69传媒
Teaching Profession Video

VIDEO: One Teacher Says Teaching Is a Profession, Not a 鈥榃ork of Heart鈥�

By Emma Patti Harris & Madeline Will 鈥� March 14, 2022 4:34
Education Week
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Jherine Wilkerson, an 8th grade English/language arts teacher in Peachtree City, Ga., recently penned an essay for Education Week titled, 鈥淚 Don鈥檛 Have to Love My 69传媒 to Be a Good Teacher.鈥�

She said the word 鈥渓ove鈥� in education leads to 鈥渁n intentional devaluation鈥� of the profession and has 鈥渃aused people to believe that what we do is something that they can also do, and what we do doesn鈥檛 matter.鈥�

When asked about the phrases like, 鈥渢eaching is not a job, it鈥檚 a calling,鈥� Wilkerson said, 鈥淚 hate it because teaching is not a calling for me.鈥�

鈥淚t was a choice. And when you consider something a calling, I think it really diminishes the work that you put into it.鈥�

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Emma Patti Harris
Deputy Managing Editor, Visual and Immersive Experiences,  Education Week
Emma Patti Harris is a deputy managing editor for Education Week who oversees visuals and immersive experiences.
Madeline Will
Assistant Managing Editor,  Education Week
Madeline Will is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of school leadership and general education trends.
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