In the book
Beyond Methods in chapter 1 it talks
about the meaning of being a teacher. According to Kumaravadivelu, “Teaching is
basically a subjective activity carried out in an organized way.” (p. 5) He
then goes on to explain the difference between a job, vocation, work, career,
occupation, and profession. He explains the role of the teacher and how there
are three distinct roles: passive technicians, reflective practitioners, and
transformative intellectuals. There are many different pros and cons between
the three roles and usually one teacher does not fit all the characteristics of
one role. I think a good teacher needs to have some of the qualities of each of
the roles.
In chapter
2 of the book he goes even further as he talks about understanding postmethod
pedagogy. He talks about his definition
of method and how it has been around so long that the word has lost some of its
meaning. He talks about three types of methods which are language-centered
methods, learner-centered methods, and learning-centered methods. He also
spends a lot of time talking about the dissatisfaction of method and the issues
of dealing with methods. I really agree with what Kumaravadivelu said and I
think the teachers can both get caught up in too many methods as well as not
focus enough on the methods used in the classroom.
The two
chapters did a really good job at explaining teaching and method and I am
looking forward to reading the rest of the book as he continues to focus on methods
and the meaning of being a teacher. I think it is important to focus on
methods, but not get caught up in methods. The balance is important and a
teacher who ignores methods is in a sense their own method. There is no such
thing as a teacher with no method. If they have no method then that is their
method that they follow. That is why every teacher should think about methods
and what methods they use. Every teacher should have a foundation of beliefs
that they teach by so that they can also be held accountable as a teacher.
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