The Demise of the Teaching Profession: A Challenge for Leaders in Our Community

Are we witnessing the demise of the teaching profession on a global scale?

It seems to me that this may be the case.  And this is not because teachers are working effectively or working hard.   

Why the Demise of Teaching as a Profession?

There is no single reason for an apparent demise.  

Once held up as a dream job for many there are now a set of obstacles that get in the way of "teachers being teachers".

The Economy.  There is no question that the economy has played a key role.  While the cost of living has increased, it is doubtful that teachers' salaries have kept pace with those increases.   Teachers have to give their heart and souls to their work but are they adequately compensated?

Standardised Testing. Talk to many teachers and you will find that they believe that the current standardised testing regime, which appears to sweeping the world, often strips them of their capacity to provide an authentic educational experience.  While testing serves a purpose, are our teachers now forced to spend an in ordinate amount of time in preparing students to pass the tests?

Unrealistic Expectations Placed On Teachers.   A teacher colleague of mine related a story that she heard which highlights the unrealistic expectations placed on teachers.  It goes something like this:

If a doctor, lawyer or dentist has twenty-five people all in his or her office at the same time, some of who did not want to be there, some of whom were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer or dentist, without any help at all,  had to cater for their individual needs all at the same time, then those professions might get a glimpse of the reality of teaching as a profession.

The fact of the matter is that teachers are expected to provide excellence in tuition for each and every student in their care.  That's just unrealistic - we would have to reduce class sizes to five to do just that.   

We must acknowledge that teachers do their best within their available resources.

Increased Violence in Schools.  Twenty years ago, teaching could be described as a "safe profession" and by that I mean physically safe.   But every day now we hear of violence in the classroom and how teachers have to endure physical attacks on them by both students and parents.   This is hardly an incentive for people to enter the teaching force.

And it's not just violence.  Teachers are increasingly being challenged by behaviour management issues and the resources needed to respond to these, teachers argue, are less than adequate.

The Fall of Entry Standards.  In some communities we have heard that the number of young people entering a teacher education course has fallen.  This has necessitated a so called "drop" in entry standards.  The community perceives this drop negatively casting a negative perception of the teaching profession.  Yet the reality is, we have some excellent teachers in our school.  Some teachers were former lawyers, doctors, dentists, and CEOs who made a career change to teaching because of their passion for working with young people.   Let's not make a perceived "drop" in entry standards damage the reputation of the teaching profession.

The School Improvement Movement.  On a international scale, we are witnessing what might be described as a "school improvement movement" in which schools are forced into inspections.  Improvement is not a bad thing, but many teachers feel like that they are captive to these type of reforms.  The preparation for "inspections" takes away valuable time needed for preparation and a bad report can attract media attention and morale issues.

More Professional Development Needed.  Many teachers point out that while their jobs have become complicated, their professional development has not kept pace with the increased scope and complexity of teaching.   Some teachers say that they have limited professional development opportunities and others seek out professional development at their own expense.

Teaching can be a rewarding career but it's not for the faint-hearted.  Those who do decide to enter the teaching profession do need our support.

Leaders in all sectors of our community (government, business, education, professional associations) must rise to the challenge of arresting the demise of teaching as a profession.  

Let's acknowledge that teachers have a challenging job in today's schools - they need the recognition and support that goes with their profession.