What does it mean to be a professional?

Teaching is considered to be a profession. We certainly expect to be treated like professionals. I propose that the varied uses of that word have obscured the true expectations we should hold ourselves to and the rights that we should advocate for as professionals. Some of the problem can be blamed on one of the most common uses of the word--to "act professionally." Certainly, we are (and should be) expected to dress appropriately, speak appropriately, and interact with others appropriately. But this is not what makes us a professional. If a receptionist is chewing gum, blowing bubbles behind her desk, and texting her friends before waiting on me, then I may say that she is not acting very professional. However, being a receptionist is not a professional job. So clearly, acting professionally and being a professional are two separate things. To explore the meaning of the word "professional" as it applies to teaching, I will use a metaphor to compare it to being a doctor--a career for which we have high expectations of professionals.

I suppose it is possible to be a "technical" doctor--one who is more comfortable following prescribed protocols than in fostering patient's overall health. Such a "technical" doctor might listen to patients only long enough to do a "protocol match", "Oh, this is the problem, prescribe X." She might treat isolated symptoms rather than thinking and problem solving through the complexities of multiple symptoms. She might see all problems as variations of issues that were previously learned about in medical school; therefore, there would be no perceived need for on-going learning and research. She may not see any urgency in keeping up with the latest research. If her prescribed protocols don't work and the patient continues to experience problems, she may become frustrated and imagine that the patient is probably just depressed or a hypochondriac (stupid or not trying). I call this a "technical" doctor, because this is not what should be expected of a professional. Rather, this doctor is a technician--someone who follows procedures without demonstrating deep professional understandings. How does this look in a teaching setting? Technical teachers follow prescribed protocols when they follow curriculum blindly without considering carefully the needs of their students. Who is ready for this lesson? Is it a rich enough lesson that it will offer some potential for growth in all of my students or will it really only address the needs of the "middle"? The isolated symptoms that are treated are the isolated skills that are addressed. People's health (and their minds) are complex. The symptoms do not always (or even usually) stand in isolation. We cannot assume that treating all the isolated bits will address the problems of the "whole".

Professional doctors see patients as individuals with unique situations, while also being able to relate their profile to a database of known information about patient health. One of the things that especially drew me to Cognitively Guided Instruction was the combination of these two features--a rich database of children's cognitive development in mathematics to help guide your instructional decision-making as you listen to and carefully observe your individual student(s). The professional doctor recognizes that diseases may not fit a "one size fits all" description in the manner that it manifests itself. She listens to all symptoms, asks questions to find out more about the internal workings of their bodies, generates multiple potentially valid hypotheses about the condition(s), and (rather than following a prescribed protocol automatically) considers carefully whether such protocols will be effective in this situation, whether adaptations need to be made, or whether totally new protocols need to be developed. The professional doctor does not assume that apparent health means that there is no need for action, just as a professional teacher does not assume that gifted and high-ability students can be left to their own devices. She is intrigued with "mystery" cases and works hard to help these patients progress. "Working hard" doesn't mean trying out treatments willy-nilly, but rather doing individual research, consulting with colleagues, and finding out more information about the patient and listening more closely to them. The longer she practices, the more aware she is of what she doesn't know, and the greater her need to develop herself professionally. In the teaching world, this need to develop oneself professionally goes far beyond attending inservices and even beyond going back to earn a master's degree. It involves a deep personal commitment to be involved in professional organizations, read professional journals and books, and to seek ways every year to improve our practice in ways that distinctly benefit our students' intellectual development.

How many teachers do you know who truly are professionals by the above standard? I have been privileged to meet some amazing teachers who do fit this description. Seeing them in practice only highlights what a rare phenomenon this really is (I believe the majority of teachers are wonderful, caring individuals. As you read further, you will see that this is not about teacher-bashing. Rather, I am decrying the fact that teachers are not often given the opportunity to be all that they are capable of being) . I find myself wondering why there are so few of these highly professional teachers. Teachers are not paid as well as doctors, but most teachers I know did not go into it for the pay, so I don't buy that argument. I have two hypotheses that seem quite reasonable to me, although I suspect that it is one of those complex problems with many influences. One likely reason is that the teachers are not only not expected to behave like this; they are often treated as if they should NOT be truly professional. That sounds like a radical statement, but it usually manifests itself in a couple of familiar ways. An administrator may tell a teacher that she has to follow a particular curriculum to the letter. This is like telling a teacher not to consider the needs of their students in making instructional decisions. Teachers may also feel pressure from other teachers, particularly those with more status, to conform to "the way we do it here." If there is no overt encouragement for teachers to be researching and applying best practice, then the environment is anti-professional (or a more favorable interpretation is that they are NOT pro-professional). Another likely reason follows from this one. Because many schools are not actively encouraging best practice, it turns out that many teachers have not seen it in practice. It is difficult (although not impossible) to put into practice what you haven't experienced personally. Sadly, many teachers have spent long enough in this professionally-deprived environment that they have forgotten that they are capable of so much more.

So what advice might one give a teacher who truly aspires to be a "professional"? First and foremost is to read, read, read about best practice. It is easy to say that you don't have time. Students laugh, but my advice for professional reading is to: 1) find a publisher who you know is sound when it comes to best practice (http://www.heinemann.com/ is one of my favorites); 2) keep a wishlist handy--offer it to family members for Christmas and birthdays or use it if you get an Amazon gift card; 3) keep your professional books in the following places--the headboard of your bed, the back of your toilet, and in your car. If you have insomnia, read. If you like to read in the bathroom, you're in business! If you have a doctor's appointment or an oil change or you are killing time waiting for your daughter's dance lesson to end, you have something decent to read; 4) push yourself to try at least one new instructional approach each year; ideally one that you have targeted to address a particular need you have noticed in your students. Expect that things will not go smoothly right away. Plan to spend some time problem solving the difficulties that naturally arise when you try something unfamiliar.

The second piece of advice I have is for you to believe in yourself and your ability to change. You will very likely find yourself in a place where change is not being encouraged. Believe in yourself, and (just as importantly) know why you believe what you do and be prepared to defend it in polite, well-reasoned, well-supported ways (now you see the reason for that reading above). Of course, teaching this way is hard work, but it is very rewarding in terms of fulfillment and self-efficacy. If you do find resistance, consider who your support system is that will give you the courage to keep going. If there is no one nearby or in your school, consider a listserv. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that dramatic improvement in your professional practice is possible, even in work environments where your colleagues would just as soon that your teaching approach failed spectacularly!

The third (and most important) piece of advice is to listen to your students. What do you see as their needs? Think deeply about this and identify the gaps in your own understanding. Those "gaps" will be the best impetus ever to drive your desire to be a professional in the truest sense of the word. I wish you all the best in this endeavor.