Pedagogical Manifesto

I AM A TEACHER

I am a teacher who stands up for the families and students I serve and against silencing and ignoring the problems of those who are most vulnerable. I am an educator who is in favor of equality and against those who look to divide us, who is a supporter of differentiated instruction and against putting my children into boxes, and who is a defender of students who feel voiceless, our minorities suffering in poverty, and our futures against those who do not see them. I am a teacher who favors the permanent struggle against negative politics and against its hurtful effects on its education system. I am a teacher who rejects the idea that everyone learns through the same methods at the same pace because it is responsible for the failure of many students. I am a teacher full of hope and passion, in spite of the current negative political atmosphere in the realm of education. I am a teacher who refuses to give up on the youth who will be tomorrows future. I am a teacher proud of of all of my education collegues who continue to fight for our youth. If I do not struggle for the rights and growth of those I serve, then I will no longer be following my true intentions.

- Adapted from a passage from Paulo Freire’s book Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage