I am not a teacher, but an awakener. ~ Robert Frost

Think about it- Ask yourself: “Am I a teacher or an educator?” “Is there a difference between a teacher and an educator?” “Would I rather be a teacher or an educator?” “Do I foster an atmosphere of humanness in my classroom?” “Are my students engaged with their schooling?” “Are my students active in the process?” “Am I utilizing all of the skills each individual student brings to class?” “Am I preparing and providing my students with the proper tools that will an enable them to lead a full, active, productive, and successful life?” “What am I doing to make students want to participate in my classroom?” “Do I inspire, enlighten, empower, awaken my students?” Think about it some more.

This video provides us with many points to ponder and areas to analyze in our professional climate. Are we teachers? Or, are we educators? Can they be synonymous? My conclusion is that if our ultimate goal is to reach and fully engage with ALL students, we must commit ourselves to being educators. To move away from the role as “teacher,” and move to “educator,” much can be accomplished in the classroom. And ultimately, what Freire refers to as authentic thinking (1997) can take place. Engaging our students in critical literacy is essential to meaningful, authentic thinking. Through the use of critical literacy practices, students become active, critical learners who participate in the learning process. Students shift from invisible entities and become involved, committed, and invested participants. When students are offered the freedom to explore, examine, question, interact with, and be part of their own unique, individual learning process, they are better prepared to be successful in life.

In “Success Guaranteed Literacy Programs: I Don’t Buy It,” Lynn Astarita Gatto, shares her experience with implementing critical literacy practices in her own elementary classroom. Gatto’s account illustrates her fourth-grade class’ work on a twelve-week unit centered around the theme of butterflies. Children and adults worked collaboratively on the “planning, constructing, and exhibiting of a walk-in butterfly vivarium” (Gatto, 2007, p. 78). This complex and elaborate project allowed students to undeniably be involved with content areas such as math, science, social studies, literature, reading, writing, and public speaking. Lynn Astarita Gatto is an educator. She embodies the very characteristics of what every educator should strive to develop.

Initially, because Gatto does not see herself as the “giver of knowledge” (2007, p. 75), it was important for her to “construct[ing] an atmosphere where the children [could] see themselves as valuable to the process of learning within the classroom” (2007, p. 75). Gatto did this by keeping a chart of student-based questions on display for all to see. Throughout the unit, as questions surfaced, Gatto recorded them for the students on the chart. Since ultimately it was these questions that provided the focus for much of the unit’s activities, the students were able to exercise an important role in their educational process.

Further, by encouraging the students to voice their questions and concerns, what Gatto refers to as “authentic questioning” (2007, p. 75), students were able to partake in an ongoing dialogue in the classroom. Gatto’s cultivation of “dialogic instruction” (Gatto, 2007, p. 75) allowed children to “express their opinions with others, self-select turn-taking during conversation, initiate topics of conversation, offer ideas for activities, and discuss and question concepts” (2007, p. 75). This step away from the monologue of traditional education, or what Freire referred to as banking education (1997), created the opportunity for dialogue. It is the communication that comes from this dialogue that leads to authentic thinking. Freire asserted that, “authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about reality, does not take place in ivory tower isolation, but only in communication” (1997, p. 58).

Now think about your own schooling experiences and ask yourself these very important questions: “What was my most meaningful experience in school?” “Who had the biggest impact on my life?” “How did I learn best?” “Did my schooling practices foster an idea of critical literacy?” “Did I connect with anybody in school?” “Was I engaged with my educational process?” “Were my skills utilized in the classroom?” “Did I learn the best from teachers or educators?” “Did my schooling process inspire, enlighten, empower, awaken me?”

Lynn Astarita Gatto’s critical literacy practices that were embedded throughout a thematical unit on butterflies inspired, enlightened, empowered, and awakened her students. From start to finish of the constructing of a replicated habitat for butterflies, Gatto’s students actively participated in the following activities: examined theories about/styles of specific authors; studied (in depth) the life cycle of a butterfly; watched in real time life cycle of a butterfly (harvest larva to butterfly in classroom); recorded and collected data of life cycle of butterfly; visited a local zoo to study design of habitat; interviewed educational director of zoo; conducted a survey; researched eating habits of butterflies; conducted experiments and researched durability of building materials; journaled daily; created posters, bulletins, essays, letters, and models; constructed a word wall; visited numerous museums; participated in bilingual instruction; studied migratory trends, learned difference between immigration and emigration; attended a photography exhibit; wrote letters to the Mexican government; participated in fundraising efforts; created a vivarium museum; interviewed by a local news reporter operated and provided tours of their classroom vivarium/museum to other students and adults. Although long, this list is not comprehensive. There were far more activities required for the successful completion of this unit. Through these activities, Gatto’s fourth-grade students were immersed in critical pedagogy. These practices provided students the opportunity to critically analyze bias, historical perspectives, factual correctness, and current world and local events (Gatto, 2007). In addition to this, students were able to develop an “understanding and awareness of a meaningful and important aspect of their own or their friends’ histories” (Gatto, p. 87).

Finally, ask yourself: “What can I learn from reflecting on and connecting my own experience as both a student and an educator?” “How can I be a better educator?” “How can I inspire, enlighten, empower, awaken my students?”

Remember, although Gatto has had over thirty years of experience in the classroom to fine tune the details of her critical pedagogy to get it to the success that it is today, she had to start somewhere. Gatto had to take an initial step to look outside of the box of store bought literacy programs and pre-packaged curricula. She was compelled to be the very best educator to her students. Just by being aware that there are alternatives to our traditional pedagogical practices that thrusts the teacher at the center of the educational process while propagating the notion of an invisible student, that is a preliminary step. However, it is not enough. You must now put this knowledge into practice.

Now I ask: “Are you willing to step outside of the box to inspire, enlighten, empower, and awaken your students?”


I have an included a link below to a video from The Freire Project’s website. This video provides additional information about critical pedagogy.

http://www.freireproject.org/content/critical-pedagogy-tv