In Praise of Theory

Abstract

time or the interest to consider why we were presenting linguistic concepts in the classroom. We just wanted to know how. Impatient with theory and inexperienced, I grabbed any good idea for a lesson I could find. English Journal and Media & Methods usually had something. Any conference I went to meant an opportunity to gather ideas. If I was really desperate, I might even use something from that older teacher across the hall. But it was always a race to keep up with a steady need for worthwhile teaching ideas. Monday morning came five days a week sometimes. I was a scavenger of lesson plans. After a year or two, I realized something--a whole year of good ideas might not add up to anything substantial in the way of learning if, somewhere and somehow, I did not make connections and build on some kind of sequence. I started planning, partially because I felt guilty about my shotgun approach to teaching. But, oddly enough, the more I planned the more I ended up with the traditional, teacher-centered classroom I was trying to avoid. The more ordered and sequential I became, the less pleased I was with the content of my plans. I needed something to help me combine the need for order with the good lessons I wanted. That something, I know now, is theory. Twelve years ago, I impatiently skimmed articles and books that spoke of theory and eagerly looked for something practical. Now, I am likely to skim over practical information to find a succinct statement of theory. Although I would not have believed it twelve years ago, theory has more to offer me.