In my other class I have spent a good amount of time thinking about how and if opting out of something can be used as a form of empowerment, so I was very attracted to Paulo’s comment in A Pedagogy For Liberation on page 102, when he says “for them to feel pressured to speak even when they have nothing to add creates a false sense of democracy, a fake moment of discussion.” In here he condemns those being forced to speak, and calls whatever they are saying ‘fake’ moment of speaking “instead of a genuine exchange.” While I agree with him in that no one should be forced to speak up in a class when they do not feel comfortable, invalidating someone speaking (even if they are being forced into it) doesn’t help them in anyway.

Hi everyone!

I came across an article about states issuing letter grades (from A-F) to schools.  This particular article, called "When a School Gets a Bad Report Card" by Reema Khrais, focuses on North Carolina's recent decision to try out this system.  What do you all think?

My first reaction to the website we read also ties into a lot of the other readings for this week. As I was reading through the Teaching for Change website, I realized how lucky I was to have read so many books and poems by Black authors or poets in high school and the conversations our literature teacher facilitated. In comparison to white authors, the number was smaller, but I realize now what I did not realize in sophomore and junior year of high school how important those discussions were for an entirely white classroom. 

One part of Shor and Freire’s article that I thought was particularly interesting was their emphasis on the social aspect of empowerment.  While we have talked a fair amount in our classes about identity and culture, I tended to think more about how someone fits into certain cultures, and how a teacher or class could cater to individuals who do not fit into the norm or the status quo.  I was thinking about how to empower an individual in relation to their social identity, but not as much about social empowerment in general.  I thought it was a great point when Freire says, “if you are not able to use your recent freedom to help others to be free by transforming the totality of society, then you are exercising only an individualist attitude towards empowerment or freedom” (109).

The walk to the center of the labyrinth was bittersweet despite the cold and the flakes of snow falling from above. I felt like I was living in two different worlds simultaneously. I was warm and cold at the same time. I felt very warm inside thinking about what happened yesterday on Valentines with my first valentine. I felt like a little girl going to Disney for the first time. I couldn’t stop smiling as I stared into the bouquet of roses in my hand. I had brought them out with me to distract me from the cold.  My face started to ache and before I knew it, I was at the center of the labyrinth. I stood in the center for a couple minutes thinking, reminiscing memories of yesterday. The cold breeze gently touched my skin and the ground beneath me pulled me close to the earth.

Instead of chasing my thoughts off tonight while I sat, I decided to write them all down. It worked well and left me feeling very calm and colleted.... I'm typing them here just as I had them

it looks like I've been smoking as my warm breath hits the air.... little clouds that are whisked away by wind

no stars tonight.... does that mean clouds above me or simply too much reflected light?

darkly wooded trees look almost off white against that black horizon

seems so late but the coming and going of others reminds me it's only just past 7

tiny bits of snow like icing on a cookie