Teaching Profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Teaching Profession - Essay Example Teachers are expected to nurture attributes, skills and capacities in the young people that will enable them succeed and prosper in the knowledge society. The profession is bloated with many responsibilities stemming from imparting knowledge to students to modifying their personalities. Thus, the profession requires effective socialization, providing the necessary foundations for a responsible citizen, and providing emotional support. The first impression of teaching is formed in the student life when a teacher conducts their role responsibly. This creates a notion that teaching is a noble profession that caters for the academic, emotional or spiritual needs of the learners. Effective and efficient childhood interaction between teachers and young learners creates a positive image of teaching as an industrious job. Students do not come into contact with the practical details and challenges associated with teaching; thus, the worth of teaching in a classroom context should not be weigh ed upon professional hassles and practical work. The current first time teachers fail to realize that professional knowledge is no longer viewed as a constituent of explicit and fixed knowledge base. Sharpe (2004) posits that knowledge exists in use, and any advancements or modification is caused by experience. Therefore, when teachers use their knowledge, the mode of its delivery changes the impact of its use among students. Discussion The reality between the impression of teaching and reality can be explained by the nature of having unfavorable returns or when the experience conforms to the initial impression. The transformation from student life to teacher status may lead into a different feeling that may make a first time teacher uncomfortable. This can be viewed as a negative stroke considering the earlier positive impression and willingness to indulge in the profession. Most students view the teaching profession as an uncomplicated and easy knowledge delivery task full of exci tement and fun. However, this notion is blown away once they become teachers and encounter the responsibilities required of them such as effectiveness, high-end communication skills, hard work, creativity and determination. Dalmau and Gudjonsdottir (2002) affirm this when they state the roles and obligations associated with teaching. They include acting as pedagogues and experts in teaching, reflective and critical problem solvers, knowledge creators and theory builders as well as acting as research and change agents. Those who are not prepared for such commitments get disappointed once they get involved in the profession. Superiority and aggression was normally viewed as the effective measures necessary to instill discipline in students. This notion made most aspiring and first time teachers view this as a privilege associated with the profession. However, the current education systems do not support dictatorial authority but prefer popularly-based authority. The school atmosphere is characterized by negotiation and persuasion rather than confrontation. Most school rules are made by the community as a whole; hence, they are student friendly with the teacher’s input being reduced to that of nurturing and persuading. This requires commitment and dedication of a decided mind. Proponents of democratic school system argue that a school which follows fairly the democratically enacted laws is the one in which community discipline prevails and supports the development of the concept of law and order (Sharpe, 2004). Most learners may regard teaching with a high esteem. Such notion makes them expect recognition and uplifting of their status in the community once they adopt the