Thoughts on an article by Howard Gardner, and my initial perspective on teaching.

Howard Gardner, originator of the theory of multiple intelligences and professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education, wrote a very thought-provoking article in the Washington Post a few months ago.  In the article, Gardner calls for teachers in America to be seen as professionals. He does not favor incentives (monetary incentives) as a way to improve education. I read this article with the background knowledge that education in America does not have the same standards and expectations as other countries. Maths and science teachers are in need, and OECD world rankings show America, among 34 countries, is ranked 14th for reading, 25th for maths and 17th for science.

I share Gardner's perspective, that societal expectations on the teaching profession should be high. I also share his view that we should maintain high expectations on professionals to be ethical and adhere to certain professional standards. But I wonder, don't those qualities already come with every profession? I place high expectations for all productive members of society, whether a person is a chef, delivery worker, nurse, scientist, artisan, or teacher ... any profession.

I agree with Gardner that improving education is not achieved primarily with monetary incentives. If the experience of teaching is incentivized in such a way that promotes students being seen as numbers, with "more" equating to successful outcomes (e.g. more students passing tests, higher test scores), I worry that teaching would become a numbers game, with heavier emphasis on quantity not quality. Lesson plans would be based on the sole purpose of achieving high test scores, when education, I believe, should be holistic, deemphasizing test scores and placing more emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, building empathy, and other humanistic qualities that students can carry with them throughout their lives. I wonder, would there be an appropriate test for those qualities?

I began to ask more questions as I read the article. I myself place a high regard on the teaching profession. But why are societal expectations so low? Why is the teaching profession at the salary range that it is today? And what does this salary reflect -- number of years in school? Level of experience? Difficulty of teaching or work environment? Standard of living? Expectations of the profession itself? I am curious now as to what factors decide teaching salaries. I'm also at a point in my life where salary does not matter so much as the career itself. I'm entering teaching because, yes, I do have an idealized, almost romanticized view of being a teacher, of reaching out to students, imparting life lessons, and showing them that there is an adult out there who does care about them. I understand this may come across as naive, as I do not have any classroom experience to date. I hope to hang on to my ideals, because I want them to be the driving force behind the quality of the learning experience I share with students. Time will only tell -- when I am actually physically present in the classroom, engaging with students, applying everything I've learned from my future degree and from the classroom of life -- if I will be an effective teacher.