New Dimensions of Classroom Leadership: Bernie's Path to Becoming a Transformational Teacher

This paper addresses the transformation of a young man named Bernie. Bernie learned a great deal during his dysfunctional childhood and eventually became a transformational teacher. The first section of the paper discussed Bernie's childhood and teen years as he struggled to survive and learn in a dysfunctional family environment. Second, transformational events in Bernie's life are discussed that changed both his spirituality and later his operative paradigm. Third, the primary paradigmatic approaches that impacted Bernie's operative paradigm are analyzed and the paper illustrates how his operative paradigm evolved later in life. Fourth, the primary teaching and learning theories that influenced Bernie's teaching practice are presented and their impacts on his teaching philosophy are presented. Fifth and last, Bernie's transformational teaching and learning philosophy is presented so the reader can observe how all the events in his life have led to this zenith. In summary, the paper is written to demonstrate how Bernie's casual, prescriptive, and paradigmatic assumptions evolved throughout his life. Bernie's epiphany resulted in a greater understanding of teaching and learning theory and a culmination of many paradigmatic perspectives that broadened his effectiveness as both a teacher and a lifelong learner. This culmination of knowledge is reflected in Bernie's teaching and learning philosophy.