Chapter 1 Questions Continued

2. What are the satisfactions—and complaints—of today's teachers?

I would have to say after considering the advantages and disadvantages of being a teacher in my previous blog post that most teachers are content with their jobs. When one decides to become a teacher, it usually means that they have a passion for working with children. Thus they fill the satisfaction of working with children and having a great impact of their lives. Their workday may be long and may carry into their life at home at times, but overall teachers are satisfied with the fact that they have weekends and summers off. The number one complaint of teachers is most likely the low starting salary and their salaries in general are considered low. They may feel like their pay is inadequate for the amount of time and work they put into their job.

3. Can we consider teaching to be a profession?

Teaching is most definitely considered a profession. The definition of a profession, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, is “a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation”. Teachers spend 4 years as undergraduates getting their bachelor’s degrees and then must move on to get their master’s degree as well. I would most definitely consider this “intensive academic preparation”. Along the way, teacher candidates also take numerous certification exams. The knowledge that teachers must acquire is usually not just common, every-day knowledge but rather is a result of careful specialization in a particular area of study. Sometimes I believe that teachers are not given the credit that they deserve.