question for teachers

my co-worker, who has her teaching certificate (and keeps it current), but hasn't taught in a classroom for over 5 years, still refers to herself as a teacher. Although "education" is in her job title, her main work duties are administrative, and she does not do any teaching. The organization we work for is entertainment related.

My question is, can she legitimately still call herself a teacher, in the present tense? I admit that it bothers me a bit when she baldly states, "I'm a teacher" when she really doesn't teach. It just seems slightly deceptive - when I've mentioned to her that she really is a FORMER teacher, she contradicts me and says that as long as she keeps up her license, she's still a teacher.

Any thoughts? this is a question that has dogged me for five years!

:shrug:

Personally, I think that if her certification is current she's well within rights to claim the "teacher" label.

Me, I went to grad school and got a degree in poetry. I haven't written in several years - doing other things - but I'd argue with anybody who wanted to tell me that I'm not a poet or a writer.

I have a degree in English, and I am a bit of a stickler for preciseness in language.

She isn't teaching any longer, and has no intention of teaching again (she's gotten rid of all her teaching supplies). She keeps up on her certification "just in case". That does not seem, to me, to be dedication to the field.

By keeping her certification, she's following the letter of the law, if not the spirit.

The "law" being that unwritten rule that says we have to actually do what we claim to be in order for us to claim to be what we are.

If it's no skin off your nose what she calls herself... well... what's the harm?

Teaching implies teaching. Educator is a much more precise term.

As someone who identifies herself as a writer, I would think that you would understand.

But, if we define people based on how they feel about themselves and who they are, then she's right, assuming that she still feels that, of all the things she is, "teacher" is the most wonderful and important to her.

And teacher does not have to be limited to the kind of person who teaches in a classroom. There are many kinds of teachers.

I haven't received money in years for being an engineer, but that was my primary professional and educational training - and I will never cease to be an engineer, because it defines how I think, how I look at the world, and how I interact with it. It's not the sole way, no; but it is an important part of who I am, and part of the foundation of my being.

I hate defining people by their specific careers - I much prefer thinking about people based on who they are.

I don't know any former classroom teachers (at least, those who loved their work teaching in a classroom) who, even after retirement, don't still consider themselves teachers; because that's how they approach life, how they interact with others, and live.

It doesn't just get turned "off" when one leaves doing the specifics of a profession.

is equal, if not greater than her teaching career, I think it may be time for her to rethink her identity. It's not like she retired; she was just never able to secure tenure (and I could, and do, speculate as to why she was never offered tenure). She's only 34.

This goes far beyond being a stickler for language - why does this bug you so much? You actually sound threatened by the fact that this woman prefers to refer to herself as a teacher. What a colossal waste of time.

(five years out of date) offers her more insight into my daughter's psyche (based on off-hand comments by me) than my ten years of parenting said daughter, no I can't think of why this bothers me.

Thank you for your time. Sorry to waste it.

It has to do with her butting into your business in regards to your daughter.

For someone who favors precision in language, you sure picked a roundabout way of getting to the point. :rofl:

(another smiley for you since you liked the last one so much)

Precise enough for you?

And you never did answer my question - are YOU a teacher?

I'm not trying to be mean. I'm trying to point out to you how you sound in this thread. Which is kind of bizarre.

Look, I'll start over here. I'm sorry this woman bugs you so much but you really weren't at all clear about it in your original post. You just ranted about her calling herself a teacher which seemed odd at the very least.

Later, you admitted there were other things about her that bugged you and now you tell me she butts into your life about your daughter.

Well, sure, that would probably bug me, too. But you sort of danced around that initially and it seemed... well, bizarre.

I apologize for being snarky. It just struck me as a really wierd thing to get upset about.

Truce?

What some may perceive as meanness is often intended as a gentle challenge to change your thinking.

I think that many here are sensitive to issues of Judgment and Criticism. What most of us participating in this thread have been curious about is - Why Does This Issue Bother You? After several posts, you've revealed that this woman is opinionating about how you're raising your daughter, and she's using a maintained but unusued teaching certificate to legitimize her instructiveness.

Doesn't it suck? Everybody wants to tell us what to do and how to do it. I get tired of it too, but I'm working at blowing it off instead of taking it personally. People usually don't realize that they're instructive or bossy or critical - really, we do want to help one another, and offering advice when it hasn't been asked for is often our way of doing it.

Unfortunately - you did come in here asking what we thought. I'm sure it was a surprise when we didn't agree with your precision position.

Here's my unasked for advice. Laugh at her. Tell her what you've told us - that her self-appointed expertness at "teaching" doesn't grant her the right to tell you how/what/when to raise your daughter. Own your life and stop worrying about hers. She's a nutter.

Somewhere in here, DU has an Education forum. You will probably find more teachers there. I was motivated to respond to your post because although I am not a teacher and never have been, I was raised by teachers and I worked with teachers for ten years. Teaching issues are near and dear to me, and I'll always click on a "for teachers" thread, just because of my own personal interests.

Let me give you a little lesson in message boards - and in that sense, I will be acting as a teacher so I will be fulfilling your requirements.

This is an open message board. I can respond to any damn thread I feel like, whether I'm a teacher, a baker, a candlestick maker or anything else.

In addition, when you post a question such as the one you did and obviously hope that those who reply agree with you, you're setting yourself up to receive "mean" responses like my own because you sound like a moran.

How's that for precise?

Can always count on you, Skygazer.

What a weird thread. To try to get other people to get vitriolic about some woman you work with about something so minor, just to make yourself feel better about the fact that she questioned your parenting. Bizarre!

Is that what I was trying to accomplish? Wow, you're good.

I was posing a question to TEACHERS. Of which, I can only determine ONE answered. The majority of the responses were nothing but snarky. The question was:

Can someone who no longer teaching call themselves a teacher (present tense)?

I'm sorry that any of my personal bias was revealed - it was not my intent, and I'm at fault for revealing suc

by disempowering her ability to define herself as she wants".

Which isn't a bad thing, necessarily, but perhaps not the healthiest way to go about it.

It seems to me (and I could be wrong) that you have a woman you work with you interferes and says snarky things about the way you raise your daughter. She calls herself a teacher, and you have respect for the position of teacher, and so you are forced, therefore, to wonder if she could be right, even though you think she isn't. And now you want to take away her title of teacher so that it's easier for you to write her off - i.e., "If she's a not really a teacher, I don't have to listen to her".

I only have to say to that that it doesn't matter what she calls herself - if she's wrong, she's wrong. Don't let the power of the title interfere with your ability to write her off.

Rephrase it as the question, "Can I remove the power over me I have given a co-worker by simply taking it back". That way, nothing depends on her - it's all on you, as it should be, since the only person you can change is yourself. In other words, refuse to cooperate.

It's not about her calling herself a teacher; it's about your anger at her input into how you raise your child, and that you either a) don't think she's qualified to have that input, or b) harbor a secret fear that maybe she is qualified and that she's right.

Would have saved a lot of time if you'd come out that way, instead of, as Skygazer said, in such a roundabout way, but such is the typical nature of therapy.

Interesting - my chaplain ears first picked up that there was something with her, still wanting to call herself a teacher; that maybe there was suffering in her from not teaching now. But my instinct didn't pick up at all that it's really you with the problem (though she might as well).

Anyway, she has the right to call herself whatever she wants. You have the right to think she's an unqualified nincompoop, and to ignore her butting into your her affairs and write her opinions off as those of a loon.

But whatever way you go, you might consider letting go of the resentment - it takes an awful lot of energy, and isn't worth it.

during her trip to Italy

Evita - "A whore! They actually called me a whore!"

Official - "An understandible mistake. They still call me an Admiral, even though it has been years since I've been on the ocean."

My friend is a veterinarian. She hasn't practiced in a few years because she took some time off to follow some other interests. She is current in her profession, she attended school and worked hard to attain it and as far as I'm concerned, she deserves to use that "Doctor" in front of her name.

If your friend is current, then she's a teacher. She is qualified to go in front of a class and teach. Now.

And what possible difference could it make to you?

that annoys me.

And, I guarantee, that anyone who works with her at our place of employment (at her supervisory level or below, mind you) could say the same.

You've certainly picked an odd one to focus on. :eyes:

It's been so helpful.

You really think people are going to share your outrage that this woman has the temerity to call herself a teacher? Yeah, I rolled my eyes - I find it ridiculous that anyone would get worked up about such a thing.

Hey, you asked - don't blame me for offering my opinion.

otherwise, why reply to a "question for teachers" thread?

I was asking a sincere question, and I didn't want to bring in any personal baggage with there person in question.

Thanks for making me feel like an asshole.

:hi:

six years and have done long term sub jobs up to three months long.

I call myself a teacher.

I think I'm a teacher whether or not I'm in a classroom.

It is the nature of my personality. I like helping people learn things and I learn much by teaching.

non-snarky anwer to my question. I appreciate it.

:D

don't fucking bother.

Silly of you. Rabrrrrrr up above is trying to help you there, even though you feel attacked. It wouldn't hurt to examine your motives. The Lounge for all its silliness has a bullshit detector a mile wide and your post reeked of it. It doesn't make you a terrible person, just one who didn't know her own motivations when she posted.

If she's not in a classroom, actually teaching, no matter if she is current in her professional licensing or not, I don't think she qualifies as a teacher in the present tense. I agree that she's a former teacher.

If she has a valid teaching license, she is a teacher. Regardless of whether or not she's currently using it.

I have a law degree and a valid bar license. I don't currently work as a lawyer, but I am still a lawyer. I have the education and the license. The fact that I don't trudge into court every day doesn't take that away.

We're right. You're wrong.

And I can't figure out why you're so bothered by it that it's been "dogging" you for 5 years.