As I contemplate anything new that might come from 2017, I am reminded...
How little we want to know about our true history.
How current events reflect how little we have learned from our past.
That one of the only hopes we have in the future is in our youth.
How jaded our national priorities have become (and still reflect many evils of the past).
As I begin to end my 33rd year of teaching, I still deeply ponder and attempt to strategically articulate my vision that will construct a "perfect" and transformative classroom for my students.
But as schools become exponentially obsessed with standardized test scores, statistical data, and robotic classrooms, the less motivated (if I ever was) I am by the current (very shallow) goals of modern day "education"...and the more convinced I become that without teaching empathy education is useless.
So this is where I usually start to talk about Plato, Paulo Freire, W.E.B. DuBois, Frantz Fanon, Henry Giroux, Kimberle Crenshaw, Patricia Hill Collins, bell hooks, Cornel West, etc. and emphasize the virtues of a true education to be Truth, Goodness, and Beauty which lead to critical thinking, critical consciousness, social action, and human empowerment...and this is where people usually look at me like I'm crazy and walk away.
I am truly thankful for 2016 and students who do not walk away from seeking the truth, the tough conversations, becoming more empathetic, etc. and I look forward to (new) learning with them in 2017!
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