Republic of the Philippines

CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY

Main Campus, Roxas City, Capiz
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Dear Aspiring Teachers,

Welcome to our class in “The Teaching Profession”. In this course, we will be learning about
teaching as a profession and all other topics presented in the course guide above. Our discussion will
always begin with an activity that you are expected to perform before we can do the discussion or the
lesson presentation proper.

Chapter 1 – Teaching as a Vocation, A Mission and a Profession

For the Chapter on Teaching as a Vocation, a Mission and a Profession, kindly answer the
given questions and perform Activity 1.

Individual Output - Questions to answer: Please be comprehensive in your answers. Provide a

separate sheet for them.
1) Is teaching your first choice as a career? Why?
2) What/who encouraged you to enroll in the College of Education? What do you think are the
reasons why they want you to become a teacher?
3) Do you really want to become a teacher?
4) How do you see yourself 10 years from now?
5) Complete the sentence: For me, teaching is
_________________________________________________________________.

Group Output - Activity 1. Interview three (3) teachers using the following questions:
Name: Place : Grade Level Subject:
1) How long have you been a teacher?
2) Was teaching your first choice as a career?
3) How did you prepare yourself to become a teacher?
4) How do you see yourself 5 years from now?
5) What is teaching to you?
You can do this online through chats or even just texts. Consolidate their answers in terms of
the commonality of their responses. Document your interview by providing a bio-data of your
interviewees. If you have pictures or pictures of your communication with them, please attach
them in your file.

Discussion Proper.
Your reason for choosing the course on teaching may vary with your classmates or even your
friends’ opinions and ideas. Also, the teachers you have interviewed may also have varied reasons
for being a teacher.
In this part of our lesson, let us learn about the three “faces” of teaching: as a vocation, as a
mission and as a profession.

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Teaching as a Vocation
Vocation comes from the Latin word “vocare” which means to call. This means that to some,
they are called to teach and thus, they consider teaching a vocation. This call may be Divinely
inspired, or may be a “call” from a parent, a relative or a friend. A teacher who considers teaching as
a vocation feels summoned or is strongly inclined to teach. Some teachers shared that it is as if
someone whispered in their ear that they need to be a teacher. This is why they think that teaching is
their vocation.

Teaching as a Mission
The word mission comes from the Latin verb mitto (noun missio), which parallels the Greek
word apostellō, meaning “to send.” It is also defined as a task assigned. Some teachers may consider
teaching as their assigned task or duty to be accomplished.
Some teachers feel that they have to do something to make the world a better place. They have
to step up and make a difference in the world. This may be the idea of some teachers who consider
teaching as their mission.
It is said that as a mission, “To teach is to influence every child entrusted in your care to
become better and happier because life becomes more meaningful. To teach is to help the child
become more human” (Corpuz, et al., 2018).

Teaching as a Profession
Teaching is a profession thus, a teacher as a professional conforms to the technical or ethical
standards of a profession. In other words, teaching as a profession needs competence and a Code of
ethics. In addition, Corpuz, et al (2018) present other elements of a profession:
(1) It needs an initial professional education, that is, long and arduous years of preparation.
The BSEd degree requires 4 years of schooling. It includes the development of knowledge and skills
in general education, professional education and specialization or major courses.
(2) It also has to have accreditation. This means that a degree in Education should be attained
from a regulated and government-recognized college or university. Only schools that are recognized
by the Commission on Higher Education can offer the course in teaching. This is to insure that the
necessary training and quality of teaching is constantly regulated and monitored.
(3) As a professional, teachers have to have a license. Just like a driver who should not drive
without a license, a teacher should not teach also if he or she has no license in teaching. After you
graduate your 4-year degree, you are expected to apply to the Philippine Regulation Commission
(PRC) for the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT) that you are expected
to pass. Once you pass this examination, PRC will then issue you your PRC license.
(4) As a professional, teachers have to have professional development. This means that
teachers are expected to have ongoing professional education that could maintain or improve their
professional knowledge and skills after they begin their practice of teaching. They can attain this by
attending conferences and seminars that cannot only develop them professional, but personally and
socially as well. Attendance to conferences and seminars sponsored by Continuing Professional
Development (CPD)-accredited agencies will grant them CPD points that they will submit to PRC
when they renew their licenses. Going to graduate school can also provide professional teachers CPD
points that they can also submit to PRC for their renewal of their licenses. In the Philippines, this is
mandated by Republic Act (RA) 10912, otherwise known as the CPD Act of 2016.
(5) As professionals, teachers may add to their development by engaging and participating in
professional organizations or societies. By doing so, they can develop linkages and networks with
other professionals to which they can exchange ideas and opinions on matters related to the
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profession. Teachers may become members of professional societies in teaching such as the
Philippine Association for Teachers and Educators (PAFTE), the State Universities and Colleges
Teacher Educators Association (SUCTEA) and other professional organizations/societies for
specialization courses like the Biology Teachers Association (BIOTA), Reading Association of the
Philippines (RAP), etc.
(6) As a profession, teaching also has a code of ethics to ensure that all teachers behave
responsibly. The Code of Professional Ethics for Teachers states what all professional teachers should
do. Violation of the Code of ethics may lead to the teacher’s suspension from the practice of teaching
and the revocation of the professional teacher’s Certificate of Registration (Sec. 23, RA 7836).

Historical Development of Teaching as a Profession in the Philippines

Teaching was considered as a profession by virtue of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1006,
known as the Decree Professionalizing Teaching in the Philippines in 1976 issued by then President
Ferdinand E. Marcos. The need to professionalize teaching was felt “to insure that in the immediacy
and urgency of teacher recruitment, qualitative requirements are not overlooked…” and “although
teaching requires a number of years of collegiate study, it is the only course that is not yet considered
a profession. Furthermore, “in recognition of the vital role of teachers in nation-building and as an
incentive to raise the morale of teachers, it is imperative that they be considered as professionals and
teaching be recognized as a profession (PD 1006). The phrase which says: “to insure that in the
immediacy and urgency of teacher recruitment, qualitative requirements are not overlooked” means
that to make sure that the quality and the demand for new teachers, the qualities of the teachers should
not be overlooked, that is, should be taken seriously. The second phrase: “although teaching requires
a number of years of collegiate study, it is the only course that is not yet considered a profession.
There are degrees that also require four years of study, like nursing, and the graduates are considered
professionals. But this is not the case of teaching. Before this PD, teaching is just considered a degree,
but not a profession. Finally, the last phrase: in recognition of the vital role of teachers in nation-
building and as an incentive to raise the morale of teachers, it is imperative that they be considered
as professionals and teaching be recognized as a profession. The country now recognizes the
important role that teachers play in the development of the nation. By recognizing teaching as a
profession, the morale and confidence of teachers will be uplifted, thereby making them more inspired
to perform their duties and responsibilities as teachers.
In 1994, Republic Act (RA) 7836, the Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994
was passed in order to “promote quality education by proper supervision and regulation of the
licensure examination and professionalization of the practice of the teaching profession.” (Sec. 2).

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