Thoughts on professionalism part 1

Our conversation last night in class about professionalism really resonated with me. Believe it or not, I had to hold myself back to keep from talking too much. I'd like to preface my comments in this blog with this disclaimer: my comments are not directed to anyone in class but are thoughts I've held for a long time. This will probably be my first installment on this subject. Here are just a couple of ideas I have about how we can change the way our profession is viewed.

1. Stop complaining about how we are perceived by the public. Sometimes this reminds me of a two year old stomping their foot and saying "I am important, I am important!" Of course we are important, we just don't need to keep telling ourselves and others. I think we need to quit seeking the approval of others. Do our job, do it well and quit complaining. Some people will never change their minds about how they view teachers so quit stomping your feet.

2. Quit talking about teacher pay all the time. We all knew what teachers made when we started going to school, why do we continuously complain about it? Don't get me wrong, I think there are times and places for this discussion, it just feels like it's all we talk about. It's time to show that teachers deserve better pay, rather than complaining. Wouldn't it change the discussion if we could refer to specific results and tie that to pay increases. Like it or not, our society is results driven. We need to show results in connection to pay increases. When I see how many people are joining the teaching profession from other career fields, I wonder if the low teacher pay resonates anymore with the general public.

3. Be realistic about your role. Sometimes teachers put themselves on pedestals, like some kind of savior of children. I think we over romanticize the profession sometimes. Sorry, but I don't think teaching is a life or death profession like a brain surgeon. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying teachers don't have a huge impact on lives; they do. However, I have survived even after having a couple TERRIBLE elementary teachers. Their mistakes could be classified as teacher malpractice. Even with that, I will graduate from college. If a brain surgeon made a mistake of the same degree, I would be dead.

4. Stop complaining about the required tests to become a teacher. Every profession has to pass tests. I don't think we should give the impression that we are afraid of them or they are irrelevant. I think some evidence of mastery of core content knowledge is reasonable if you are expected to teach these subjects. I don't want to give the impression that I am a fan of the Praxis. I don't think a good score on the Praxis means you will be a good teacher any more than a good score on the CPA test means you will be a good accountant. It does mean that some minimum standard has been met. I have yet to have someone tell me, "I studied my heart out for that test and didn't pass it." More often, the comment I hear is, "I didn't study at all and I passed it."

That's probably enough for my first entry on professionalism. I will do another blog on the union. :)

Brenda