The Responsibilities Of Teaching
I dispute and object to teaching being called a “profession”. Teaching is teaching. Some say it’s a “calling”. Some can teach and some can’t.
I’m reminded of the few, very few, teachers — maybe 1 in 200 — who, when talking about their love of and dedication to teaching will mention their awareness of the biblical injunction in James 3:1 — Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
I like Greg Ashman’s devotion to teaching and really appreciate his dissemination of useful research and insights. I think they do help in keeping the vocation of teaching on its toes. Look forward to more via this blog and reports about progress in the field in 2017. Thanks, Greg.
My critique comes from a long history of involvement. First: I attained a teaching certificate a long time ago from a teacher’s college, which I thought was a prerequisite if I was to teach my own children. Not required. Also — poor preparation if I was ever to be in charge of a classroom. Second: My main interest always was with the parental responsibility in education. I worked to promote home education and parent rights in education. I soon realized, after much evidence, that the field was predominantly a self- serving industry. Even some teachers were dismayed that children’s interests were not the foremost priority. Third: I now see the need for greater choices for both parents and teachers. As a grandmother I see that today’s children cannot be well served by the one-size-fits-all style of the past.
[Comment made to blog post by Greg Ashman, Australia, Filling the Pail, Position Statement, Jan 05, 2017[