Vocation is a calling to serve others; a strong feeling of sustainability for a particular career or

occupation a teaching beyond knowledge and skills and a revival of one’s character, values, and
attitudes.

Vocational calling is usually stable and permanent over a lifetime. Discovering vocation is possible
because it is based on giftedness, interest, passions, and human need, which are all easy to identify.

Frederick Buechner (1993) describes vocation by saying “the place God calls you to is the place where
your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”.

This means that vocation is and ordained mission from which a vision to help humanity is the main
purpose of God in giving the gifts to the persons having it/them .

Another aspect of vocation that emerges from its theological meaning is that of service. In other words,
the call implies a purpose individuals are invited to fulfill.

The direction of a vocation is toward service of someone else.

Teaching as a Vocation

Teaching is more than a noble profession. It is a vocation, a calling.

The teacher is the most important person in any civilization, as on them depends the molding of the
nation.

There are not many born teachers, but there are those who love teaching, and there are those who
enter it as an occupation. The chief qualification for a teacher is their love for children.

To view teaching as a vocation, then, is to acknowledge a call to serve others through the means of
education and learning, be it at a primary, secondary, or post-secondary level.

Such a calling may, in turn, be grounded within a religious worldview, as coming from God and forming
part of a divine plan for one’s particular life, but it need not be.

A vocation needs Caring and Commitment to serve in one’s career or profession. It also displaying
kindness and concern for others. It is beyond life, meaning and purpose.

If Teaching is your Vocation it means:

You said Yes to your call to teach

You commit yourself in the total transformation of the learner

You consider teaching as a lifetime commitment thus aim through the years towards quality teaching.

Teaching is considered a vocation because of the dedication that one exerts to provide quality learning
atmosphere to their students. A teacher spends most of his or her time teaching inside and outside the
four walls of the classroom. Even if he or she goes home, teaching is always in his or her mind because
of the need to prepare for the activities of the coming days unlike in the other professions where
activities end up inside the four walls of their offices or their places of work.

Teachers often spend lesser quality time for their families because most of their time is devoted to
teaching. We know for a fact that education is the best inheritance we can provide our children, will
learn and move to the higher level of education and gain their desired vocation or profession.

Since a calling in life, if it is consciously experienced at all, is unique to each individual, one’s response
likewise engages one deeply and personally, both in making the choice of acceptance, or rejection, and
in taking full responsibility for it.

As the second parent of students, teachers play a key role in instilling the right discipline in the student
for them to start young the practice of good manners and right conduct which they carry in their
lifetime.

Example is teacher Mark is treated as a teacher for teaching his students the lessons everyday. He
teaches everything he knows, showing off his mastery of the subject, but not even considering the
feelings of his students towards difficult topics.

On the other hand, a volunteer named Joy is addressed as a teacher for teaching and serving the
children of a far rural community. She travels almost 20 kilometres everyday for the sake of her students
learning and development.

What is the difference between the teaching practices of Teacher Mark and Joy?

The main difference lies in their dedication to the service.

When someone practices teaching as a vocation, they teach with dedication.

The main difference lies in their dedication to the service.

When someone practices teaching as a vocation, they teach with dedication.

A teacher who practices teaching as his vocation responds to the strong feeling, or calling for service
with utmost dedication. Vocation is only for some who are really dedicated not just to work but also to
serve other people.

Qualities of Good Teacher

Develops self-confidence in students

Encourages students, never critizes

Inspires the student

Impartial to all students

Promotes all-round development of students

Imparts moral values and values of life

Prepares himself/herself for each class hour

A teacher....

Takes a hand

opens a mind and

Touches a heart.

What makes a great teachers?

Expert communication skills

Superior listening skills

Deep knowledge and passion for their subject matter

The ability to build caring relationships with students

Friendliness and approachability

Excellent preparation and organization skills

Strong work ethics

Community building skills

High expectations for all