Teaching as a Profession

By: Dr. A. Douglas Eury, Dr. Jane King & John D. Balls
Dr. A. Douglas Eury, Dr. Jane King & John D. Balls

“Teaching creates all other professions.” Author Unknown

“Teaching is not a lost art (profession), but the regard for it is a lost tradition.”
Jacques Barzun

We often use the term “profession” in a generic sort of way referring to what is
your trade/vocation. Profession is derived from the word “profiteor” meaning to
profess. The connotation here is that a professional is a person who possesses
knowledge of something and has a commitment to a particular set of values both
of which are generally well accepted characteristics of professions. History
records the early professions of the priesthood, law, medical/physicians and
university teaching. As time progressed, dentistry, engineering, accountants and
architects were ascribed “professional” status.

David Belfall, in his article, Creating Value for Members, published in 1999,
identifies key characteristics that define an occupation as a profession. These
characteristics are an assessment process for entry into the profession, a common
body of knowledge, a code of ethics and a professional association.

Eric Hoyle and Peter John in their article, Professional Knowledge and Professional
Practice, published in 1995 list as general characteristics of a profession the
possession and use of expert or specialist knowledge, the exercise of autonomous
thought and judgment, and responsibility to clients (e.g., students, parents) and
wider society through a voluntary commitment to a set of principles. The
advantage of these characteristics is that they are independent of any particular
organizational model or occupation/trade. They can be applied to individual
practitioners as well as

recognized.

In the authors’ textbook, Rethink, Rebuild, Rebound: A Framework for Shared

Responsibility and Accountability in Education, 2nd Edition published in
2011(Pearson Learning Solutions), in addition to the characteristics mentioned
above it addresses life-long learning, collaboration and personal reflection as
characteristics of a profession. Furthermore, the authors link characteristics of a
profession (i.e., teaching) to teaching dispositions forming a composite view of
the consummate teacher

. The dispositions listed in the aforementioned text are professional conduct,

respect for diversity, high expectations (of themselves and those they teach),
respect for others, compassion, advocacy, curiosity, dedication, honesty and
fairness.
Teaching is as critical, many might suggest even more so, as any profession
including medical, law or accountancy to list a few. Dedication to purpose,
knowledge expertise and advocacy are core strengths of those in the teaching
profession. While, unfortunately, it is not perceived in this great country to be on
an equal footing as those professions named above teachers are instrumental in
preparing others for those profession

Teaching is a Vocation. Every person is destined to be somebody in his own

field. I can say that teaching is easy, but teaching with morals and molding
humans for the future is not that simple as 1, 2 and 3. Like everyone can be a
teacher but being an effective teacher needs someone with passion and devotion
for teaching. Teachers became teachers not because of luck or misfortune, but
because she/he is destined to be one. Being a teacher requires a lot of things to
gain and even to sacrifice. Therefore, God will not put someone in this profession
if he is not capable to do it or if his fate is not on teaching. God has always
reasons for everything that happened to us and that is for the person to discover
and realize someday.

Teaching is a Mission. Every human being has a purpose or mission in this

world and the main purpose of every human is to produce and protect life. As
teachers, we always have goals in everything we teach and do to our students.
Why? It is simply because we are teachers who have mission and that is to make
each of our students competitive, equipped with the fundamental skills and
knowledge and also to be a total human person for his society.
 We teachers are not only teaching to have students with brilliant minds we
are also destined to produce human beings with heart and soul for everyone. A
human that is capable to love and care for the other people. Teachers are like
disciples of Jesus. We are expected to teach and cater the knowledge of our
students. What kind of knowledge? Knowledge for subjects, for himself, for life,
for morality, and for God and that is through teaching them the knowledge and
the truth comes with it and God is the truth and that is the great assigned task of
Him to us – to perform with excellence when doing our service.

Teaching is a Profession. As what a popular saying goes like “You cannot

give what you don’t have” just like for us teachers, we cannot fully transform our
students to be somebody in this world if in the first place we do not have the
mastery of our field or simply the knowledge, and care and love for them. We
teachers are their models and considered as their second mother. We do affect
them easily that much since they are spending most of their time in school and as
being with them every day we have the great responsibility on taking care of our
actions in or outside of our classroom. Therefore, we teachers should always have
a guidance and that is through thinking that in everything we say and do must be
done for the greater glory of GOD.

Therefore, as a future teacher, we should be thankful that we are taking

this noble course because it is only few who are destined to have the patience
and knowledge to be shared on the large community. Teaching is a powerful
profession. Teachers have the greatest influential duty in this world because they
can make either a monster or a hero for the future of a society. Teachers affect
and make characters out of their teaching. Teaching is a certified noble profession
because it does what God and his disciples tried and trying to do – to teach and
spread the truth to His people.