Question 1: Teaching As A Unique Profession

Question One: Teaching as a Unique Profession

There is much controversy surrounding the idea that teaching is not considered a “profession.” However, there is much evidence that debunks the theory that teaching is more of an occupation than a professional field. According to the National Labor Relations Act, the formal definition for a profession is an occupation that is “engaged in work predominately intellectual… involving consistent exercise of discretion and judgment… of such character that output cannot be standardized… requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study” (Tozer, Violas, & Senese, 2013, p. 303). In my opinion,

Therefore, teaching is considered a professional occupation because those wishing to teach must complete not only program procedures and follow guidelines established by their respective institutions, but also follow protocols for licensing and certification before beginning work. In addition, the formal definition of a profession as stated by the National Labor Relations Act adequately describes the roles and responsibilities of teachers, which proves that teaching meets the criteria. First, teachers must always be engaged intellectually in order to constantly learn and innovate new strategies of teaching. At the same time, teachers must practice discretion and judgement regarding what to teach and how to operate their classrooms, as well as making sound decisions regarding disciplinary actions, assessments, and assignments. In addition, teachers exhibit such character that their end results cannot be standardized. Although testing is standardized, output of the materials taught differ among teachers as individuals. Each teacher may teach in his or her own unique style, so no one method will be the same in

304). Yearly earnings, according to the aforementioned formal definition, does not constitute grounds for whether or not an occupation is professional. In my opinion, the idea of considering teaching as a profession is controversial because the other professions teaching is often compared to, such as law and medicine, require completing many years of schooling, whereas teaching provides educators the option to further their educations. However, in order to find a job with adequate pay, many teachers choose to receive masters or doctorate degrees. In a sense, schooling beyond the standard four year baccalaureate degree is required in order for teachers to earn higher wages, which allows for professional comparison between those practicing law or medicine and those teaching because their degrees are regarded and respected in the same