Teaching as a Scholarly Pursuit

I have viewed teaching through a number of different frameworks during my short time on this planet.  People have told me that teaching is not a profession but rather a trade. Others have insisted that teaching is the passing on of nuggets of knowledge from one generation to the next.  Now, many people exclaim that teaching is a guiding process that assists student on their path to knowledge. So many different ideas and so many different teaching styles.  In the end, teaching is a progressive and evolving task that will always be everything and nothing all at the same time.  The concept of evolution can take educators in a lot of different directions if they are left to their own devices but there is a way to come together and help one another change and grow in only positive ways. 

Teaching will change.  That is a certainty but if we want to make sure it changes for the better then is it important to view teaching as a scholarly pursuit.  When I say scholarly I mean research, meta cognition, collaboration, and feedback.  Many times, teachers close their doors and teach on their own little island that is free of outside influences.  This isn't necessarily a good thing.  Like the old say says "Two heads are better than one."  Teachers need to work together to move forward.  If you are a fantastic teacher then you should share your great techniques and if you are anything less then fantastic then a little collaboration could help bring you closer to your wonderful potential.  Also, Teachers need to look outside of their own school walls to continue their development.  Collaborating can mean reading and writing scholarly articles about teaching and learning strategies.  Teachers can even attend conferences  and seminars.  The most important thing is that teacher continue to seek out answers to questions.  We must all continue to strive if we want our students to do the same.

I myself have implemented a number of scholarly concepts into my own teaching practice.  Many of the things I have done I did not readily identify as scholarly pursuits but was happy to do anyway.  Firstly, I became a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics when I was finishing up my undergraduate degree and have read about numerous studies and concepts in their journals that have directly effected my classroom strategies.  Also, I have always maintained an open door policy in my classroom.  My classroom is always open to visitors weather they be administrators, parents, or other teachers.  I don't know that I can revolutionize the way someone feels about teaching but I bet I could help them uncover some interesting ideas.  Also, there is a good chance that other might be able to help me uncover my own ideas.  I love to hear about ways I could make my classroom better.  Finally, I take part in a lot of professional development that I hope will improve my teaching though my learning.  Masters courses, district offerings, symposiums, and regional conferences have all had a great effect on me and helped me see exactly how I compare to those around me.

The most interesting thing about the scholarship of teaching is that it isn't exactly a new idea. Most teachers are already scholarly in some way or another but now is the time to refocus and view our own techniques in a new way to help further the entire profession.