Educating a Profession

Abstract

Is teaching a profession? Does how society views teacher education really matter? Denemark's answer is an un equivocal "yes." It matters, suggests the author, because how people view a phenomenon often influences the real ity of that phenomenon. Hence, al though teaching still falls short of full professional status, Denemark urges that educators strive to correct false im pressions of critics and to ameliorate practices that militate against quality educational programming. Denemark concludes that professional status is im portant not because of what enhanced status for teacher educators means, but rather because of its import for the qual ity and character of teaching and learn ing in schools.