Pedagogy of the Oppressed

I wish I could give this 4 1/2 stars, only because it is (ironically) very academic. But the concepts in this book, the outlines of a radical education, are really important. If you haven't read it, you need to. If you have, brush up.

It took me a while to get past the language of this book, as Freire writes with revolutionary lingo, but by the end, I was fully enraptured enough that I re-read the book again, gleaning new insights once I had stepped beyond the language. Don't be fooled into thinking this is mere abstract academic discourse--Freire frames truly insightful perspectives on pedagogical standpoints that ring deep and true to practicing educators today. His emphasis on dialogue and the teacher-as-learner struck a chord, especially when he delineated the tenets of dialogue as a pedagogical strategy requiring love, faith in humanity, and humility in the practitioner. Yer darn tootin', revolutionary teachers!