Professional Organizations For Teachers

Written by: ARobin • Edited by: Laurie Patsalides
Updated Dec 30, 2008

"Teachers", by the nature of their career, promote and encourage the education of their students, wanting them to excel in all areas. Why then, should teachers not be an advocate for their own continuous education and development? Professional organizations only enhance job performance.

What is a professional?

Webster's Dictionary defines a professional as a person who is engaged in a specific occupation for pay; a person who does something with great skill.

The dictionary continues to define a “profession” as having eight different characteristics, some of which include, a “unique and essential service to society”, “relies on intellectual skills in the performance of its service”, and “entails a long period of specialized training” are only the beginning of the list.

The word "profession" can also be defined as more than just a group of individuals all engaged in the same line of work.

Teacher Professional Development

It is crucial for teachers to devote themselves in becoming professionals. It is first and fore most that, after a person invests so much time and money into a degree in education, one should go far and beyond to continue their own professional development. If a person stands in front of their class to promote education, why wouldn’t they want to promote the continuation of their own? If for no other reason, but to receive fresh ideas on presenting a lesson, there are a host of professional trainings and developmental classes for a teacher to attend.

Being the least thought about, but by far the most crucial, if you are a member of a professional organization, they may be able to give you the resources needed for protection if you are ever the victim of injustice in the workplace. Just as it is essential for doctors to be a part of a medical association, teachers should think it just as important to become a part of a teacher’s association. One profession is just as important as the other. After all, if it would not be for teachers, who would teach the doctors?

Professional organizations also provide you with tools, information and activities that you could incorporate into your lesson plan. Most, if not all, professional organizations have web sites that you can visit that will explain their group and services that they offer to you as a member.

Teacher Organizations

NEA- The National Education Association

NAEYC- The National Association for the Education of the Young Child

Anthony Manzo Aug 13, 2010 4:44 AM

‘Race to the Top’ Leaves Teachers, Free Market Economics & Progress on ‘Soft War’ Behind

‘Teacher Accountability’ is misdirected there is a 21st Century version, Collaboratively Identified Best Instructional Practices that can Raise Teaching-Learning Quotients in Every Classroom Everywhere before Christmas Next
There are some great teachers, and even some great Teacher Preparation programs, but these are random occurrences where consistency is essential. The reason is simple: Professional Education is absent fundamental standards found in all other professions. There is no standard curriculum, no sincere, systemic effort to identify Best Instructional Practices, no guidance in what and how needs to be further researched and developed. To be called a profession it is imperative that a profession, one way or another, needs to convene a rolling forum to collect and prioritize the core content of principles and practices that every member ought to know. An honest Grammar of Teaching. Ironically, Teachers worldwide are being held to standards for annual yearly progress (AYP) of their students. They also are being expected to raise economic competitiveness, to promote tolerance and civility, and reduce hostilities. They fight the “soft war” against ignorance and provincialism every day such as in the Middle East that has America grinding to a halt in conflicts that began over 800 years ago and where illiteracy – the real enemy - hovers around 80%, and in wars that the military fully concedes that guns and drone bombers cannot win. Meanwhile, Professors, Learned Societies & commercial schools, and some painfully self-serving non-profit foundations and Universities never even address the fundamental need for greater investment in solid pedagogical science. The Departments of Education and several of the world’s leading national security divisions should sponsor an ongoing “virtual convention” of the world’s leading educators to consider and endorse a covenant of currently

Professional Organizations For Teachers

What is a professional?

Teacher Professional Development

Teacher Organizations

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