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Donna Swiniarski
Teaching involves more than just standing in front of a classroom of children. Teaching is a profession that requires intellect, specialized skills and years of formal education. And every October 5, teachers have the opportunity to celebrate their profession and the important role they play in nurturing the future.
This year’s World Teachers’ Day motto is "Teachers Make a Difference." Worldwide every day, hundreds of thousands of teachers make a difference in the lives of countless millions. But again, standing in front of a classroom of children does not alone guarantee educational success or the respect of students and parents. Teachers must earn respect by acting professionally and modelling professionalism. With that in mind, The ATA News is reprinting my editorial (March 23, 2004, volume 38, number 14) in which I urged teachers to wear the mantle of professionalism.
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It started as a conversation between teachers about a newspaper article chastising teachers who skipped sessions at convention to go for drinks with friends. It morphed into a passionate debate over society’s expectations of teachers.
Witness the public’s intolerance for teachers who make spelling, grammatical and mathematical errors. Tongue in cheek, I suggested that since I had only ever taught lower elementary, I should be excused for misspelling anything beyond three-letter words. A secondary school teacher argued that if that were the case, she shouldn’t be expected to understand anything less than quadratic equations or advanced calculus. That was the extent of our humour. Professionalism, and the expectations the public attaches to the word, are serious matters.
Society won’t let us doff teacher’s hat after work Fridays and become a different person on the weekend. This is especially true in smaller centres where everyone knows who you are and what you do. When do the job and the person become separate? Can a teacher be a professional during the week and her own person on the weekend? Can a teacher tie one on at the bar on Saturday evening (or is it only okay if parents or students aren’t there to witness it)? Can a teacher dress and act unprofessionally at school or in his community and still expect the public to understand that underneath it all he’s competent and caring?
Sorry, folks, but choosing a career in education comes with responsibilities—as does a career in medicine, law enforcement, clergy and the public sector. Our behaviour defines who we are and sends a message—positive or negative—to students, parents and community.
The time-honoured concept of noblesse oblige refers to the moral obligations incumbent on nobles and the rich to act generously and honourably. Teachers also have a moral obligation to behave this way. Society respects teachers and accords them professional status. This bears out in countless opinion surveys in which teachers rank near the top in terms of public respect. Of course, with respect come expectations about behaviour.
Teachers are only human and shouldn’t be expected to be saints. However, students and society view teachers as role models and mentors, and teachers should strive to be worthy of their place on the pedestal. The ATA’s Code of Professional Conduct (Item 18) reminds us that "The teacher acts in a manner which maintains the honour and dignity of the profession."
Teachers have always lived under a microscope and often talk about the lack of respect the public has for the profession. Like it or not, respect is not an entitlement; respect is earned.
And that’s where the debate ended.
I welcome your comments—contact me at donna.swiniarski@ata.ab.ca
