Class Notes 3-11-09 by Hannah Hughes and Christin Dow

Professional Status of Teachers

Does the professional status of teachers matter?
-Yes:professional status affects standards, recruitment, training, pay, respect (authority), public perception, professional advancement, credibility

What is the public perception now of teachers and why? How does this show value?
-gender plays role: women are seen as already having a given ability to be with children which is not valued, it is seen as what we naturally are supposed to do.
-some people see teaching younger grades as "babysitting" and not really "teaching."

Specifically Elementary School:
-the knowledge for K-5 is known by most and is seen as easy, pedogological knowledge not valued.
See page 177-8 Criteria of a professional
-the knowledge that is tuaght is known to everyone which does not distinguish the teacher
-teachers are seen to have skills, not knowledge. They are seen more as a skilled worker and not as a professional who has to make judgement calls

Education Budget:
-Advancement in Education means having to leave the classroom.
-If in a budget crisis, some school counties will cut teachers before they cut sports; they will use money to build large high schools that look like colleges

Professional standards of determining good: 2 WAYS:
1. performance: have task and does it well
-this can be difficult to measure because it is based on more factors than the teacher -How much control does the teacher have over the performance of his/her students?

2. Credential Method
-not clear that a teaching credential shows mastery of knowledge that noncredentialed teachers do not have

Strike: believes that pedogological knowledege as a knowledge base that is somewhat abstract, believes that if teachers want to be professionals they need a base of content knowledge not pedogological knowledge.

Refer to page 105

According to Strike, if teachers want to become professionals, they need to master the material and concepts.

Analogy: Early Childhood teacher is like a General Practitioner; they know a lot about a lot of things. A high school teacher is like a Specialist; they know a lot about one particular thing.

Dress is a big factor when viewing someone as a professional.