Is teaching a profession or not? We maintain that it is, but only for those teachers who perform as professionals. The debate whether teaching is a profession will be resolve when everyone, or at least a significant number of teachers, are professional with their own practices.
A professional teacher is someone who, without supervision or regulation, has a continuing growth plan to achieve competence, someone who continuously strives to raise the level of the overall performance of his students. It is a sad fact in the Philippines education on that these traits are to be found only in a very selected few of our practicing teachers.
Some teachers only want a job. They want an 8am to 4 pm job, closed in a room, reluctant to be in service and free to be little others (children, administrator or even parents) to cover their ineffectiveness. Making money to pay bills is the primary concern of such “teachers”.
The professional educator is always learning and grouping. The professional educator is an endless journey to look for new and better ideas, new information and improved skills to succeed with students.
The professional educator joins or organizes a support group. The effective teachers are well respected in profession circles. Your support groups are your best source of information and emotional support from which you can learn and gather strength to be an effective teacher.
A professional educator subscribe to at least one professional journal. This is the easiest way to know what is happening in education field.
The professional educator is knowledgeable. Knowledge is power and knowledge gives professionals options on which to base decisions.
The professional educator observes. The professional educator can be the best source of knowledge because he/she provides opportunities for others to observe strategies that take place in his/her classroom.
The professional educator welcomes visitors and are not afraid of evaluations. The professional educator does not regard evaluations as supervisions. Rather, he/she regards it as a way of finding out how he/she can improve.
The professional educator believes that there can be no accomplishment without taking risks. The professional educator understands the concept of taking risks and believes that the odds would be in their favor.
The professional educator invests in his or her career. After four years of investing in his./her own career, he/she can be 45 percent better than he/she was when he/she started.
By: JUDITH TANAEL
