What we permit, we promote.

For the past 20 plus years, I have worked in the world of mentoring. Even though our profession is about teaching, we weren't routinely paired with a mentor and it was often viewed as a luxury. In fact, I will always remember how my peers would tell me that mentoring was not needed for new teachers because "we never had one" or "we never needed a mentor." Well, we did need mentoring and we likely did have a mentor as a new teacher. Informally or casually, we were guided by veteran teachers. Nearly every teacher in my generation recalls someone who supported them.

When I immersed myself in mentoring, I read how teachers "eat their young." I took exception to that until I paid attention. The above experience is one example of "eating our young." If we didn't believe mentoring was necessary as we became veteran teachers, then our beliefs and actions weren't supporting our newest colleagues.

One of the most outrageous acts teachers do is tell the next generation that they shouldn't become teachers. This is prevalent in our field and often you will hear how teachers tell their students this and/or tell student teachers to leave while they can, amongst other opinions.

Step back. Freedom of speech aside, why would we say that? 

If we continue to describe our profession as a field that no one should enter, then we are complicit in the effort to demean and marginalize teaching. We get upset when non-educators don't appreciate us. We can't complain that no one understands, nor does anyone care about teachers, when we are in the background deploring what we do.

What we don't think about is the very messages we take exception with are we are ones we are communicating. We give anyone permission to join in the revelry. At the very least, we signal that anyone can teach.

Teaching is daunting. Teachers are in vulnerable positions. If we are contributors to a narrative that demonizes our roles, we can expect nothing to change about how we should be respected.

What we permit, we promote. 

#Teaching Matters  #LienOnMe



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