Teachers as Intellectuals - by Henry A Giroux

Book Synopsis

First published in 1988, Teachers as Intellectuals encourages us to see schools as democratic spaces in which teachers and students work together to transform society. Giroux incorporates the most valuable insights of critical pedagogy into a more comprehensive and practical theory of schooling, committed to educating students in the language of critique and possibility. At the heart of his vision for schooling is the ability of the teacher to act as a transformative intellectual and to use critical pedagogy as a form of cultural politics. The book includes an introduction by Paulo Freire, a foreword by Peter McLaren and new introduction from the author.

Review Quotes

"Teachers As Intellectuals is a book for all practitioners and all members of the greater community. Giroux demands reader involvement, transformation, and empowerment. He helps us understand that the political relationship between schools and society is neither artificial nor neutral nor necessarily negative. Rather, school personnel have a positive and dynamic political role to play." --Educational Leadership

"We are fortunate to have these ideas expressed so clearly and in one place. It is a very useful book." --Choice

"Giroux is one of the grand masters of left educational theory." --Voice Literary Supplement

"[Offers] educators ways for reflecting critically on their own practices and the relationship between schools and society." --The Education Digest

"This book is a vital tool for understanding the insidiousness of ideology and its power to deceive. Teachers as Intellectuals is a must-read for educators and citizens alike, challenging all of us to reclaim the critical thinking and intellectual freedom necessary to resist the forces that seek to control our minds and our futures. Don't just read it-act on it." --Donaldo Macedo, Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA

"In a world rife with uncertainty, Giroux emerges as a beacon of intellectual clarity. In his book, he delivers a potent critique of our current reality while reminding us of the enduring power of hope. "Teachers as Intellectuals" serves as a poignant reminder that even in the darkest corners of our world, the spirit of hope endures, guiding us towards a brighter future." --Sheila Landers Macrine, STEM Education & Teacher Development Special Education Coordinator, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, USA

"Since its first printing, Teacher as Intellectuals has indisputably been one of the most significant texts in the history of critical pedagogical thought. Through the elegance of Henry Giroux's analysis, the political nature of educational practice is forthrightly unveiled, a democratic vision of education as a public sphere renewed, and the power of teachers who dare to teach "on the edge of possibilities" voiced with courage, hope, and dignity." --Antonia Darder, Professor Emerita of Ethics and Moral Leadership, Loyola Marymount University, USA

About the Author

Henry A. Giroux holds the Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest in English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University, Canada. His books include On Critical Pedagogy, 2nd Edition (2020), Race, Politics, and Pandemic Pedagogy (2021), Pedagogy of Resistance (2022), Insurrections (2023) and Fascism on Trial (2024), all published by Bloomsbury.