From Private Practice to Public Service

To serve as a professional educator is an honor and privilege.  Yes, I said serve.  I firmly believe that teaching in our nation’s public schools is not a job, it is one of the most significant roles in public service.  To my dismay, the respect the position of teacher once held in society has dwindled over the years.  I am a third generation educator and my grandmother and mother, along with many other men and women, entered the field of education to help others through providing learning experiences that form the mind, character, and ability of an individual.  Technically, it is the process by which society transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.   I choose not to pinpoint this dramatic shift in society’s view of our profession; rather, I choose to illuminate the many reasons why serving as an educator is invaluable to children and our nation’s future.

I believe teachers are leaders and as such, must have the following qualities:  listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth and the ability to build community.  These are all aspects of servant leadership, as coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader.  Greenleaf once stated, “caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built.  If a better society is to be built, one that is more just and more loving, one that provides greater creative opportunity for its people, then the most open course is to raise both the capacity to serve and the very performance as servant of existing major institutions (such as public schools) by new regenerative forces operating within them."

The regenerative forces operating within our public schools today are our teachers.  They are the individuals committed to meeting the needs of all students – whatever it takes.  They are the professionals who work endless hours, individually and in teams, collaborating to design learning experiences that balance student engagement with the ever increasing accountability measures.  They are the leaders in our communities that are contributing to more than just their classrooms, they are contributing to the formation of a generation. 

I would also argue that those educators who believe they are in private practice are sadly mistaken.  To truly be successful as an educator today, one must be deliberate with their actions of engaging others and building a professional learning community.  Teaching is a difficult job and it requires reaching out to colleagues and community to ensure all resources are garnered to meet the needs of all students.  No longer can a teacher sign-in, head to class, close their door, and teach all day.  Classrooms in our public schools must be transparent and teachers must teach agreed upon standards.  This is no longer private practice – public education is public service – service to all students who enter our doors. 

Teachers and leaders, as we embark on a new year, I urge you to consider the following.  You are a servant first, making the conscious decision to lead in order to better serve others.   You have accepted a moral responsibility for educating our nation’s youth.  The word education is derived from educare (Latin) “bring up”, which is related to educere “bring out”, "bring forth what is within", "bring out potential" and ducere, "to lead".   Teaching isn’t a job, it is a profession – one in which your community entrusts you to serve not only as an instructor, but coach, nurse, counselor, and mentor. 

Society, please take note . . . professional educators serve more than your children, they are serving our nation.  Now, what kind of respect does that deserve?

Photo above:  Sandy White, author's mom and retired educator extraordinaire