Blog 2: What is a Teacher?

          Teachers are not artists.  Teachers are not comedians.  Teachers are not scientists.  Teachers are teachers.  The role of a teacher is unique in society and should not be labeled as anything else.  I believe that teachers' roles include but are not limited to: being role models, facilitating critical thinking, teaching skills, and facilitating knowledge acquisition.  Chapter 1 in Kumar views teachers as coming from one of three different philosophies.  The most traditional view of teaching imagines teachers as passive technicians whose purpose is to simply pass on agreed upon knowledge.  Kumar argues that this view disempowers teachers because the classroom becomes less of a lived experience (Kumaravadivelu 9).  The second school of thought is that teachers are reflective practitioners.  This approach sees teachers as problem-solvers who take a holistic approach to encourage reflection and critical thinking amongst students.  Teachers never finish their educations and are constantly attempting to maximize their own learning and that of their students through constant reflection and evaluation.  The third view of teaching labels teachers as transformative intellectuals.  This view is based on the psychology of Freire (Kumaravadivelu 13).  Teachers are seen as social agents for change.  Both teachers and students need to question and challenge the social foundations of society and constantly evaluate their own educational processes. 

 

            Although there is a presidential election approaching, I am not trying to be political when I say that I believe that a combination of the schools of thought described above most accurately depicts the roles of teachers in modern society.  The reason teachers become relative experts in their academic disciplines is partly to pass on knowledge and information to their students.  However, with an abundance of online classes and the creation of the internet, many students no longer need teachers in order to acquire information.  For that reason, I believe teachers are more facilitators than academic experts.  Teachers use their expertise in order to best facilitate knowledge and critical thinking skills amongst students.  Part of this critical thinking should be about the social foundations of society and the educational system itself.  Students need to learn to think actively and independently and not just accept things because "that's how it's always been done." 

 

            I believe that both teachers and students need to be more empowered than they currently are.  Theorists do not have the authority to tell teachers how to teach because current teachers have just as much information as to what instructional methods work best.  The relationship between theorists and practitioners needs to be a 2-way-street and not dominated by theorists.  In addition, students have more information at young ages than ever before.  Students are more aware of their own interests and learning goals.  Students should be given the freedom to pursue their own academic interests rather than sit through the same basic set of classes that have been given to all students for years.  Perhaps, teachers' most important role is to help students find their interests and passions and then help students find out how they can give back to society.