Back to teacher training days, I remember one of our colleagues ( who never became a teacher after graduation) saying: we are not teachers, but we are becoming clowns. He was saying this in a rather negative sense, but I am saying it in a positive way. Why not? Many teachers try to achieve their objectives in various and sometimes innovative ways.
Many of us ( yes I'm a teacher), try not to use any mother tongue language to illustrate the meaning of new language or new vocabulary. Alternatively, teachers use gamut of activities, drawings of things, etc just to explain the meaning of a difficult word to the students. It requires a multitalented person to become a great teacher.
A teacher should be an artist, an innovative person who can act on the spot in some situations. Teaching has been given immense emphasis. Human history records that prophets and messengers have often played the role of teachers . Poets eulogized them in their poems.
Recently I've come across some comments in a cyber forum that caught my attention saying "Teaching is the job of the jobless."; "I'd rather be jobless than be a teacher". This is really sad to hear but it is true to some extent.
All teachers have teaching licenses or certificates enabling them to practice teaching; however most of them are like being forced into this profession because of some reason or other.
The feeling of ' I hate teaching and school but it's my way of making my living' has loads of negative impacts on students, teaching, teachers themselves and the whole educational process. It's a devastating feeling that make nations deteriorate and flounder in different faces of illiteracy.
Teachers have to realize that they are the builders of society. Great nations are not built on illiterate minds but on well educated literate people whose brains are crystallized by the years of incredible endeavors during school days.
Teachers play a huge role in educating the nations and preparing them to challenge others. Yes, teacher is a 'clown' if that is what it takes to deliver the goods.

PS i've published this in one of the Omani Magazines

I want to be a teacher after 5-6 years of graduation. And I don't really mind becoming one immediately either. This is the only job that is possible for me to be in for a long time because it satisfies my conscious.

And of course, this doesn't mean I am satisfied with the teachers in Oman today. At best, only 5% of the teacher I have come across in the education life are worth being called teachers. As for the rest, you know what they say:

"If you can't do it, teach it"

When I was a kid , my first ambition was to be a teacher. I had such respect & little bit of fear ofcaorse (on thoes days!!) for them & I had a beleif that they knew everything. I guess getting older I knew that was not true. None is! However I continoued to have a huge respect for them & following their steps.

Good teachers, Not thoes who just want to do their jobs then back home, have great influance on the society, they set an example for us to follow, not necessory to work as teachers in school, but in any work we do, to be sincere , hard-working ,giving with a beleif of promoting the life around us in whatever field.

You dont need to work in school to be a teacher, an engineer is a teacher, a doctor is a teacher , a nurse is a teacher..etc. So Whats important here is the reason or the objective behind your teaching. If you are not interested in improving your students. You wont have the feeling of it ,you will end up either leaving the job or picking an administrative work. Even then you will end up with non-satisfection.

Raise your head up, beleive in what you do. Do it faithfully & sincerely..you will have the role of building the society.

Thanks for the post . Indeed wonderful.:)

sting

thanx for ur reply

good luck in ur to-be teaching profession

it's hard to be a teacher,,,even harder to be a good devoted teacher

um albanin

thanx for ur nice reply,,,

like u, when i was a kid ( like 50 years ago ;)) i used to think that teachers know it all,,,,when i became a teacher i was shocked with the reality of the teaching profession and esp teachers

devotion and sincerity is highly wanted in teaching

thanx again

well, it is my pleasure to talk about that:)
because I am living thin life for the first time in my life

dear sis
3 years ago, the doctor asked the studets in the class, boys and girls
who wants really to be a teacher? Although all of the students in the class were from the college of education, no body raised hi or her hand!!!

it is really a sad fact that stands as an obstacle in the face of anybody that wants or thinks about being a teacher

I am a teacher now, and beleive it or not, I have never emagine that teaching is that difficult.especially with the new system
I enjoy being at the calass, dealing with students and explaining things, but the fact that teaching is not only that push the teachers away from this feild
especially english teachers because they can work in many other places if they have the chance

over all
we have to pear it and enjoy it as much as we can

Dear UnknownZone,

Thank you for the wonderful topic.

Remember that every population is heterogeneous. You find some who managed to reach the top of the pyramid and became successful in their lives. While others managed to reach mid-way and the rest still remain at the bottom.

each level of the pyramid has its own view on the important of the teachers. The top layer appreciate teachers more. They realize that their career has started form basic taught by teachers. Every step of their career is cumulative and could not have been started without a very strong base supported by families and teachers known as the builder f society.