The words “teacher” and “educator” bother me. The imagery that they both conjure – of a person providing knowledge in order for a bunch of people to receive it – has often frustrated me because it runs entirely counter to how I view education and learning. They are words that, honestly, fail to highlight the inherent collaboration involved in people truly learning and the ways in which we actually should be engaging with each other.

They are labels that are still imbued with hierarchy, control, and power. They are labels that still, for many people, denote authority over them and the ability to make arbitrary decisions over both their present and future. They are labels that can instill fear and anxiety in others, especially those who have felt abused or neglected by the system for simply existing.

Honestly, they are terms that feel completely separate from how I view both my role in and the purpose of educational and learning spaces. Read more…