In Honor of Teachers
Robert A. Scott
President Emeritus and University Professor Emeritus of Adelphi University; President Emeritus of Ramapo College. Author, How University Boards Work, 2018, Co-Author, Letters to Students, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024
It is time that we honor teachers. I venture to say that we all can identify a teacher who was a positive influence on our life’s direction. Many of us likely have teachers in our extended families.
As a university president, I was responsible for the preparation of teachers as well as other professionals. At gatherings of alumni, I would ask graduates, including teachers, about their careers. I also would call and meet with employers, including district principals and superintendents, about their needs and how well our graduates were doing.
What I learned is that teachers love what they do. However, many report that for reasons of compensation and working conditions, they are considering leaving the profession. On average, teachers are paid almost 20% less than comparable college-educated professionals. And increasingly they receive little or no affirmation from the adults in their communities.
Teaching requires much more than love of the job and student learning. In this essay, I explore the requirements and challenges of teaching. Please click this link https://theisland360.com/opinions-100/my-turn-in-honor-of-teachers/.
Best wishes, Bob
Public Relations Director at Baltimore Design Group
2 年Dr. Scott, your assumption that we all have had at least one teacher who made an impact on our lives must be a universal experience. As a student in 9th grade, my English teacher cheered me on with my desire to write prose inspired by my love of European literature. Then my very first day as an Adelphi freshman, the then Chair of the Philosophy Department, Dr. Thomas Knight, so sparked my imagination that I quickly decided to major in Philosophy, insights which have guided every aspect of my life. I think about both of the fine educators quite often, with gratitude and admiration.