Teaching Job, Practice, or Profession
TEACHING: JOB, PRACTICE, OR PROFESSION?
BY EDWARD ROBINSON
It’s the EdRoboTech.com Podcast Series, Ed Is Better With Tech, for Friday November 9th, 2018.
This is Episode 54!
I’m Edward Robinson!
> Today we are asking the question:
Is Teaching, just a job that we do?
Is it a Practice, where we learn and grow professionally?
Is Teaching a Profession: a noble activity that is worthy of respect, prestige, and acclaim?
Teaching is one of the more demanding jobs one might have. Some days, everything goes smoothly, and it seems so pleasant. Other days can be very challenging filled with negative interactions, and challenging, somewhat dangerous situations.
Some argue the point that with the number of school related deaths that there should be hazard pay or death benefits for teachers. (Lawrence Odonell, MSNBC, 2018) Teachers don’t work the summer months, unless it is to teach summer school. So, Teachers find other jobs during those months or enjoy vacation activities. Pay may or may not cover the summer months.
TEACHING IS MORE THAN JUST A JOB[HTTP://EDROBOTECH.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2018/08/ADMINISTRATION-ADULTS-AGREEMENT-1181344-1-1024X684-1-300X200.JPG]
Teaching is something that we do as a vocation; yes. But isn’t it also a way to contribute to the society at large?
Is it not a way to help educate the population?
Good teachers may tell you that this is a calling, a quest, a meaningful endeavor to make a difference in the world. Helping students learn, is rewarding and
meaningful. Just ask anyone that had a particular teacher, that really understood them, made a meaningful connection, and offered to them the knowledge, information,
and encouragement they needed in order to succeed. Is teaching more than just a job?
TEACHING IS A PRACTICE, WHERE WE LEARN AND GROW PROFESSIONALLY
Teaching is a practice, where we learn and grow professionally, because it takes time, money, and effort to become a Master Teacher. Consider that teachers need to
attend college. As you may know, Alternate Route, affords teachers the opportunity to teach with only a Bachelor’s Degree. Then there is a training program. And
Subject Matter Certifications. Getting a college education, with multiple degrees, is expensive.
I wonder how many teachers have massive student loan debt?
I wonder ifthese teachers also have a job that pays enough to offset that debt, monthly and annually?
Once you have had enough education to get into the classroom, there is the process of getting from, so called, “Novice Teacher” to “Master Teacher”. This process may happen with a Mentor, but it is a process of learning, and growing, and practicing, and improving. In order to be a Highly Qualified Teacher, one must practice, work
with others in the field, hone their skillsets, and achieve a level of success through myriad testing, over time. So, I ask you,”Is Teaching a Practice, where one
learns and grows professionally?”
TEACHING IS A PROFESSION: A NOBLE ACTIVITY THAT IS WORTHY OF RESPECT, PRESTIGE, AND ACCLAIM[HTTP://EDROBOTECH.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2018/08/ADULTS-BUSINESS-COMPUTER-1181329-1024X684-300X200.JPG]
Teaching is a profession: A noble activity that is worthy of respect, prestige, and acclaim. But let’s consider that there are teachers who are good at it, and
teachers who struggle with it. In order to become the teacher who is worthy of respect, you have to respect your students, teachers, and professionals as well. There should be some prestige to a profession where one gives of themselves: in time, effort, study, correcting papers, supporting after school activities, graduations, etc. to foster the learning of people they don’t personally know, but have dedicated themselves to care for.
Many of the teachers I speak of are not widely known. They are regular teachers, not the Teacher of the Year. They come and go from school, doing excellent work,
quietly and largely unnoticed. They are dependable, and unassuming. They teach your children, and might go unnoticed, except for those who take a moment to notice
their admirable work. This is why I ask the question,”Is Teaching A Profession: A noble activity that is worthy of respect, prestige, and acclaim?”
NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE BURNING QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK[HTTP://EDROBOTECH.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2018/01/PEXELS-PHOTO-515169-300X200.JPEG]
1. If Teaching is more than a job, What makes it so much more, in your words?
2. If Teaching is a Practice, then what must teachers practice, and improve upon?
3. If Teaching is a Profession, a noble activity that is worthy of respect, prestige, and acclaim; then how do we honor our nations teaching professionals?
Place your responses here on EdRoboTech.com at the comments section directly under this blog post. Please join EdRoboTech.com with our Free Membership, and join thediscussion. Or upload your essay, as a letter to the editor, uploading it on our sidebar on our “Submit Your Show Idea” link.
People argue and debate the legitimacy of our teachers. Often we pick out a news report of a teacher, or former
[http://edrobotech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/pexels-photo-459971 (1)-300x200.jpeg]
teacher looking badly. But, that does not erase the
quality of work, the sacrifice away from their friends and families, that teachers experience as they work toward their educational goals.
Teaching is a noble profession, but it does not pay well. The expenses that teachers have cover education, classroom, commuting, professional development, and more.
How do you think that we can best honor our teachers who deliver a quality education for our learners? Teachers come from all walks of life. Some are respected. Others are not properly respected, unfortunately. Some have been shot to death while at work. What can we do to provide for their families after a tragedy? How can we honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for others?
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