Acknowledgements
Writing this book was an act of political and intellectual resistance but also of hope. It is a product of my education not only within school but beyond, which was supplied by the love of my family. My Gram has shown me how to live with a heart that listens and laughs, accepting others for who they are and always trying to see the other stories. My mother revealed the incredible responsibility and joy of being an educator, and my father taught me to stop and hear nature and animals. My sister who, as we grew up, I always admired for her gregariousness and leadership. Finally, to my nephews, Jack and Conor, who, as I watch them grow and discover, teach me how much I have forgotten to hear, see, and feel. We must never forget to color outside the lines or to think beyond words. Theirs and my educational experience helped me see the imaginicide occurring in education.
Freire quotes Antonio Machado, claiming, ‘we make the way by walking,’ but I would add through dialectical listening. For that, I would like to thank my colleagues in this struggle, especially April who helped me edit and Dom and Carmelia who dialogued with me. I am also thankful for my students whom I shared much of my dissertation topic with and who confirmed for me through their affirmation and questions that I was writing a dialogue that needed to be heard—that silence has been growing for too long.
I owe gratitude to Dr. João Paraskeva, whose intellectual passion confounded me as a master’s student and whose determination has inspired and driven me to a never-ending conclusion of my studies. Your leadership in navigating the “river” of these ideological struggles has been appreciated. This piece is part of a political and intellectual struggle for envisioning another education in which we fight against the Pinocchio Effect.