ENGL 823- 
Critical perspectives on second language teaching & teacher education

"What is a critical pedagogue?" I have to admit, even after years of combing through research that centered on terms like critical theory, critical feminism, critical theory, etc., I still did not realize how all of these perspectives related to each other on the academic spectrum. Dr. Park's class required a thorough reading of Friere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed--a text that I think I've only read in excerpts and glanced through for reference--and suddenly, a definition of personal critical pedagogy snapped into place for me. In taking this course and reading the extensive (and impressive) list of scholars who have steadily been advancing research in critical inquiry, I realized how this paradigm has fundamentally shifted the way that I look at education--and how these texts guide my ever-present questions of "Yes! But how?" as I attempt to wed theory with practice in my classroom. I am excited to return to my classroom in the fall, armed with lots of ideas and a renewed commitment to incorporate new ways for student-centered critical reflexivity.