Education: a funny profession we work in

I have been fortunate to have worked in education for more than 20 years now, but, there are some days I say to myself: WHY?!

I have seen kids grow from teenagers to adults with kids, I have been invited to wedding, been to some their funerals. I have been a passenger on my students’ journey.

Along the way I have met some great people, I have also met some horrible people who made me wonder about humanity.

I have learned that as educators we tend to be gossipy in nature, and not just about students but about each other. I have learned that we must simply struggle to make ends meet sometimes, but that there is always a way. I have been laid off more times than I care, but I have always worked. I have worked for some wonderful institutions, and I have found wonderful opportunities only to lose them to something completely beyond my control.

Education is a rollcoaster, and that is a pity. It is a pity because we are supposed to always be that stable presence in the lives of our students, we are supposed to that rock that keeps the country steady. After all, a good education should lead to even better opportunities right? It should not be a rollcoaster, it should be a steady train that is always on time and always reaches its destination.

Education should not play favorites in the classroom, nor should it play favorites to determine who gets to teach in the classroom. It should not be who you know, but how much can you demonstrate and impart (on to others) what you know.

What have we done to change the system we have? What are we allowing others (who are not qualified education professionals) to do to our profession? Are there plans for true change? Are there plans for the for-profit sector and non-profit/traditional sector to sit down and learn from each other?

I could go on, as could anyone who is passionate about this profession could; but I wish I couldn’t. I wish I had all the answers, or better still, the right questions to ask so we could all find the right answers.

What are you doing to steady the ship? What are you doing to get our profession into the 21^st century? Those involved in education policy who are not educators: what are you doing to help educators and to work collaboratively with educators?

Share your stories, some positive news is always welcomed!

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam