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Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University

La Union

THE TEACHING PROFESSION

(EDUC 103)

ESTELLA A. CAYABYAB, Ph.D.

RINA B. RONQUILLO, Ph.D.
RODOLFO C. DE VERA, M.A.
(Module Writers)

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MODULE I

THE TEACHING PROFESSION

Lesson 1 Teaching as a Profession

Lesson 2 The Historical Development

of Teaching as a Profession
in the Philippines

Lesson 3 Teaching as a Vocation

and Mission

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MODULE I
THE TEACHING PROFESSION

 INTRODUCTION

The nature of teaching in its broadest sense is that teaching is a

process that facilitates learning. Teaching is the specialized application of
knowledge, skills and attributes designed to provide unique service to meet
the educational needs of the individual and of society. The choice of
learning activities whereby the goals of education are realized in the school
is the responsibility of the teaching profession. In addition to providing
students with learning opportunities to meet curriculum outcomes, teaching
emphasizes the development of values and guides students in their social
relationships. Teachers employ practices that develop positive self-concept
in students. Although the work of teachers typically takes place in a
classroom setting, the direct interaction between teacher and student is the
single most important element in teaching.

In this module, lesson 1 dwells on teaching as profession. It focuses

on the elements of a profession and analysis of teaching to determine if it
has all the elements of a profession. Lesson 2 presents the historical
development of teaching as a profession in the Philippines. Lesson 3
discusses teaching as vocation and mission. It describes teaching as a
mission not just a job. It also explains teaching as a vocation, a special
calling.

OBJECTIVES

After studying the module, the students should be able to:

1. Explain the meaning of teaching as a profession, vocation and

mission;
2. Trace the historical development of teaching as a profession in the
Philippines;

There are three lessons in the module. Read each lesson after which
you answer the exercises/ activities to find out how much you have
benefited from it. Work on the exercises carefully and submit your output to
your professor. In case you encounter difficulty discuss with your professor
during the online meeting.

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Lesson 3

 TEACHING AS A VOCATION AND MISSION

Teaching: Mission and/or Job?

by Anna Sandberg

If you are doing it only because you are paid, it's a job;
If you are doing it not only for the pay but also for service, it's a mission;
If you quit because your boss or colleague criticized you, it's a job;
If you keep on teaching out of love, it's a mission;
If you teach because it does not interfere with your other activities,
it's a job;
If you are committed to teaching even if it means letting go of other
activities, it's a mission;
If you quit because no one praises or thanks you for what you do, it's a job;
If you remain teaching even though nobody recognizes your efforts,
it's a mission;
It's hard to get excited about a teaching job;
It's almost impossible not to be excited about a mission;
If our concern is success, it's a job
If our concern in teaching is success plus faithfulness in our job,
teaching is a mission
An average school is filled by teachers doing their teaching job;
A great school is filled by teachers involved in a mission of teaching.

Teaching as a Vocation
Vocation comes from the Latin word “vocare” which means to call.
Based on the etymology of the word, vocation, therefore means a call. If
there is a call, there must be a caller and someone who is called. There
must also be a response.

Some never dreamt to become teachers but turned out to become

great teachers. From the eyes of believers, it was God who called them to
take up teaching just as God called Abraham, Moses and Mary. Like some of
the students, these biblical figures did not understand the events

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surrounding their call. But in their great faith they answered YES. The fact
that you have enrolled in teaching signifies that you positively responded to
the call to teach, right? May this YES remain YES and become even firmer
through the years. Believe it that through teaching, as a vocation you can
do the best for others, for your fellowmen in the name of service.

Teaching as a Mission

Teaching is also a mission. The word mission comes from the Latin
word “misio” which means “to send.” The Webster’s New Collegiate
Dictionary defines mission as “task assigned.” You are sent to accomplish an
assigned task.

You are called to be a teacher and you are sent into the world to
accomplish something, to teach. You are sent to accomplish an assigned
task, you proclaim “mission accomplished”. Therefore teaching is your
mission, the task entrusted to you in this world. Your four years of pre-
service will equip you with knowledge, skills and attitudes to become
effective teacher. You’ve got to prepare yourself. Don’t take your studies
for granted. You’ve embarked in a mission that calls for a continuing
professional education. As the saying goes “once a teacher, forever a
student.” Your unique and most significant contribution to the humanization
of life is in the field where you are prepared for teaching.

What exactly is the mission to teach? Is it merely to teach the child

the fundamental skills or basics r’s of reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic and right
conduct? Is it to help the child master the basic skills so he/she can
continue acquiring higher-level skills in order to become a productive
member of society? Is it a deposit of facts and other information into the
“empty minds” of students to be withdrawn during quizzes and tests?

To teach is to do all of these and more. To teach is to influence every

child entrusted in your care to become better and happier that makes life
become more meaningful. To teach is to help the child become more
human.

Teaching as a mission can also be defined as developing the total

personality of the learner by equipping him/her with the functional
knowledge, appropriate values and attitudes and skills useful to
himself/herself and society in order to attain his/her ultimate goal for
which he/she was created.

What a great privilege of being a teacher. Your products are persons

with immortal souls. You don’t only teach to develop good citizens on earth
but citizens in heaven! After accomplishing every mission can we say
“Mission Accomplished!” when we meet our “Superior” face to face?

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The Humanizing Mission of Teaching

Dear Teacher:

I am a survivor of a concentration camp.

My eyes saw what no man should witness:
-Gas chambers built by learned engineers.
-Children poisoned by educated physicians.
-Infants killed by trained nurses.
-Women and babies shot and burned by high school and
college graduates.

So I am suspicious of education.
My request is: Help your students become human.
Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled
psychopaths, and *Eichmanns.

Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve

to make our children more human.

(Eichman – An Austrian who became the Nazi official who administered the concentration
camps where millions of Jews were murdered during World War II, 1936-1945.)

Teaching and Thinking

Teaching and thinking are paramount to the mission. However, it’s

not just teaching students the content; it’s helping students think deeply
about the content that is most impactful. Teachers are invested in, and
passionate about, their content. They seize upon opportunities to impart
knowledge to and share their passion for the discipline with their students.
They plan activities and exercises to help students apply the content in a
real world context. They also comb the Internet, attend conferences, and
read professional literature to enhance their expertise. They do all of these
to ensure students have a deep and rich pool of knowledge in which to
swim.

Processing all of this new information often causes moments of

cognitive dissonance for many students. Teachers engage in discussions that
require students to reflect, analyze, and synthesize information in a larger
context. As students begin to value and organize this new information, old
schemes of thinking are challenged, deepened, or replaced. The freefalling
emotionality of thinking can create uncertainty and discomfort for students.
As Henry Ford said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the
probable reason why so few engage in it.” However, it is that cognitive
dissonance which supports a deepening of students’ thinking. Affording
students opportunities to think deeply about the information shared in
college classrooms greatly contributes to the mission of helping students
find successes in their personal and professional pursuits. Certainly,
teaching students to think deeply about their course content is arguably one

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of the most important contributions teachers make. However, there is

another contribution that has the potential to impact students’ lives in a
real and significant way—relationship building.

Building Relationships with Students

When teachers create quality relationships with their students, it

becomes a bridge between the faculty member and student to confer,
collaborate, and communicate. For example, it provides a path for teachers
to support students’ disposition development for learning and life. It helps
teachers advocate for students’ needs, and creates a space to learn who
their students are— backgrounds, cultures, and personalities.

It can also cushion the impact when teachers engage in difficult

conversations with students, or serve as a catalyst when the former want to
recognize students who have distinguished themselves in an exceptional
way. Through the relationships that teachers create with their students,
various avenues open and honest conversations emerge about the student’s
needs, struggles, successes, and triumphs. It also allows for teachers and
students to strategize together how best to bolster the successes and
address challenges.

Modeling relationship-building strategies contributes to the mission of

helping students find successes in all aspects of their lives. Students can use
the strategies they learn from teacher as a skill later in life to build
relationships with others. As a part of the contribution, it is important for
the teacher to model and equip students with not only the content
knowledge of their discipline, but also the skills to see other perspectives
and seek opportunities to help others find success, as they have. Building
healthy and meaningful relationships with students provides powerful
opportunities to impact their lives, and hopefully, the students will pay it
forward.

In conclusion, helping students think deeply and building quality

relationships are certainly not the only contributions teachers can make to
the mission. But, they do stand as two pillars rooted in the foundation of
the mission to teach and influence lives. As teachers remind themselves of
this purpose, they must also remember and reflect on the contributions they
make to the mission, the many students whose lives are impacted, and the
unique gifts they offer. Remembering the contributions to the mission of
teaching can be energizing and uplifting, and may help answer that
question, “What am I doing here?” Hopefully, the answer is, “I am here to
teach and influence the life and successful professional and personal
pursuits of the students I work with every day!”

Teaching and a life of Meaning

Teaching gives a life of meaning or a purpose-driven life. Spend life

passionately in teaching, the noblest profession. Dr. Josette T. Biyo, the
first Asian teacher to win the Intel Excellence in Teaching Award in an

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international competition, said in a speech delivered before a selected

group of teachers, superintendents, DepEd officials and consultants, to wit:

Teaching may not be a lucrative position. It can not guarantee

financial security. It even means investing your personal time,
energy and resources. Sometimes it means disappointments,
heartaches and pains. But touching the hearts of people and opening
the minds of children can give you joy and contentment which money
couldn’t buy. These are the moments I teach for. These are the
moments I live for.

There may be times, when you will feel like giving up (many leave
teaching after 3 or 5 years for varied reasons). Remember you responded to
the call to teach and that you have accepted the mission to teach. May you
be found faithful to your vocation and mission until the end.

The “Pwede na” Mentality: Enemy of Excellent Mission Preparation and

Accomplishment

For the professional teacher who looks at teaching as his/her mission,

he/she will do everything to arm himself/herself for an excellent
accomplishment of that mission. The striving for excellent accomplishment
sometimes brings us to our “pwede na” mentality, which is inimical to
excellence. This mentality is expressed in other ways like “talagang ganyan
‘yan. “wala na tayong magagawa,” “di na mahalata,” “ di ko na ‘yan
sagot,” “dagdag trabaho/gastos lang yan”-all indicators of defeatism and
resignation to mediocrity. If we stick to this complacent mentality,
excellent mission accomplishment eludes us. In the world of work whether
here or abroad, only the best and the brightest make it. (At this time, you
must have heard that with the rigid selection of teacher applicants done by
DepEd, only a few make it!) The mortality rate in the Licensure Examination
for Teachers for these past years is a glaring evidence that excellence is
very much wanting for our teacher education graduates. If we remain true
to our calling and mission as a professional teacher, we have no choice but
to take the endless and the “less traveled road” to excellence.

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 LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Essay:

1. What is meant by vocation? mission?

2. Are vocation and mission related?

3. Reflect on the article Teaching: Mission and/or Job by Anna

Sandberg. What are your realizations/reflections in this article?

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