focus

[ymf]

"Let me tell you about two groups of teachers I generally come across. Those who take teaching as a job and those who take teaching as a calling

Comments

[dunautremonde]

So, which teacher is the better?

[ymf]

the first type?

[multi_variable]

those who pick up teaching as a job shouldn't be teachers at all! grrr. i dislike those people who pick teaching cos it's an iron ricebowl. they aren't interested in the students at all, they are just interested in how much money they get. grrr.

[ymf]

hmm is it really that "iron" a ricebowl?

i would hope that even if someone were to go into teaching for pragmatic reasons, he or she would actually put in the effort to care for the welfare of the students.

[multi_variable]

it's quite 'iron', actually. as long as the school thinks that you can teach, can handle a class, they won't sack you. the ministry says that they'll sack you for such and such an offence, but they give a lot of chances. so unless you are really trying to get out of the profession in a bad way, you might as well just quit.

if they're in for the pragmatic reasons, i highly doubt their concern would be the kids.

[boonleong]

I'll remember that.

That said, there is a lot of pressure for teachers, especially the capable ones (and presumbably this group has a large overlap with the teachers who take teaching as a calling) to take on numerous extra duties - handling CCAs, organising projects, etc etc.

I also wonder how easy it is for teachers who are (were) called to lose sight of that calling a few years into their job.