BEYOND METHODS by kumaravadivelu

In this document Kumaravadivelu establishes the different roles teachers take as Passive Technicians, Reflective practitioners or Trans-formative Intellectuals.

As PASSIVE TECHNICIANS teachers implement knowledge, their task is to execute what is prescribed  for them. They only act as transmitters of received knowledge. If I were to be this type of teacher, I would have the advantage that it would be easier, since I would only have to understand information and transmit it to my students. I also would not require much of skills and time for thinking from me. But I would have the disadvantage that my classes would be very boring for both my students and myself. And the classes would not be related to their common day life.

As REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONERS teachers are viewed as problem-solvers. They look back critically and imaginatively. They do cause-effect thinking, derive explanatory principles, do task analysis and also look forward and do anticipatory planning. The obstacles for being this kind of teacher are that it might demand a lot of time from the teacher to meditate on his performance but he can always ask the students for suggestions for the class, they can help doing some of the thinking. Or perhaps the Principal of the school does not agree with some of the teachers activities such as going outside the classroom  or making to much noise but the teacher can talk the Principle into it, convincing him that these technics have a purpose and are good.

As TRANSFORMATIVE INTELLECTUALS the teacher cares about how his student can apply what he learns in his personal life and improve his surrounding. The teacher guides the student in solving problems in his community . This is very demanding from the teacher. But, I think it's worth the while, because these type of teachers can really make a difference in the students life, and their English would become a lot more meaningful to them.