Teaching under the Radar

John Bredin is an experimental, progressive and liberating English teacher on a mission that is vital to the survival of American democracy. At a time of increasing corporatization of our education systems, when critical thinking and a rich exposure to the humanities is being replaced by a narrow, joyless focus on "training for work," Bredin believes emancipatory teachers like himself need to strategically fly "under the radar" from the prying eyes of stodgy, anti-democratic...
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John Bredin is an experimental, progressive and liberating English teacher on a mission that is vital to the survival of American democracy. At a time of increasing corporatization of our education systems, when critical thinking and a rich exposure to the humanities is being replaced by a narrow, joyless focus on "training for work," Bredin believes emancipatory teachers like himself need to strategically fly "under the radar" from the prying eyes of stodgy, anti-democratic bureaucrats. He also shares some of his innovative pedagogical ideas and stories here, including a musical theory of literacy, and reveals how a transformative 1998 indie film called "Slam" has the remarkable power to inspire reluctant writers. This book will teach you the amazing secrets of how Bredin, utilizing a deeply moral and democratic pedagogy, was able to awaken and magically transform the lives of thousands of students who were numbed and deadened by our toxic school systems. Awaken them not only to a newfound love of the language arts-the joys of literature, writing, speech, and dialogue-but also to the hope of creating a more democratic, peaceful and loving world.