AN UNMASKED EDUCATOR

I was once an unconscious educator totally disconnected from the world, with a mask on my face. I have removed that mask and become critically vigilant about the world I live in. This conscious decision makes a difference. Without a mask on my face, I am empowered as a creative educator, while I participate in critical discourse. I begin to critique, create and educate to survive.

A mask is not on my face
When, as an educator,
I encourage the generating of ideas, solutions, curiosity, desire to question, persistency
And the acceptance of transformation.
When I become a critical educator,
I get hold of what I teach
And not be a passive receiver of education.
When I believe in deconstructing, reconstructing, taking risks, embracing the mess
And learning by mistakes.
When I realize that I have choices, although they are difficult.
When the Western world is no longer the only world,
As it is only one quarter of the world.
When the majority world like Asia, Africa and the Indigenous worlds interest me.
A mask is not on my face
When I teach my students about the majority world.

A mask is not on my face
When I allow students to view things in connectedness
And not in isolation.
When I see schools as preparation grounds for the new industrial economic order,
Or the global market of competition, consumption and consumerism.
When I place no limits to the imagination of a child.
When I teach about people of color and the Indigenous people of Canada.
A mask is not on my face
When I teach about the inclusiveness of all peoples of the world.

A mask is not on my face
When I teach the Native science of identifying, naming and classifying soils, plants, insects
And other elements of the environment.
When I agree that environmental education must involve a holistic approach.
When I realize that modern science views things in parts,
It is fragmented, without connections and interrelationships.
A mask is not on my face
When I teach environmental education.
For it is about recovery, recognition, respect, reflection, utilization of indigenous history,
Local cultures and ecological diversity.

A mask is not on my face
When I realize that the maintenance of anti-hegemony is difficult without collectivism.
When I maintain the equilibrium of difference, within the society through resistance.
When my anti-hegemony calls for unearthing creativity, critical thinking
And a state of consciousness.
When I legitimize my vision, as my subjected voice becomes important.
When we have a beautiful world in great danger of racism, sexism, classism, homophobia
And other forms of oppressions.
A mask is not on my face
When I know that diversity is often not taken into consideration to identify that self by another.
For that self becomes the other, as it is always a social construct of the Western self.
A mask is not on my
When I negate the Western self for multiples of other selves.

A mask is not on my face
Because I am in the process of becoming decolonized,
For I am not invisible, as I am very visible everywhere.
A mask is not on my face
When I see my history as a gift.
When I do not teach a fragmented education.
When I make education personal
And stop teaching the oppressive grand old paradigms of the past.
When I see something is wrong with the polarizing process of globalization,
Of either rich or poor, North or South, “First World” or “Third World,” overdeveloped
Or underdeveloped and over consumption or under consumption.
When there is a global pillage instead of a global village.
A mask is not on my face
When I see a growing gap.

A mask is not on my face
When I believe in spirituality.
When I value my mother’s teaching of spirituality.
When Spirit is found in everything, both living as well as non-living.
When the Spirit of the self must be nurtured and celebrated by us,
As we are recipients of the gift of life.
A mask is not on my face,
When I realize that we must celebrate spirituality,
For all of us must begin a spiritual journey to prevent spiritual injury.

Marilyn Patricia Yearwood © 1999

This poem was presented at the Conference on Transformative Learning “Multiple Currents: Expanding the Boundaries of Transformative Learning,” Nov 01-03. 2001, at OISE/UT.

Marilyn is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology and Equity Studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Her focus of research is on “Transformational Women’s Leadership.” She is a Teacher Education Program Assistant in the pre-service teaching program at OISE/UT. She is a partner in the company Adekam Information Systems and Resource Consultants, website www.adekam.com. Whenever possible, she integrates poetry reading in her teaching.