Teacher Professionalism

Read more about efforts to professionalize teaching and improve its status, and hear what teachers think about their profession
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Teaching Profession What's Your Teacher Outfit of the Day? Educators Share Their Best School Fashion
Social media influencers reveal budget-friendly wardrobe tips for teachers to try this school year.
Marina Whiteleather, August 23, 2024
1 min read
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Teaching Profession What Does It Mean for Teachers to Dress ‘Professionally’?
Warm weather makes teachers want to wear casual clothes. But is a dress code really necessary?
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 29, 2024
4 min read
A teacher writes testing dates on a SMART board at Sutton Middle School in Atlanta on Feb. 13, 2020.
A teacher writes testing dates on a SMART board at Sutton Middle School in Atlanta on Feb. 13, 2020. Emerging classroom technologies are an annual theme at the SXSW EDU conference.
Allison Shelley for EDUimages
Teaching Profession 5 Big Conversations to Expect at SXSW EDU (Plus, an Exciting Debut From EdWeek)
Education stakeholders will discuss the biggest—and thorniest—issues facing schools at the March 4-7 conference.
Madeline Will, February 29, 2024
3 min read
 Back view of a male teacher in classroom lecturing to elementary school students.
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Teaching Profession Substitute Teachers Would Like You to Stop Treating Them Like Babysitters
A research review found that substitute teachers get little respect and professional training.
Madeline Will, November 17, 2023
6 min read
Illustration of contemporary teacher looking at a line-up of mostly female teachers through the history of public education in the United States.
Traci Debarko for Education Week
Teaching Profession Reported Essay Public Schools Rely on Underpaid Female Labor. It’s Not Sustainable
Women now have more career options. Is that why they are leaving the teaching profession?
Alyson Klein, August 31, 2023
9 min read
Amber Nichols, a teacher at Eastwood Elementary School in Morgantosn, W. Va., leads her class in a lesson on May 11, 2023.
Amber Nichols, an award-winning teacher at Eastwood Elementary School in Morgantown, W.Va., leads her class in a lesson on May 11, 2023. She said post-pandemic consistency and structure have renewed her love of the profession.
Rebecca Kiger for Education Week
Teaching Profession From Our Research Center Teacher Job Satisfaction Rebounds From Last Year's Low. But There's Still a Ways to Go
There's a ray of hope in the new findings, but overall, teacher satisfaction remains well below levels in the mid-2000s.
Madeline Will, May 15, 2023
10 min read
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Teaching Profession 'Poor for the Rest of Your Life’: Negative Messages Can Deter Prospective Teachers
Downbeat messages—especially from the media—can make would-be teachers think twice about a career.
Madeline Will, April 14, 2023
5 min read
Photo of teacher in front o blackboard.
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Teaching Profession In Their Own Words An Award-Winning Teacher in India Deplores the Lack of Respect for American Teachers
Former Fulbright Scholar Ranjitsinh Disale has called on American policymakers to pass a resolution declaring support for the teaching profession.
Madeline Will, January 4, 2023
5 min read
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Teaching Profession Opinion Want Vibrant, Engaged Teachers? Give Them Professional Freedom
A deputy superintendent explains how his district has created a stimulating environment by trusting teachers to experiment.
Jonah Schenker, November 6, 2022
5 min read
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iStock / Getty Images Plus / Jorm Sangsorn
Teaching Profession Opinion Educators, You’re the Real Experts. Here’s How to Defend Your Profession
Math education expert Jo Boaler offers five practical guidelines for bringing about education change.
Jo Boaler, November 3, 2022
5 min read
LéAnn Cassidy, 57, sits in her middle school classroom in Connecticut. The 2018 Connecticut History Teacher of the Year and 2018 finalist for Connecticut Teacher of the Year, has been a classroom teacher for 34 years, but is considering retiring early.
LéAnn Cassidy, 57, sits in her middle school classroom in Connecticut. The 2018 Connecticut History Teacher of the Year and 2018 finalist for Connecticut Teacher of the Year has been a classroom teacher for 34 years, but is considering retiring early.
Christopher Capozziello for Education Week
Teaching Profession From Our Research Center Teacher Job Satisfaction Hits an All-Time Low
Just 12 percent of U.S. teachers are very satisfied with their jobs, a new survey finds.
Madeline Will, April 14, 2022
11 min read
RC whitepaper Merrimack only classroom teacher social distance cropped
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Teaching Profession From Our Research Center A Profession in Crisis: Findings From a National Teacher Survey
The first annual Merrimack College Teacher Survey of the nation’s K-12 educators reveals stark declines in teacher morale in the past decade.
Holly Kurtz, April 14, 2022
4 min read
Teaching is [a] work [of heart].
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Teaching Profession Q&A Why One Teacher Hates the Phrase 'Teaching Is a Calling'
EdWeek spoke to Jherine Wilkerson, who wrote a popular and provocative essay about not needing to love her students to be a good teacher.
Madeline Will, March 10, 2022
7 min read
School & District Management Opinion An Innovative Way to Professionalize Teaching and Boost Teacher Pay
Webs of rules, routines, and administration often stop teachers from growing in their role or bending it to suit their strengths and passions. Here's a way to bust those traps.
Rick Hess, October 8, 2020
2 min read