Edwin Trujillo`s Journal Entries

Teachers identity
When we as teachers assume the responsibility of teaching, we deal with different aspects in
our practices such as the culture, the society, the policies and overall our beliefs. Teachers are
not excepted of belonging to some of these features, thus, we can affirm that in one way
teachers are adopting an identity, whether they like or not. Mora, Trejo and Roux (2014)
defined identity as a process of continuous change which is influenced by four elements:
culture, society, agency and subjectivity. In other words, teachers` identity is not hundred
percent defined instead it is changing due to different conditions, situations and
characteristics.
Its a fact, teachers` identity must be constructed by reflection and action of teaching
practices, but the reality is far of achieving this construction. From my experience working in
private and public sector, I have noticed that several teachers are focused on how much
money they can earn working as a teacher because for them to be a teacher is the easiest
career to get money. This demonstrates the lack of value our profession has in the society,
being the social factor one of the elements to form identity. Teachers must be committed with
their profession instead of thinking of the way to become rich. When a teacher understands
this, he or she is adopting an identity which was gained as a result of the experience.
Unfortunately, to see teachers working as isolated parts is now more common. Mora, Trejo
and Roux (2014) stated that teachers ignores the fact that they are part of a micro-cosmos
called school, which is immersed in a more complex cosmos, named society (p. 50). Being
part of a society, a culture or an institution makes teachers experience different situations in
which they should learn something that transform the way they see their work and can
construct an identity.

However, becoming a teacher or specially an English teacher continues being a task of

interest. Most of the students who recently start to study languages have another purpose on
it, not exclusively to teach and transform the education field. They think learning English is a
way of opening new opportunities abroad but when they realise how hard is to be a teacher
they quit or keep doing something what does not make them happy or complete. Sadly, this is
reflected on our students performance and we guilt them because they get in the classroom
with no motivation or sceptic in terms of likes, when it has been a teacher who has gotten
dark the panorama, and this goes on over and over again. I think that a teacher with vocation
is a teacher with identity, teachers who have clear their responsibility with the society, culture
and the institution where they work.
Nowadays, teachers have to take into account our students are different than years ago.
Teachers have to reflect about the way of teaching that actually students need and put into
action new ideas to transform the paradigm of education, specially that English is difficult.
Fajardo (2014) said that If teachers merely continue teaching the way they were taught, the
possibilities to overcome outdated paradigms and to offer better alternatives for the education
of new generations of learners will be considerably reduced (p. 51). In brief, teachers have to
assess their practices in order to look for new ways of teaching; validating if their action
contributes to transform the society in which our students are emerged; and, considering that
professional development has a great influence from practices from the past, actions in the
present and a hope forward the future.
The role of teachers
Teachers face different challenges in their practices and it is sometimes more common we
adopt roles in which we are not prepared. The pedagogy and education science have not
designed in their curriculums all the necessities our students live, not only in terms of

knowledge but also in emotional and affective terms. I say teachers do not have the expertise
to handle situations which take place in the classrooms. For instance, when a student
consumes drugs, cuts his/her self, leaves home, among others. They are situations in which
we as teachers do not have the control or the preparation to manage them properly. Then, what
should a teacher do in these sort of situations?
I could say that adopting a role that helps us to make the correct choices. It is in here where
the teacher begins to take different roles instead of being the simple teacher of languages.
Most of times, teachers should replace parents figures when is not our duty. Students day by
day come to school with several problems which hinder the correct performance in class.
Thus, teachers first have to deal with all of this circumstances and stop the academic process
to intervene in the issues students are living in. Zeichner (1994) stated that teaching is
"engaging the learner, the entire person, both inside and outside the classroom" (p. 204). That
is, teachers have to involve with students` lives.
The role of the teachers depends on how important is an English teacher in the classroom and
how necessary is a brother, a mother or simply a friend who listens to. Abad (2012) stated that
a genuine commitment between teachers and the academic, professional, and social
communities they serve; it involves an intentional, systematic, and continuous process by
which teachers further their personal, professional and political growth; and it entails the
improvement of teachers attitudes (p. 98). That is, when teachers face different problematics
inside their work places the role that they adopt enriches their experience and makes to reflect
about the teaching practice.
The different roles that teachers adopt in the institutions are not exclusively related to the
classroom also it is related with the diverse tasks we have to develop in the school, for
instance, the role as an administrator, secretary, psychologist or doctor, among others. This

makes us to reflect about how our teaching practices are losing their value of educating and
they are taking a place to carry the problems, care students, fill forms and implement obsolete
activities, among others. Sze (1999) said that teachers should systematically study their own
teaching as a means of reflection. This involves collecting first hand data from one's own
classroom, analyse and reflect on it (p. 137), but, when we do this effectively we realise that
the education is going to be worst every day because our students have more problems, the
school policies are focused on results instead of process, some teachers are concentrated on
old methodologies while others attempt to implement new ones but unfortunately these last do
not count with the support of their mates or schools. In conclusion, we can analyse our
practices and say the change is necessary, but the reality is totally different, schools will be the
same and their practices too.
Teachers beliefs
Teachers have different beliefs related to education, some of them have born from experience.
Nevertheless, the conceptions that teachers sometimes have are diverse in terms of type of
students, the teachers who conform the staff of work, the deficiencies of the school and the
policies that the government states, among others. Thus, it is difficult to stablish what are the
teachers` beliefs because it depends on the vision that every single person has of world more
specifically of his/her environment.
However, to recognize ourselves beliefs it is important to make a critical reflection about
some questions such as: what do I do as a teacher? What are the gaps in my knowledge? How
might I teach differently? What are my strengths and weaknesses? These questions willing to
analyse my practice. Sze (1999) stated that reflective teaching means thinking beyond one's
instructional techniques; that is, it should also cover the "why" issues, not just the "how to"
problems (p. 139). For this reason, when we as teachers reflect about our daily action in the

classroom, school or community, we are getting the advantage of transforming our practice
and go beyond the class.
In this regard, me as an English teacher I have the conception that it is really essential the
second language acquisition because through it people can meet new people, know many
places and access to the knowledge. However, most of my students are sceptical with this
topic. They think English is difficult and impossible to learn it, thus, I have tried to change
this perspective in schools where I have worked. The results have sometimes been positive
and I am proud of that, nonetheless, it is still hard to change this paradigm but not impossible.
I said the previous because we as teachers sometimes have to deal with beliefs of this style
and if we do not attempt to change them, we will not have a transformation in the English
field. Some teachers have the belief that doing this is a waste of time because the students will
come to class with the same perception. To this respect, I say we must have hope and try over
and over again and we will see that is possible. For me, that changed and now my classes are
more productive than before because my students realised that English is not difficult instead
they discovered that English is easier than other languages.
In summary, teachers and students have different beliefs and most of them come from home,
some others are modified through the experience or simply they are changed by the society or
culture. Durn, Lastra and Morales (2013) stated that experiences and beliefs are reflected in
the past and present language learning and language teaching practice (p. 37). Thus, to
change perspectives or ideas it is necessary to look for in the past, analyze the present and
project the future.
Theory and practice.
Nowadays, there is lot of information about how to teach English, what are the new methods,
tendencies and researches even there are pocketbooks and new applications to learn

languages. We can take advantage of all this theory and put it into the practice, but
unfortunately the contexts where the practice takes action is not the same to the investigation
book. Theory can be benefit when the contexts share same features, however, this barely
occurs in some places. Teachers should sometimes adopt the role of researcher and create
theory from the contexts they are. I think that research ought to be an obligation in this career,
in this way teachers could analyse their practices and take some action. But, the problem in
Colombian institutions is they are worried about results, levels and quality in terms of how
much work or extra tasks they can ask for. I have the feeling that teachers would like doing
research but the time at school is not enough, the work is always a lot and the policies focus
on what the student does instead how the student does.
During years Colombia has adapted several educative models and teaching strategies for
foreign language instruction. The results are not positive and one example of this could be the
policies that the government pretends to achieve with their programs of bilingual education.
The Ministry of Education is concentrated on obtaining bilingual population but they do not
pay attention to the requirements to do it. These necessities go from increasing the hours of
English in public institutions to invest in teachers` preparation instead of bringing foreign
people who do not have the pedagogical formation.
In many Latin American countries exist the conception that students can learn better from
foreign teachers instead of teachers from the same country and most of the times that
perception is wrong. Cadavid, Daz and Quincha (2011) claimed that teachers should
undertake research projects to better understand the reality of teachers at schools in order to
suggest possible courses of action (p. 176). And I agree with them because if the government
wants results the first step is to design a plan of action where schools being evaluated in
English subject and according the results can start to implement policies of bilingual
programs.

Finally, theory is something useful to construct identity, be informed and know what to do in
front different situations but it is not applicable to the contexts where teachers work. Thus, it
is essential teachers reflect on their practices to create theory which benefit the teaching in the
school.
References:
Abad, J.V. (2013). Pedagogical Factors that Influence EFL Teaching: Some Considerations for
Teachers Professional Development. PROFILE Issues in Teachers Professional
Development, 15(1), 97-108.
Cadavid, I.C., Daz, C.P., & Quincha, D.I. (2011). When Theory Meets Practice: Applying
Cambournes Conditions for Learning to Professional Development for Elementary
School EFL Teachers. PROFILE Issues in Teachers Professional Development, 13(1),
175-187.
Durn, N.C., Lastra, S.P., & Morales, A.M. (2013). Autobiographies: A Way to Explore
Student-Teachers Beliefs in a Teacher Education Program. PROFILE Issues in
Teachers Professional Development, 15(2), 35-47.
Fajardo, J.A. (2014).Learning to Teach and Professional Identity: Images of Personal and
Professional Recognition. PROFILE Issues in Teachers Professional Development,
16(2), 49-65.
Mora, A., Trejo, P., & Roux, R. (2014). English language teachers professional development
identities. PROFILE Issues in Teachers Professional Development, 16(1), 49-62.
Sze, P. (1999). Reflective Teaching in Second Language Teacher Education: An Overview.
Educational Research Journal, Vol 14,(1), 130-155.

Zeichner, K. M. (1994). Conceptions of reflective practice in teaching and teacher education.

In G. R. Harvard & P. Hodkinson (Eds.), Action and reflection in teacher education
(pp. 15-34). Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp.