Given that tomorrow, we are voting on a tentative agreement on our provincial contract, I often hear teaching consider themselves "professionals". I, 100%, agree with this statement. Often, the argument continues with comparing teachers to doctors and lawyers, as other professionals. Yet again, I do not disagree. However, I am going to draw the comparisons between teacher and the medical profession for the sake of this blog.
1. Our health care system is a PUBLIC health care system. This means that everyone has a RIGHT to access health care. This became very apparent to me this summer as I was waiting in the emergency room to get my stitches and an inmate came in to the hospital. The triage nurse asked this individual the exact same questions of him as she did to me. He was provided the same care as I was. So, in education (at least in a PUBLIC education system), everyone has a RIGHT to an education. We do not have the ability to "kick students out" that are underperforming. We cannot refuse entry into our schools for any reason and cannot send them to another school (imagine hospitals doing that?????). Even if the student has really struggled with school, we must attempt to provide the necessary care to allow this student to be successful. If we cannot provide the necessary program for a particular student and another school can, that is a different story. This comparison is just like the labour and delivery unit is at the General Hospital and not the Pasqua Hospital. Also, if a student is a threat to the school (either staff or students), this also is a different story.
2. Doctors diagnose problems and attempt to help fix them. Teachers do the exact same. Doctors do not prescribe the same medication or prescribe the same recovery routines for everyone based on age, condition, etc. Every patient is different - but all with the same goal.....to be healthy. Every student is different - but all have the same goal....to graduate. With that being said, we cannot expect every student to learn in the exact same way, be tested in the exact same way, and perform along the same time lines as everyone else. The days of having students conform to our box are no longer there.
3. Although students and teachers should not be judged based on standardized tests (doctors do not receive merit pay or penalized pay if their patients don't recover based on patient choices - and nor should teachers), there is a place for standardized tests. When I go to the doctor, I want to know what my blood pressure, cholesterol, pulse, hemoglobin, etc. is based on an accepted, standardized, level. I think there is a place for standardized tests. However, if my doctor prescribes medication or a physical routine that I am supposed to be following, and do not, this is not a reflection on my doctor. This is a reflection on the patient.
These are just three comparisons between the medical profession and the teaching profession. I'm sure there are many more. I would be interested to hear if others out there can add to my list of comparisons between education and medicine.
Hi Blair, I really liked this post you made on your blog. As teachers we play more than just one role. We have to pull out our first aid skills to help students that get hurt on the playground and we have to comfort our students and provide them with the strategies they need when coping with hard times like a therapist might do. Thinking of the topic of this class, technology has really transformed both medicine and education. For patients we now have technology that can save lives including advancements in treatments for patients that need it. For our struggling students we now have technologies that will help them in concepts they may be struggling with including apps on iPads that are both engaging and educational.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of comparisons that can be made between the two. It definitely demonstrates that educators play just as important of a role in our society!