Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
By bell hooks (Routledge, 1994)
When I first read Teaching to Transgress, I immediately knew it would become a staple in my collection. This book focuses on education as liberatory practice and what it means to create educational spaces where both educators and students can bring their full selves. Author bell hooks encourages us to push against the boundaries of traditional educational practices in ways that are humanizing, engaging, and grounded in love. It is difficult to fully capture how inspiring this book was to me the first time I read it.
After reading this book in a doctoral seminar, I had the opportunity to work with a colleague to lead a discussion on the book. We intentionally sought to foster the type of educational space described in the book, and it was a transformational experience. As an education policy scholar-practitioner interested in improving the educational experiences of students, I believe fostering educational spaces that are transformational for both students and educators is both meaningful and necessary work. As an educator, I hope to foster these sorts of spaces for the students I may encounter.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to think more deeply about what it means to push against the boundaries of traditional educational practices.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Latrice Marianno
LATRICE MARIANNO is a doctoral candidate at the University of Delaware, Newark.
