1. Transformational Pedagogy Model

“Why do I want to teach?”

I want to teach because I have the potential to be a good teacher. There is a long way to go. I have to work on many skills and overcome different challenges, which is possible if I study and work hard. But, what does being a good teacher mean for me, anyway? I believe that it is much more than imparting knowledge. In my case, it is more than just teaching English. Of course, I am going to work to facilitate my students´ learning. I want to be an effective teacher. My students´ learning will be my main goal, but I also need to be able to inspire them so that learning takes place. 

In my life, I have had different great teachers, and I am thankful for this. I know what is like to be challenged. I know what is like to be reminded of my potential. I know what is like to have teachers who have believed in me. All of this always encouraged and inspired me to become a better student and even a better person. These teachers made a difference for me, and I want to be that kind of teacher. I want to be a teacher that makes a difference. 

I believe teaching is a huge responsibility, and I have to live up to it. After all, we are talking about education, which is the key to change people´s lives. Therefore, it is the key to change our society. If I am going to be a teacher, then I want to be a great and effective teacher, and no less than that.  

"Transformational Pedagogy Model"

Teaching must be about the transformation of our learners. This is the basic premise of the Transformational Pedagogy Model. Education has the power to transform people´s lives. In order for this transformation to take place, the learner needs to be seen as a whole person. Most of the times, there is a lot of emphasis on academics, but teachers need to see beyond that. The Transformational Pedagogy Model proposes a holistic perspective. This means that teachers must care not only about academic goals, but also about social and spiritual goals.

Teachers need to know and work according to the academic, social and spirituals needs of their learners. Academic achievements are important, but it is not the only thing teachers should pay attention to. Personal growth and self-fulfillment are the main purpose of education. We want to be transcendental beings. Therefore, social goals (“learning ends that are designed to better human welfare”) and spiritual goals (“learning ends that deal with principles of eternal values, transcending the material and temporal”) need to go along academic goals. Through this holistic perspective of education, teachers can help students achieve self-fulfillment. “Social and spiritual goals should be aimed toward the same end: serving something or someone greater than ourselves”.

The teacher-student relationship is central in the Transformational Pedagogy Method. Teachers who know their students´ needs are able to find transformational opportunities, and in the process teachers cannot help being transformed themselves (“students and teachers should expect education to be a mutually transforming experience”). Teachers have a huge gift and responsibility: “the power to transform”. Not every teacher reflects on this, but the ones that do become a source of INSPIRATION to their students. Who are the teachers we remember, anyway? We remember the teachers that believed in us, encouraged us, challenged us, and reminded us of our potentials. Those are the teachers who touched and transformed our lives.

Transformational teaching impacts teachers greatly. It makes teachers think about their roles as educators. Feeling “a moral concern” about the “whole person” shapes the way teachers relate to students. There is a relationship of understanding and respect, and this makes the teacher-student relationship special. A teacher who “transforms” will definitely find his or her job more fulfilling since he or she is serving a greater purpose. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said “our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we could be.”