The Teacher as a Service Professional

Abstract

The belief that teachers are professionals has become so pervasive during the past one third century that it is increasingly viewed as a fact. This article reviews the 13 characteristics of a profession advanced by sociologists of occupations, and it provides evidence that teachers fall far short of achieving them. However, it is noteworthy that teachers in general are not concerned with professionalization; instead, their movement is being fueled primarily by National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and deans of colleges of education. The article proposes that teachers abandon the push to achieve the traditional characteristics of professions because such characteristics are unattainable and, more important, inconsistent with the true motive of teachers, which is to serve their clients (i.e., to help their students). This article proposes a service professional model that would require changing the focus from the goals of professions—which are elitism, power, and autonomy—to working hand in hand with students and citizens to provide quality education and meaningful social change for a better society.