Madalena Freire's Pedagogy of Passion

Madalena Freire's Pedagogy of Passion: Records of Encounters, Dialogues, and Partnerships is a fitting and loving celebration of this great Brazilian pedagogue.

With over six decades of thinking and practicing an "other education," Madalena Freire honors and goes beyond her kinship with the Patron of Brazilian Education, Paulo Freire. As organizer Teresa Cristina Rego recalls, "Madalena forged her own path, a highly relevant one in pedagogical studies in Brazil," especially in early childhood education. She actively participated in the establishment of the first "alternative schools" in the 1970s and 1980s in São Paulo. This experience gave rise to the emblematic book "A paixão de saber o mundo" (The Passion of Knowing the World) , a landmark in Brazilian pedagogical thought, which brings together reports and class diaries detailing her educational practices—synthesizing diverse theories, from Paulo Freire to Jean Piaget, from Enrique Pichon-Rivière to Lev Vygotsky.

This book contains eighteen letters, historical and affectionate records from authors of very different backgrounds and generations, but who all encountered Madalena Freire through words or through her presence. Some were partners, others students of the educator at her Pedagogical Space (a leading teacher training center), and others were inspired by her books, essays, and articles. But all, without exception, are her admirers and legatees, recounting the importance of passion in teaching oneself and others, in an eternal exchange between educator and student.

Madalena Freire's Pedagogy of Passion: Records of Encounters, Dialogues, and Partnerships is a unique opportunity to honor this great intellectual during her lifetime. It is also a vivid portrait of a specific period in Brazilian education. The story of "Madá," as she is affectionately known, is intertwined with that of our country's pedagogical thought, and therefore, Editora Paz & Terra is dedicated to celebrating her legacy.

“That traditional relationship in which the teacher is someone who has already learned everything and now only teaches has been put aside, giving way to creative and lively work.” – Folha de S.Paulo.