As we said in our last post, teachers have been taking an ugly pounding lately, as state lawmakers make difficult budget decisions in the face of serious budget shortfalls.
Today, we’d like to explore a second myth about teachers that is being advanced during this national debate about the importance of education, teachers, and education spending.
Today’s Myth:
Teachers do the same thing, year after year and after the first few years of teaching, little preparation is needed.
Remember that teacher you had for junior high science – the one that had been teaching for about 25 years? Remember the way she used the same tests, the same lessons and the same worksheets as she did when your dad and your aunt had her?
Well, she probably isn’t there anymore – and if she is, she is under constant scrutiny and will soon be on her way out.
Today’s teachers do not have the luxury of teaching the same thing, year after year. Instead, they are constantly updating their teaching strategies, attending professional development sponsored by everyone from their schools to the federal government. With this professional development comes the expectation that teachers will take what they have learned and apply it in the classroom.
This means teachers are constantly implementing new strategies, familiarizing themselves with new teaching materials and adjusting to the latest technology.
Today’s teachers are expected to be highly innovative and able to adapt to near constant change.
This need for innovation and constant training and retraining is one of the biggest reasons that we should view teachers as professionals.
Teachers deserve the benefits they receive, including a stable, predictable retirement, reasonably priced health insurance and a respectable salary. They earn those in many ways, including through being lifelong learners, constantly striving to improve their skills and understanding of the field.
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