Chapter 1:
Do I Want to be a Teacher?
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CHAPTER 1: DO I WANT TO BE A TEACHER?
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Chapter 1 introduces your students to teaching and examines the rewards and challenges involved in being
a teacher. The chapter continues with a discussion of professionalism and whether teaching is a profession.
CHAPTER LEARNING OUTCOMES
2. Describe the essential characteristics of professionalism, and explain how they relate to teaching.
InTASC Core Teaching Standard 9, Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
4. Explain how the current reform movement in education is changing the teaching profession.
InTASC Core Teaching Standard 9, Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
POWERPOINT SLIDES
PPT 1.1 Reasons for Becoming a Teacher (4 slides)
PPT 1.3 Challenges in Teaching (3 slides)
PPT 1.5 The Multiple Roles of Teaching (3 slides)
PPT 1.7 The Importance of Teachers
PPT 1.9 Examining Teacher Knowledge
PPT 1.11 Diver
PPT 1.13 Learner Diversity and Your Teaching
PPT 1.15 Changes in Teacher Professional Development
PPT 1.17 Principles of Learning and Teaching Tests (2 slides)
PPT 1.18 Considering the Testing of Teachers
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CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. What Is It Like to be a Teacher?
A. Rewards in Teaching
1. Intrinsic Rewards
2. Extrinsic Rewards
B. Challenges in Teaching
1. Finding a Job
2. Working Conditions
a. Complexities of Classrooms
b. The Multiple Roles of Teachers
C.
2. First-year Teachers Weigh In
D. How Much Is a Teacher Worth?
1. The Economic Impact of Teachers
2. Teacher Salaries
II. The Teaching Profession
A. What Does Being a Professional Mean?
2. Autonomy
4. Professional Ethics
B. Are Teachers Professionals?
1. Lack of Rigorous Training
3. Are Teachers Professionals? Revisiting the Question
Technology and Teaching: The Influence of Technology on the Profession
III. Diversity: The Changing Face of American Classrooms
Diversity: Teaching in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Schools
Teaching in Rural Schools
Teaching in Suburban Schools
Teaching in Urban Schools
Diversity and You: What Kind of School Is Right for You?
IV. Reform in Teacher Education
A. Changes in Teacher Preparation
B. Comprehensive Teacher Testing
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
I. What Is It Like to be a Teacher?
A. Rewards in Teaching
1. Intrinsic Rewards
2. Extrinsic Rewards
B. Challenges in Teaching
2. Working Conditions
a. Complexities of Classrooms
b. The Multiple Roles of Teachers
C.
1. Voices from the Classroom
2. First-year Teachers Weigh In
D. How Much Is a Teacher Worth?
2. Teacher Salaries
Teaching Suggestions:
What is it Like to be a Teacher?
1. Display the first slide of PPT 1.1 and have them respond to
the items.
2. Have them offer their reasons for making the choices they did, and then display the second and
4. Display PPT 1.2 Tell them that this is an actual, unedited letter that
5. Have your students identify other emotional, intellectual, and extrinsic rewards in teaching and
ask them which ones are most important to them and why they feel the way they do.
7. Display PPT 1.4 Considering Rewards and Challenges in Teaching and have your students
8. Display PPT 1.5 e and have your students respond to the
questions on the third slide.
9. If you believe too much information exists on the slides for the students, you might want to
duplicate the case study and give it to them as a handout. It appears below.
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Judy Harris’s geography students are involved in a cultural unit on the Middle
East.
As the students enter the room, they see a map, together with the following
directions displayed on the document camera.
Identify the longitude and latitude of Damascus and Cairo.
takes roll and returns papers.
Judy turns, comes back up the a
10. Display PPT 1.6 and have your students respond to the
11. The Importance of Teachers The goal in this slide is to help your students see
how important teaching is. It is, without question, among the most important occupations that
exist.
II. The Teaching Profession
A. What Does Being a Professional Mean?
2. Autonomy
4. Professional Ethics
B. Are Teachers Professionals?
1. Lack of Rigorous Training
3. Are Teachers Professionals? Revisiting the Question
Technology and Teaching: The Influence of Technology on the Profession
Teaching Suggestions:
The Teaching Profession
teristics of professionalism:
1. Display PPT 1.8 Have them answer the question on the
bottom of the slide and discuss their answers.
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2. To illustrate pedagogical content knowledge, do the following simple eye-catching
demonstration: Tie a pair of athletic socks on the end of a string, whirl the string around your
.
3. that
4. Display PPT 1.9 and have your students answer the question
5. Display PPT 1.10 and have your students respond to the question. Their
views are likely to vary and should promote considerable discussion.
III. Diversity: The Changing Face of American Classrooms
Diversity: Teaching in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Schools
Teaching in Rural Schools
Teaching in Suburban Schools
Teaching in Urban Schools
Diversity and You: What Kind of School Is Right for You?
1. Display PPT 1.11 and remind them that they will encounter
this kind of diversity when they begin teaching.
3. Again display PPT 1.13 Learner Diversity and Your Teaching and have your students discuss
the information on the slide.
IV. Reform in Teacher Education
A. Changes in Teacher Preparation
B. Comprehensive Teacher Testing
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Teaching Suggestions:
Reform in Teacher Education
their lives when they begin teaching:
1. Display PPT 1.14 and remind them that these reforms will be a part of
2. Changes in Teacher and remind your students
that they are likely to experience some of these changes.
4. Display PPT 1.17 and remind them that they are
likely to take this test or one that is similar. If they take an exam prepared by their state, it will
5. Display PPT 1.18 ing of Teach and have your students discuss the
questions on the slide.
SUGGESTED STUDENT PORTFOLIO ACTIVITIES
Portfolio Activity 1.1 is included at the end of the chapter. The following are additional suggested portfolio
activities.
Portfolio Activity 1.2: Reasons for Becoming a Teacher
InTASC Core Teaching Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
The purpose of this activity is to help you reflect on the reasons you are considering for becoming a
teacher. Look again at your responses to the What I Believe Inventory found at the beginning of this
chapter. For each of the items that you agreed with, write a brief explanation for your choice. For
example, if you agreed with
Now look at each of the other items that you agreed or disagreed with. Again, write a brief explanation
for your choices. What do your responses to these items tell you about your personal reasons for
becoming a teacher? Summarize your concl
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Portfolio Activity 1.3: Professional Standards and Teaching
InTASC Core Teaching Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
The purpose of this activity is to help you become knowledgeable about resources available from
professional organizations in education. In the chapter you saw how standards are increasingly being
GOING INTO SCHOOLS
Many Introduction to Education courses include a field component.
includes this component.
1. The Teaching Profession
Interview two teachers; if possible, choose a first-year teacher and a
experience. Ask them the following questions:
a. Why did you choose to teach? What are all the reasons that influenced your decision?
b. What are some of the most rewarding aspects of teaching? Can you give me some specific
examples?
c. What are some of the most difficult parts of teaching? Can you give me some specific examples?
d. Are you more or less confident in your ability to help kids learn than you were before you started
teaching?
e. How effective was your preservice teacher-preparation program in helping you learn to teach?
What would have made it more effective?
f. Do you plan to stay in teaching, or do you plan to move to a different job or profession? If you
plan to leave teaching, what are your reasons for leaving?
g. If you were asked to describe the process of teaching in one sentence, how would you describe it?
h. Do you believe that teaching is a profession? Why or why not?
2. Professional Knowledge
Interview a teacher to explore their views about different kinds of professional knowledge.
1) Knowledge of content, such as math, science, or language arts
3) Knowledge of students, such as how they learn and what motivates them.
Of the three types of knowledge, which is the most important? Least important? Or are they all
equally important?
b. Where did the teacher learn these different forms of professional knowledge?
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c. What advice does the teacher have for a beginning teacher in terms of developing these different
forms of professional knowledge?
3. Professional Ethics
Interview a teacher about professional ethics.
a. Does the teacher have a copy of either the NEA or AFT code of ethics? (If not, share the NEA
Code of Ethics from Chapter 1.)
b. How helpful are these guidelines in professional decision making?
c. What changes would the teacher like to see made in these codes?
4. Technology and Teaching
Interview a teacher about his or her use of technology to support instruction. Ask about the following
applications:
a. Preparing instructional materials
b. Using technology in instruction
c. Assessing student learning