9/25/19; Week 02: Response to “Is the Great American Teacher Dead?”

This week I had the opportunity to read the article Is the Great American Teacher Dead? from John J. Ivers as part of my assignment in the TESOL course from BYU-Idaho.  This reading has indeed impacted my current perceptions and thoughts concerning my role as a teacher.  It has always been clear to me the transformative role of education.  This belief has influenced the choice of this blog’s name.  However, nowadays, especially in my country Brazil, many people are casting doubt on the teachers’ role.  Some believe that teachers should only teach the contents of the subjects like Math, Languages, Science, etc.  Subjects like Philosophy, Sociology are not being valued these days where I live.  Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator and philosopher (1921-1997), best known for his influential work of the critical pedagogy movement, is being considered an enemy by the government who also wants to ban critical thinking from the schools.  Facing this scenario, it was very meaningful to read that “learning is enhanced by a teaching that is passionate, positive, inspiring, inviting and transformative, addresses world problems and shifts paradigm”.  This article helped me to remember that “a truly transformative learning experience is one where we are left with the feeling that life will not be as it was before, that this experience has created a sense that we cannot go back to the way we were before the experience” (Dirkx).  As I prepare to teach, I must not forget that I will not only teach “language’.  I will help the students to transform themselves through education.  Upon transforming themselves, they will be able to become transforming agents of their communities.  As Paulo Freire has taught: “Education does not transform the world.  Education changes people.  People transform the world”.  From this point of view of a transformative education, it is important to know the students and their reality.  This may become a challenge, especially when we have just one or two hours in a week.  However, we can be successful if we make a real effort to know our students’ challenges and environment, “develop a positive teacher-student relationship, edify a student’s self-concept and potentially transform one’s world view from one of critical acceptance of cultural dictates to one of deep, reflective and compassionate thinking”.  As it is said in the article, “if we take care of our students, our mission of educating them will be greatly facilitated.”

My question is: How important is a transformative education in your culture?  How does the society see the role of a teacher where you live?