Freire, “Fourth Letter”

            Quote: “…tolerance may seem to be a favor, as if being tolerant were a courteous, thoughtful way of accepting, of tolerating, the not-quite-desired presence of one’s opposite, a civilized way of permitting a coexistence that might seem repugnant. That, however, is hypocrisy, not tolerance.” (77)

            Response: A quality a teacher should have is being tolerant. Tolerance, according to Freire, should be a virtue and means to respect and live with other’s views. In a sense, the real meaning is to be respectful of our students. While they might be younger and fresh, they are still individuals with opinions and feelings. Only because we are the teachers and adult, it doesn’t mean that we can be condescending towards them. To teach is to have patience. I presume it is much like raising a child; it takes time, dedication, and perseverance to achieve any kind of results. But, more than results, is the manner in which a teacher carries themselves, and the way they treat their students. To get respect, you have to give respect. When we are teachers, we won’t get to choose our students, we get whom we get and we have to do our job. Some might have different ideologies than we do, but we must look for common ground so that we can still do our job as teachers. If we let our differences come between student and teacher, the classroom will be an unenjoyably environment and no one will be able to learn or teach.