Kumar Chapter 1

The first thing that caught my eye in chapter one, Conceptualizing Teaching Acts, was the quote below the title. The quote by Larry Cuban stated, "To teach is to be full of hope." After reading, I felt that the quote was very appropriate after reading the various definitions of a teacher and all of the different components that go into the career of teaching. 

Many of us are waiting to come out of college with a teaching certificate from the state. Kumar states, "...learning to teach does not end with obtaining a diploma or a degree in teacher education but is an ongoing process throughout one's teaching career." This made me realize that my original thoughts were that after college I am going to know everything I need to know to have my own classroom and be a successful teacher. The fact that being a teacher includes much more than the average person sees or thinks. As we begin our teaching careers, we will continue to develop and reflect on classroom-oriented research and problem-solving activities. Kumar mentions that this role of teachers is known as reflective practicioners. The other two roles are passive technicians and transformative intellectuals.  

I found it interesting that the descriptions for the role of a teacher were limited to three main titles. I agree with Kumar that it is difficult to precisely pin down the role of a teacher because our roles are endless. We will be whatever we need to be in whatever situation to faciliate our classroom and educate our students. Although each part of the role included in-depth descriptions of what a teacher does and will have to do thoughout their careers, I feel that the role of a teacher goes beyond what was stated in Kumar. I believe that the roles didn't always acknolwedge the extreme importance and influence that a teacher can have in the classroom. I also believe that true teaching comes from building a relationships with students and working together to lead the classroom. With that bond, a hope for making a difference in the world and in children's lives will be made possible. Going back to the quote at the beginning of my post, I understand that to teach is to be full of hope. Full of hope to become the best teacher you can be, full of hope to make an impact in the lives of students and full of hope to be a part of the history of education that will help the field to grow and move in the right direction.