| This thesis seeks to address the problem of teaching public secondary high school under the pressures of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its increasing standardization. I argue for a critical pedagogy that works within the standards to develop a critical perspective, highlighting moments in the everyday life a high school teacher that enable me to read standards-based practices through the lens critical pedagogy. I find that problem-posing pedagogy and flexible language practices in the space of my classroom transform students' understandings of their place and relationship to the academy. I discuss the professional implications of critical pedagogy under the pressures of NCLB, exploring the shortfalls of well-intentioned legislation. This argument is attached to the broader context of the growing conversations by critical teachers who recognize that public education is crucial to the health of our communities. |
