Doing business with an educator's heart: transforming adult teaching and learning

Abstract

The author presents first-hand and personal accounts of what popular education looks like in a classroom. Barbara Bee has had over 30 years teaching experience in adult education programs with poor and disadvantaged learners. She describes how teaching in the 1970s and 1980s was so different to today. Back then teachers were encouraged to negotiate curriculum with students. And Barbara is regarded as one of the leading Australian practitioners in that time who drew inspiration from Paulo Freire. But today teachers are expected to adhere to a tightly prescribed set of curriculum and assessment guidelines.