INTRODUCING CRITICAL PEDAGOGY
Imagine a world in which children are educated by teachers who embrace such educational theory and practice–whose praxis prioritizes both individuation and conscientization. The role of ateacher in an urban classroom should include the following elements among other things.
1. Helping children develop a sense of pride in and a language to describe their own heritage.
2. Exploring differences of all kinds.
3. Building on children’s notions of fairness to create a sense of justice and the capacity to recognize bias.
4. Helping children find ways to confront and eliminate biases they encounter.
Whether the focus is conflict resolution, diversity, or peace, bringing these and other human rights issues into the classroom—developing an educational praxis grounded in human rights, becomes complex. Parental involvement, while adding additional perspectives, sometimes reduces barriers and moves efforts beyond the walls of the school room through school-community partnerships. Regardless of their classroom or community compositions, educators as human rights leaders must, as the preceding examples Illustrate, consider not only education for diversity but also for facing Prejudice and eliminating bias. To begin, educators must first critically consider their own beliefs and practices. The root causes of war begin with ourselves. If we can overcome our selfishness and extend a helping hand, if we can appreciate the goodness and talents of others, if we can acknowledge the value and dignity in each human person, and if we can realistically acknowledge and work for resolution of the conflicts that threaten to destroy us, then we can be assured we have done our part to bring about peace on earth (McAnany, 1996, p. x). Peace is only one possible outcome of an educational paradigm in which educators see education as a broader undertaking than the transmission and measurement of standardized content and prescribed proficiencies. On a pragmatic level, students who are denied privileges, have limited resources, or who are struggling with violence also have diminished access to educational privilege and resources. And, today’s educators hold a unique position and urgent responsibility to become advocates and protectors of human rights. They must act to address the immediate needs of children who are not getting a good education, however “good” may be defined, and to realize a more equitable vision for the future. Their classrooms must provide ongoing opportunities for focused and mediated dialogues among heterogeneous groups. Together with their students, educational leaders must consider the significance of the knowledge they share and in what ways they are empowered by their experiences. And, whether heterogeneously or homogeneously grouped, students must be encouraged to consider their responsibility to others, in the context of their learning. Certainly, teachers and students must be made aware of their privilege and their obligation to be responsible, critical, and caring stewards of their intellectual and cultural capital. As Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote while himself a student, “character and moral development are necessary to give the critical intellect humane purposes” (1947, p. 10). The paradigm introduced by this discussion implies the potential of both educational content and process–of curriculum and pedagogy–of praxis to transform students’ affective, cognitive, and behavioral skills and knowledge. Educators as human rights leaders must be intentional about such personal transformation and prioritize cultural transcendence of factors, which oppress others. As advocates and activists, these instructional leaders must critically
imagine and provoke an inclusive and humane paradigm of education and courageously challenge the status quo through this ideal of educators as human rights leaders. Now professionally accountable for a more just world, educators must remain hopeful and celebrate each success no matter how small; the task is not an easy one. Nonetheless, within their distinctively broad realm of influence on individuals, groups, and culture, educators in all classrooms, with all students, must think and act as human rights leaders if we are to take seriously such undeniably worthy goals as equality and the eradication of all forms of discrimination in the urban classroom.