Paulo Freire did not like either of the traditional methods of teaching that were common during his lifetime. He preferred a more informal method of education that placed a great deal of emphasis on dialogue between teachers and students. He felt that traditional methods of teaching oppress students because their ideas are thought to be as worthy as the teacher’s ideas. He wanted a teacher to have authority in the classroom, but he did not want that teacher to abuse the authority. He wanted a teacher to guide the dialogue, but to not manipulate the students by feeding them information or keeping them feeling as though they were inferior to the teacher.
Why would the Freire ideas, philosophies or approaches be a useful "lens" in the study of Humanities?
The Freire approach is useful in the study of Humanities because it frees the student to apply their ideas to what they are studying. A teacher can guide the student by pointing the student towards art, film, literature, etc., and then the student can express his or her ideas on the subject. The teacher guides but does not dictate. The student, by feeling free to express his or her ideas and being able to hear other students’ ideas as well as the teacher’s ideas, will not be as intimidated as a student who only hears the teacher’s ideas and must internalize and repeat those ideas for a passing grade. A student will see Humanities through many ideas, not just the teacher’s view.
