Legacy Statement: Status of the Profession
STATUS OF THE PROFESSION
Dr. Flynn enters the room of a patient who was recently admitted to University Hospital complaining of severe abdominal pain. Several interns follow Dr. Flynn to the patient’s bedside. Dr. Flynn begins to ask the patient a series of questions. After the patient responds, Dr. Flynn turns to one of the interns and asks for a diagnosis. The intern gives a diagnosis. Dr. Flynn follows with a series of questions related to the basis for the diagnosis and possible treatment. The ABC Corporation has just initiated a new data management plan. All middle managers have been told to report to the conference room at 8:30 A.M. on Monday.
Upon arrival, the director of human resources introduces
Ms. Dominguez from Data Resources, the retailer of the software supporting the new data management plan. Ms. Dominguez distributes a packet of materials and spends the remainder of the day with the managers, reviewing the materials in the packet, presenting additional information using a computer presentation platform, and showing a video related to the data management plan.
Mr. Pell stops at Amy Black’s desk and answers a question. He moves to the desk of another student, observes the student writing in a workbook, points to something the student has written, and then, in a low voice, tells the student that the response is not correct and explains why. He continues around the room, stopping at almost every desk to make some remark. After about
10 minutes he goes to the front of the room and says,
“Class, it appears that several people are having problems with this assignment. Let’s review how to divide one fraction by another fraction.” Mr. Pell walks to the blackboard and begins to speak.
Which of these individuals—Dr. Flynn, Ms. Dominguez, or Mr. Pell—is a teacher? Why? What defines the act of teaching? T eaching has been considered by some to be the most noble of professions.
H. G.Wells went so far as to say,“The teacher,
Dr. Flynn enters the room of a patient who was recently admitted to University Hospital complaining of severe abdominal pain. Several interns follow Dr. Flynn to the patient’s bedside. Dr. Flynn begins to ask the patient a series of questions. After the patient responds, Dr. Flynn turns to one of the interns and asks for a diagnosis. The intern gives a diagnosis. Dr. Flynn follows with a series of questions related to the basis for the diagnosis and possible treatment. The ABC Corporation has just initiated a new data management plan. All middle managers have been told to report to the conference room at 8:30 A.M. on Monday.
Upon arrival, the director of human resources introduces
Ms. Dominguez from Data Resources, the retailer of the software supporting the new data management plan. Ms. Dominguez distributes a packet of materials and spends the remainder of the day with the managers, reviewing the materials in the packet, presenting additional information using a computer presentation platform, and showing a video related to the data management plan.
Mr. Pell stops at Amy Black’s desk and answers a question. He moves to the desk of another student, observes the student writing in a workbook, points to something the student has written, and then, in a low voice, tells the student that the response is not correct and explains why. He continues around the room, stopping at almost every desk to make some remark. After about
10 minutes he goes to the front of the room and says,
“Class, it appears that several people are having problems with this assignment. Let’s review how to divide one fraction by another fraction.” Mr. Pell walks to the blackboard and begins to speak.
Which of these individuals—Dr. Flynn, Ms. Dominguez, or Mr. Pell—is a teacher? Why? What defines the act of teaching? T eaching has been considered by some to be the most noble of professions.
H. G.Wells went so far as to say,“The teacher,