The Importance of Education

Education: The Single Most Important Job

Reading this brief article on the importance of teaching struck me in a few different ways.  I don't necessary relate to the author of the article when he says that he wasn't one for school and didn't truly engage in learning until college, I still believe the teacher makes or breaks it for a lot of our students.  We have all had teachers who show movies all the time, lecture straight from the book, assign busy work so they can get their own work done, or even worse don't even know your name.  I had a seventh grade English teacher, also my homeroom, teacher who I am still convinced to this day didn't know my name.  How can teachers be like this and think they are effective?

Teachers do have one of the most important jobs, although our pay is not reflective of that ;), but they have to be a dedicated teacher who is using techniques and methods that have been proved effective. They have to get to know they students and make connections to show the student that their teacher cares.  One of my undergraduate professors always said, "Students aren't going to care what you know, until they know you care."  Teachers need to be role models for students and engage in methods that are effective and meet the students' needs, not just "entertain" the students.

This is a tough job that will only be mastered with time and experience.  In fact, I am not sure I am ever going to be a "master" teacher as society is ever-changing.