Why do people teach? The major reason someone
says they teach is the ability to make a real
difference in the lives of children. There are other
reasons, including the fact that someone believes
they are “called” to teach. Almost all teachers are
linked together by a passion for educating children.
The passion is innate and has to come from within. to stagnate.” I would argue that Lynch is more
accurate than Fenton, as a passionate teacher
never stops honing their craft. John Hunter, an
award-winning teacher and educational consultant
wrote: “I used to think teaching was a job. And then
I thought it was a profession. And now I’m of the
opinion that it’s a calling. It’s a very noble calling.”
Commissioner Candice McQueen reminded a
group of educators in a presentation that we
were set apart in our mission. She pointed out the
gifts that educators have are special talents and
abilities. Educators are born for the mission that is
being given for us. Dr. McQueen emphasized the
profession is a special calling. Henry David Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives
of quiet desperation.” John Keating, in the movie
Dead Poets Society challenged his students to not
be resigned to that type of life. Yes, John Keating
was subsequently fired, and probably never taught
another class the rest of his life. However, he
taught his students to find their own voice. It was
his calling. If you have profession that brings you
passion, gives you someone other than yourself to
care for, and is something that makes you want to
get up in the morning to accomplish, you will not
live a life of quiet desperation.
We are all on a search for significance. We desire
to make a difference. Educators are making a huge
difference. That is why it is important that we honor
them. It is the English social critic, Os Guinness,
who stated: “Calling is not only a matter of being
and doing what we are, but also of becoming what
we are not yet but are called by God to be.” He
then adds: “Deep in our hearts, we all want to
find and fulfill a purpose bigger than ourselves.”
Education of the next generation is one of the
most important occupations we could ever do.
Belief that one is “called to teach” keeps women
and men in education, even with all the unwanted
public scrutiny.
Matthew Lynch writes about teaching as a calling:
“A calling implies a deep-seated belief that
teaching is the only profession that makes sense
for you to pursue…” Dylan Fenton, an English
teacher and writer does not like the term “calling,”
as it creates to him an “idea that good teachers are
born, not made and, as a result, allow themselves
Teaching is indeed an imposing, self-sacrificing,
but also a magnanimous calling. Going through
the process to get certified, whether through
traditional means or an alternative route is
sometimes difficult. The creativity aspect of the
profession has slowly been eroded. There is
persistent negativity by some lawmakers and
the media of public education. Compared to
other professions, educators can expect modest
salary and sometimes extremely difficult working
conditions. However, if you are called to teach, you
will never find a happier place than in a classroom
or serving students. Educators are set apart to
make a difference. There is no other profession,
except perhaps the clergy, that can change lives
like a public-school teacher.
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