Defending Our Profession with Gratitude and Humility

You are likely to be happier and more productive if you focus on your students and refuse to engage in controversies about the public's view of the profession. 

Experience shows that the most effective way to counter that type of attitude is to accept it without argument. Quite often, the harshest critics of the teaching profession have experienced legitimate frustration and disappointment with their own jobs and life choices. Unfortunately, when teachers attempt to defend themselves by pointing out the challenges and difficulties of the job and the significance of the role we play, it only tends to inspire more negativity and resentment among some members of the public. You will feel better if you try to empathize with them, and put their negativity in perspective. If you are doing the job correctly, you will know the truth.

If you feel the need to respond in some way to negativity about the profession, rather than listing the difficulties and challenges you face in your teaching career, try instead the approach of gratitude and humility. You can express your gratitude for the advantages awarded to you in your teaching position, with an emphasis on being humbled by the privilege of playing such an important role in the lives of your students. Indignation, self-importance, and defensiveness on your part will frequently result in the other person increasing his or her resentment and searching for points to counteract you, while gratitude and humility almost always serve as the antidote that stops negative attacks in their tracks.

Does this response sound weak to you? Should we not have the courage to fight to defend the honor of our chosen career? That is exactly what you will accomplish. More so than any other approach, gratitude and humility have the power to neutralize any negativity aimed at schools and educators. The dignity of your behavior will also reflect well on teachers everywhere, diminishing the resentment and increasing the respect the general public has for our profession.

Feel free to post your thoughts!