Reflection on my Learning

As I reflect on the experiences and actions that foster my learning, many facts were presented to me, and as a result become an eye opener. I see myself as a person that escape the groan of capitalism and colonialism, consequently, influence my learning and help aid my consciousness. As I thought through  the learning that shape my life, I pause to be thankful for the support and guidance I have received. My conscious raising about myself did not come from my formal education, perhaps it gives me some of the tools, though, I think it boils down to how one used their education. The pedagogy (teaching) of historically oppressed and downtrodden people cannot rely on the kind of pedagogy that the historically privileged class has prescribed for them, because the most earnest desire of the privileged is to maintain their privileged. Therefore, I have committed to be an adult educator and seek to engage with people. I have understood that teaching the oppressed must first start with consciousness raising, because many have been conditioned to accept their lot in the present life as the natural order of things, the pedagogy of the oppressed must be a necessity for their liberation.
For one to resolve to be an adult educator they must come to the realization that a social and cultural problem is the contributing factor for economic constrain in any nation. I was born in a developing country where the power structure is depending on one class “they have everything to lose if they dismantle the power structure” (Frantz,1968 p. 35). I have lived in a developing country for 27 years similar to those described by the French West Indian political philosopher Frantz Omar Fanon; he argues that peasant is not treated any different after independence, the government in those countries or corrupt society is increasingly antidemocrat, the people are being trained by foreign expert (Frantz, 1968). As a result, cultural relevant pedagogy has ignored, similar to how colonialism would exploit, abuse, and strip the people of their culture. My believe is similar to that of Fanon, he stated that, people must be educated, politically since education cannot hide bourgeois, leadership as well as plain language that easily understood by everyone (Frantz, 1968). I learn that if peasant understand political issue, on the methods the government used to oppress them and completely understand what is going on even without being educated, they would still be able to push back at corruption within the government. One of my major consciousness is to understand the high percentages of illiteracy among youth in developing countries and to know how vulnerable they are to the different types of pervasive forces within the Government of these countries (Frantz, 1968).
As I continue to process and assimilate my learning, I have come to the realization that adult educator has far more responsibility than I expected. As Intellectuals we must have a plan, if we are writing about the future then we must commit entirely to the struggle. Because decolonization require that we destroy the superstructure that has been imposed by colonialism and it is up to us adult educator to do so (Frantz, 1968).
In my act of critical perception, I discover my own bias toward society and understand that for me to be influential as an educator, I need to be aware of those biases and prevent them from clouding my judgement. I have also understood that I can intervene in what society refer to as reality and change it. I have also learned to develop the critical capacity to change and transform those realities (Freire 2005). Nationhood struggle is not easy because it will take more than just the removing colonial power (Frantz, 1968). But will also require an overall rebuilding of consciousness in society, starting from those that are less educated and are more vulnerable. My aspiration as an educator is to continue to learn and develop a more critical attitude, one that is permanent, that would result in helping society to overcome the myths which powerful social force has created. Consequently, remove the division between race, class, and religion which the world created, and finally lift the scepter by which ordinary people are being crushed (Freire 2005).