Only Teachers – with a capital T – can teach

Christine Duff offers a linguistic solution to building the status of teachers.

Over the past five years I’ve been getting more and more frustrated with diminishing levels of respect I perceive for Teachers. 

(Yes, I did use an upper case ‘T’ in that last sentence on purpose. Read on…)

I’m increasingly tired of the misunderstanding of the profession of Teaching – what teachers do, what they are responsible for – in the Australian community and the disrespect for our skills. 

This attitude to Teachers and Teaching is particularly noticeable in the Arts and not-for-profit sectors where workshops and tutoring are offered (more often than not at a cost) where people who are not Teachers offer to Teach. 

Too often unqualified people believe they know what it is to Teach. People running classes in gyms, exercise groups, and cooking classes all set themselves up as “Teachers”. 

What to do

I propose a language-led push to increase respect for Teachers and what we do. Similar to the reclaiming of the word “Champagne” by particular winemakers in France, I propose the same process for the root word “Teach”. 

Let us, as a profession, reclaim our verb and noun. 

We don’t need permission, the semantic skin of ideas, words, only need their community to decide on their contents and claim them; this process of standardisation is well known (and taught in English Language classes) as being part of the natural progress of languages. 

Being clear about what “Teaching” is and who can be a “Teacher” will mean the process of choosing an ‘education’ will be clearer for the public and who we are and what we do as teachers will be better respected.

A Teacher’s work is made out to be simple, but it is not. 

Let’s say that before anyone can claim to put the word “Teacher” before their name they must, lawfully, know how to actually “Teach”. They must have completed a recognised course of studies that means they are legally a teacher. They are not ‘instructing’, ‘tutoring’, or ‘showing you how’– they haven’t just studied for a few weeks. They aren’t just relying on ‘experience’.

A person allowed to use the title Teacher must have completed a specific course recognised by, and registered with, the relevant state body, on the theory and methodology of Teaching. They must know how to convey knowledge and aren’t just the possessors of the knowledge. 

If we take the ambiguity away, we get the respect as Teachers. A Teacher is not just anyone. Not everyone can Teach. Not everyone is a Teacher. 

This idea could be extended. A Teacher will also know the legal obligations around working with children, the best ways to teach different age groups, how to set up a lesson, what the core material is and how it advances a person’s learning. They are accountable. 

The non-teacher is not accountable.

The theatre group running a youth group claiming that for $90 they’ll ‘teach’ your child is a good example. Do the instructors have any professional obligations that hold them accountable? Do they know the best way to Teach across a range of age groups? Have they studied the material in depth and kept up to date with the latest developments in their field? Do they have assessment and reporting guidelines that hold them accountable to the parents/guardians of those they are ‘teaching’? What is their ‘Teaching’ experience and record? Are they registered as a Teacher? 

The general public views Teaching as something anyone can do. That this title can be claimed by those with no experience in Teaching and a passing acquaintance with their material. 

The theatre group is a clear example of “instruction” – someone has knowledge, and they are instructing others. But they are not Teaching.

Methodology

The public should be encouraged to ask those who claim to “teach”: “Are you a Teacher?”

Teaching is a professional skill requiring qualification – if they haven’t got it, they’re not a Teacher.

This focus on the recognition of Teaching as a highly valued qualification and skill protects our skill base just as Doctors do theirs (no one can just claim to be a doctor without serious ramifications – and it’s easy to check).

We need to promote the idea by making people ask: “Am I really going to trust my learning, or my child’s future to just anyone who claims to Teach?” 

They might inform, instruct, demonstrate, tutor, tell, order, give directions, show, practice, BUT unless they are qualified and registered, they do not Teach.

As a Union we need to claim back our vocabulary – with a capital T.

We must ask the question whenever we hear the word so those with the qualifications promote them, and those without will reword their advertising.

The public will be better informed, those qualified will be respected for, and perhaps better paid for what they do. 

If we can reclaim our title, we can define who we are and what we do.

IEU member Christine Duff, who works at Galen College, is an English Language Teacher with over 20 years’ experience who also worked in the Australian Armed Forces, and as a Division One nurse. She has been involved in several volunteer programs.