Every class must be student-centred - as I see it, the primary concern of a professor should be whether the students are learning and feeling comfortable in the process. Nowadays, it is also critical that all education be antiracist. I also believe in incorporating diversity as a crucial concept for learning: I encourage students to look at things from different perspectives and sources and to respect different contexts and backgrounds. I also believe in critical thinking and independent minds. I understand that there are multiple ways to learn. For example, there is much we can find in Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s work when studying politics and society in Colombia. Likewise, one can learn a lot from Argentinian and Brazilian culture by analyzing the political rallies of Juan Perón and Getúlio Vargas. One can better understand Brazilian culture and society by observing a Flamengo soccer match at Maracanã on a Sunday afternoon or a Roda de Samba and a Baile Funk. A hockey game and everything it entails (everything it celebrates and doesn’t celebrate) may be a great way to understand Canadian culture. One can find a complete course on Brazilian history in the pages of Viva o Povo Brasileiro by João Ubaldo Ribeiro and use Flight to Canada to discuss racial and cultural myths. In my classes, I like to explore all paths, both the traditional and also those that are frequently hidden inside a country’s favourite pastime or a deeply beloved TV Show. I do it because people learn in different ways. I want to show my students all the available paths because to think critically, it is essential to look at the world with curious eyes, knowing that almost anything is “natural”.
