THE ELEMENTS OF A

PROFESSION
 Teaching like engineering, nursing, accounting and the like is a profession. A teacher is like an
engineer, a nurse and accountant is a professional.
 The term professional is one of the most exalted in the English language, denoting as it does,
long and arduous years of preparation, a striving for excellence, a dedication to the public
interest and commitment to moral and ethical values.
TEACHING AS YOUR
PROFESSION
Why does a profession require “long and arduous years of preparation and a striving for
excellence?
 Because the end goal of a profession is service and as we have heard many times we cannot
give what we do not have. For us teachers, continuing professional education is explicit in our
professionalization law and our Code of professional ethics.
 Our service to the public as a professional turns out to be dedicated and committed only when
our moral, ethical and religious values serve as our bedrock foundation.
 If you take teaching as your profession, this means that you must be willing to go through a
long period of preparation and a continuing professional development. You must strive for
excellence, commit yourself to moral, ethical and religious values and dedicate yourself to
public service.
 The PWEDE NA mentality versus excellence The “striving for excellence” as another element
of a profession brings us to our PWEDE NA mentality which is inimical to excellence. This
mentality is expressed in other ways like “TALAGANG GANYAN YAN, WALA na tayong
magawa.”all indicators of defeatism and resignation to mediocrity. If we stick to this
complacent mentality excellence eludes us. In the world of work, whether here or abroad, only
the best and the 25 brightest make it all.
 If we remain true to our calling and mission. A professional teacher, we may have no choice
but to take the endless and the less travelled road to excellence.
TEACHING AND A LIFE OF
MEANING
 Want to give your life a meaning? Want to live a purpose driven life? Spend it passionately in
teaching, the noblest profession.
 Teaching may not be a lucrative position. It cannot guarantee financial security. It even means
investing your personal time, energy and resources. Sometimes it means disappointments,
heartaches and pains. But touching the hearts of people and opening the minds of children can
give you joy and contentment which money could not buy. These are the moments I teach for.
These are the moments I live for.