Changing Roles

 

At the beginning of my MSW program, when someone would ask, "What do you do?"  I would respond that I am teacher. Now as I near the end of the program, I refer to myself as an educator. Although this change appears insignificant, it is a milestone in my emerging social worker identity. The difference between a teacher and an educator lies in the power dynamics of the classroom and the individual's approach to learning. 

 

For example, traditional teaching practices operate from a top-down approach.  The curriculum is set by the government and provided to the teacher who then imparts the required information to the students. The students are forced to memorize this information and regurgitate it back to the teacher in the form of a formal test or essay. Paulo Freire (2000) considers this method of teaching to be oppressive. There is no exchange of ideas between the teacher and students and the classroom is defined by the innate power imbalance between the two groups. By contrast, popular education or adult learning theory focuses on collaboration between the educator and students. The curriculum is more flexible and adaptive to the students' needs and interests. The lessons are also characterized by rich discussions, which are interactive; practical; draw on the students’ experience; and are applicable to the students’ everyday lives. As such, the educator approach is more inline with social work values, which honour the clients experience and empower them to have more control in their environment(s). This is why I now refer to myself as an educator as opposed to a teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Quick Note on Social Work Roles

According to Barry Coumoyer (2014) the social work field is diverse with many opportunities and roles. Some of the more common roles include the educator, advocate, broker, facilitator, case manager, evaluator, and counselor. As an advocate you are a champion for your clients and your role is to defend their best interests. As a broker, you connect clients with relevant services. Likewise as a case manager, you cooridinate the service delivery. Facilitators bring people together and encourage open communication, collaboration, and community action. Counselors provide support and guidance to their clients with regards to their challenges and goals (Coumoyer, 2014, p. 253). Evaluators collect and analyze data in order to make appropriate recommendations and changes to current practices or programs. Lastly, educators provide individuals and communities with information which enhances their skills, functioning and decision-making abilities. In my social work journey I have had the opportunity to experience a number of the above roles. I presently feel best suited to the role of an educator, broker, advocate and facilitator. However, I am open expanding my case management, evaluation and counselling skills.