple:

“Each of us need to make us of one´s privilege to open the

space at universities and elsewhere for those who are not there

for those who do not have a voice “

Because I consider that knowledge is not a tool for oppression, it the tool of
freedom.
 “Critical educators must also act in concert with the

progressive movements their work supports or in movements

against the rightist assumptions and policies they critically

analyze”

Our activities as teachers must be logic with current movements, because

education is for and from taking actions right now.

Freire

“Education is thus constantly remade in the praxis. In order to be, it must

become”

More actions than words

“Authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about reality, does not take place
in ivory tower isolation, but only on communication”

I think that walls of the university campus don´t enclose our thinking and responsibility for
changing the world in a positive way.

 Life experience:
My life experience is not too long. In fact, I can summary it in few words. “
I have listen to some teacher talking about didactics when their classes are
boring. I have seen teacher express about responsibility when they are
unpunctual but the most shocking is that I have meet people who consider
their selves as teacher when they encourage selfish, apathy and hate in their
classrooms.
 Questions raised after reading the texts
 ¿ why is the point of one passive education which does not encourage people
to be critical of the world ?

 Reflections:
I really enjoy to study. It means I enjoy to be in a classroom and to learn
new thinks and reflect about different situations. I want to look for
opportunities for continuing studying. However, it is not a reason for
ignoring my surrounding. I am engaged with books and humans at the same
time.