Educators contribute to the profession.

One of the first things that surprised me about the field of education is that its members uplift and support one another. Of the many occupations that I have had, across many industries, education is the first place where I have felt that knowledge and help are available for anyone who is willing to ask for it. Through my time as a non-certified Teacher Teaching on Call and my Teacher Candidacy, I have been supported and encouraged by many educators in a myriad of ways. In return, I’ve always shared lesson plans and resources that I have found or made myself on the rare occasion when someone wanted one, but I’ve always felt like other supported me more than I returned the favor.

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Thus, when I was able to offer similar support to a fellow Teacher Candidate from Simon Fraser University, I did so with a sense of karmic justice. As a Science major who had a minor in English from years previous, they were preparing to teach an English Language Arts course for a practicum and struggling with finding resources. I was able to share and explain many of the lessons that I had previously taught and save them what I knew would be hours of research and work.

It felt good to be able to contribute to the free flowing aspect of the field that I have benefitted from so often, and helped me to realize why education needs to be an open community where resources and expertise are shared freely. Teachers work so hard in the classroom every day, and if we all had to come up with all our own resources, it would be nearly impossible to succeed. However, if we all work together to achieve the greater goal of educating students and preparing them to be successful, then we will all succeed in our jobs as well. That is why teaching is more than just a job; it’s a community because of the generous people and “culture of collegiality” that distinguishes education from other fields.

References:

BC Teachers’ Council. (2019, June 19). Professional Standards for BC Educators. Province of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teacher-regulation/standards-for-educators/edu_standards_poster-11×17.pdf.