The worker should be a worker, then the teacher should be a teacher!

08:10, November 30, 2023

There are millions of people working as teachers, but not all of them are teachers in the truest sense of these two simple but noble words. Many people teach, but are only “teaching workers”.

When students don't like to study, they only like to "do"

To become a teacher, you must first graduate from university, with a bachelor's degree. The current Education Law stipulates this, except for preschool teachers (who only need to graduate from college). However, graduating from a teacher training university is only a bachelor of education, not a teacher. A bachelor of education must undergo a teaching internship, until he is qualified to stand in front of a class, before he can be recruited as a teacher. That teacher must spend a long time teaching, accumulating enough knowledge, experience, both professionally and ethically to become a teacher.

Teachers and students of Applied Informatics class - 02THA4, course 2023 - 2025, 9+3 system, Tay Nguyen Secondary School. Illustration photo

That shows that the first condition to become a teacher is to have enough university knowledge. However, in reality, in universities today, most students do not like to study, but only like to "do". Lecturers of pedagogical universities said that, except for a few good students who enjoy studying, the rest are reluctant to go to class to listen to lectures, go to the library to read books. However, they are very excited about extracurricular lessons, and especially the internships and teaching practice sessions in high schools. They like "doing" more than liking to study.

If they don’t like listening to teachers and don’t read much, where will they get the knowledge to become teachers? Yet, they still teach. They still complete their internships and trainings, and somehow manage to get enough points to graduate from university.

Holding a bachelor's degree, even though those students actually just want to learn to be a worker - a job that is more practical than theoretical. And the result is, the worker is neither a worker nor a teacher!

Teachers and instructors

In Vietnamese, only a professional who has reached a certain level of proficiency can be called a “house”. For example, a writer or journalist must be professional and have reached a high level of proficiency to be called a “writer or journalist”. The same goes for a teacher, who is a person who has reached a master level of proficiency in teaching.

From that natural requirement, compared with current reality, it shows that there are many people working in the teaching profession but not everyone is a teacher. Many people have been teaching for many years but are still just "teaching workers".

Legendary teacher Nguyen Ngoc Ky, who is paralyzed in both arms and writes with both feet, author of the book "I go to school" once said that a teacher is not a craftsman, knowledge is enough. If it was only for knowledge, students would not need to go to school, they would stay at home reading books and finding knowledge from many information channels. A teacher is different from a craftsman in that he must instill in students' souls the inspiration to be a good person, helping them to mature after each lesson. A teacher is not only someone who teaches skills and knowledge, but also someone who inspires students to study and cultivates their personality.

How is a teacher different from a “teaching worker”? In terms of profession, a “teaching worker” strictly follows textbooks, reference books, standard programs, and teaching procedures… A teacher always creates his own lessons, unlike anyone else, and never repeats himself. Even higher is his mission, a “teaching worker” will refuse if he has to accept an unworthy salary. A teacher will accept to teach, even if he is not paid a penny, because what he achieves is not just money (according to Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Minh).

Worker show off!

Some say that being a “teacher” is fine as long as you complete your teaching duties. If we require every teacher to be a teacher, where will we find enough human resources for education?

I am also a person who went to school for 16 years from primary school to university, learned from many teachers and “teaching workers”, also participated in teaching and did many other jobs. I realized: To become a teacher is very difficult, but to teach, you must become a teacher.

You may start your teaching career as a “teacher”, but that worker must strive to become a teacher if he wants to pursue teaching. Because teaching is a special profession. The product of education is not a commodity like any other commodity serving human consumption needs. The product of human education, with full physical and mental health, with survival skills and moral living, with soul. Teaching is a special profession that many other professions do not have, because it carries a natural mission, in the folk understanding, it is a noble function entrusted by heaven and earth. In short: “Growing people”.

The teaching profession requires a lot of teachers, that's exactly it. Therefore, the human resources of education have not met this demand, that's a reality. So, being a "teacher" is fine, but a worker must be a worker. A teacher who completes a lesson, a class, according to the requirements of the program and in accordance with the Education Law, that's enough. And so on, gradually develop to become a teacher. A worker must be a worker, then a teacher must be a teacher!

Minh Tu

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