Born to be a teacher: What am I doing in a college of education?

Abstract: This study examined the beliefs about teaching by pre-interns entering a college of education's holistic teaching and learning program. Of interest were the students' beliefs about the concepts of teaching and learning and the sources of those beliefs. Qualitative interviews were conducted during the students' first year of enrollment in curriculum-related coursework. Students discussed how they chose education as a career, how they thought of themselves as teachers, and what they believed were the sources of their knowledge about teaching. All of the participants were interested in teaching in public school primary grades. Data analysis revealed a belief in a "special calling" or "gift" that would make them more successful than other individuals for this career. They indicated that this "gift" alone was enough to allow them to be successful in teaching. Most of their beliefs developed from their own experiences as students, and from the comments of others (primarily teachers) who stated a belief th at the student had natural abilities. Recommendations are made about the use of more reflective teaching methods to force students to confront the level of their skills and compare their perceptions with reality early in the teacher education process

The journey to becoming a teacher is unique to each individual preparing to enter the profession. There are similarities, however, in approaches to obstacles, preparation, desire, and experiences that have an influence on the type of teacher an individual will become. Teaching, as do other professions, has a body of knowledge and skills that are the basis for quality practice (Schempp, 1995). Professionals bring a unique understanding and insight to an occupation that is based on three factors: knowledge, skills, and ethics. Through the body of knowledge gained as a developing professional and through years of practice within a field, the reputation of the field is established. For preservice students to be using their personality characteristics as a basis for choosing their profession should be of concern.

Contemporary literature in the field lacks information about the knowledge base teachers use in their professional practice. As presented by Duffy and Anderson (1984), teachers possess personal theoretical orientations about teaching that have the effect of organizing and prompting their teaching behaviors. There is a growing recognition in teacher education that gaining an insight into teachers' knowledge base will lead to a better understanding of teaching practices. Understanding preservice teachers' individual theories and how they may influence their learning will inform and hopefully strengthen the teacher education practice.

Many preservice teachers appear to hold a simplistic view of the profession. In general, they view the job of teaching as being relatively easy and express few concerns about their abilities as future teachers (Neuruer, 1995; Proefriedt, 1994; Sedlak, 1987). One possible reason for preservice students' simplistic views may be the number of years students spend observing their own teachers. There is no adult for which a novice observes so many role models over such an extended period of time. Because of this knowledge, what students expect to gain during their college education varies. Some students come to colleges of education to learn the "tricks of the trade," others believe they are "born teachers," while still others thoroughly become "students of teaching and learning" (Crookshank, Bainer, & Metcalf, 1995; Rodriguez, 1993).

There is a growing trend in research to learn what teachers know and how they use that knowledge in their classrooms. This study examines the gap in the research on teachers' beliefs by focusing on the beliefs of students at the preservice level, specifically on the issues of how they came to choose teaching, and what they are getting out of their coursework. This time period lays the basis for the development of their personal theories about teaching, which will affect their learning and professional practice.

Method

The participants involved in this study (a total of 14) were college seniors enrolled in curriculum courses at a large university in the southeastern United States. Teacher preparation at the university is a five-year process. Students first earn a baccalaureate degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, with a minor in Elementary Education. They then return for a fifth year to complete the requirements for a teaching license. All of the participants in this study were in the last semester of their fourth year, and most had indicated an interest in teaching the primary grades. They were enrolled in courses covering the organization of schools, teachers' roles and responsibilities, children's different learning styles, classroom management, and instructional methods and materials. The students also had to complete practicum in elementary schools focusing on planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction.

Data Collection

The participants were informally interviewed three times during the semester. Each interview was approximately 50 minutes long. The interview schedule was structured after the framework known as the Descriptive Research Sequence (DRS) [Spradley.sup.a], 1980), which suggests using three types of questions: descriptive, structural, and contrast. The first interview began with three main questions: "How did you decide you wanted to be a teacher?," "What does it mean to learn?," and "Where do you learn the most useful information that will help you when you become a teacher?" After the student responded, follow-up questions were asked to seek clarification. Additional data were collected by use of weekly E-mail journals, whereby students responded to questions and reflected on their experiences in weekly practicum and lecture courses.

Data Analysis

Data analysis began on the first day of the study and ended about three months later. By concurrently collecting and analyzing data from the main interviews, additional questions for subsequent interviews were generated as well as questions that could be explored in the E-mail journals. Data analysis involved summarizing data into themes and categories based on the methods described by Goetz and LeCompte (1984), in which broad topics are identified and then broken down into smaller concepts. Determining topics or categories provided a convenient and coherent way to organize the large volume of information. To use this approach, the researcher allowed topics to "emerge" from the data. Emerging from the data, as the term is used here, meant that particular topics were mentioned by at least five participants directly, and that others may have alluded to them, even if the same words or terms were not repeated.

All of the transcripts were shared with the participants so that they could read the comments, provide clarifications, and check the material for accuracy, thereby improving the data's reliability. Additional revisions were made based on the participants' responses and reactions about their transcribed interviews.

Findings

Distinguishing between what was new knowledge about teaching and what was a personal belief at this stage was very difficult. The researcher was dependent upon the individual participant opening up and talking directly about his/her thoughts and beliefs. For the purpose of this study, what was accepted as the students' beliefs were the statements made in response to the interview questions. The years of contact with teachers from being in school led these students to believe they had gained useful information about the teaching profession. These experiences formed a screen through which all potential information and knowledge about teaching passed.

In analyzing the data, three categories emerged: a belief in teaching as a calling, an early identification with teachers as role models, and a self-view of being a teacher. Each category was unique in what it addressed and in what the students felt their thinking was. All of the above were identified as a part of these students' developing understanding about aspects of their chosen profession. This article deals most specifically with the first category: Belief in teaching as a calling.

In this study, the taxonomy that was developed reflected the thinking of this group of individuals as revealed through the data analysis. This taxonomy can be best understood when comparing it to constructing a wall . A student's foundation of beliefs upon entering the teacher education program constitutes the first three layers of his or her thinking about teaching: a belief in teaching as a calling, early identification with teachers as role models, and viewing themselves as teachers. From this base, the student begins making judgments about the school experience, about the preparation process, and about the role of the teacher. The student then adds to this base based on coursework and field experiences. These experiences continue to shape the student's beliefs about teaching, learning, and curriculum, resulting, ultimately, in a philosophy of education.

To be included in the taxonomy, a concept had to be mentioned by a large majority of the individuals. For instance, three-fourths of the students stated they had been called to teach. All of the students mentioned their own school experiences in comparison to what schools were like today. Ten of the 13 students talked about teachers who were role models for them or who had specifically encouraged them to go into teaching. Six of the students were the children of teachers. The last area discussed by all participants was their philosophy of education. This arose in follow-up discussions that served as a double check on consistency with what the students said in response to earlier questions.

Throughout the interviews, the students spoke of how their field placements brought back memories of being in the primary grades. They also revealed what they believed were the best ways to teach and their ideas about how children learn. They did not hesitate to critique their supervising teachers teaching strategies. These perceptions were recorded as students' current beliefs based on their prior life experiences.

Identification With Teachers

Many of the participants had relatives who were teachers, according to the interviews. These students also identified significant teachers from their elementary or high school experience as central to their choosing education as a profession. When these students chose a major in college, including those for whom education would be a second degree, they stated that the role of past teachers played in their lives was influential in their decision. Sally described it this way.

My mom was a preschool teacher, and I would watch her do stuff... I have always just watched teachers. And in high school, my Spanish teacher, just the way she taught, and the fun we had in her classroom, it was just the way she taught and the fun we had in her classroom. (Sally)

For Stephi, her connection within the family was even greater:

I come from a whole line of educators: my aunts are in education, my uncle started into education, but he never finished unfortunately. My mother and I had grandfathers who were principals and grandmothers who were teachers, and great grandparents, and it goes way back. (Stephi)

For Sandra, having a mother who was a teacher had the impact of initially leading her away from teaching as a career. Later, it was the familiarity and a feeling of competence within that role that brought her back.

My mother's a teacher. She teaches 5th grade. My aunt's a teacher. She teaches 2nd grade. My grandmother was a teacher. I was originally going to major in education when I started my undergraduate degree and my mom kind of talked me out of it. She said, "It's the only thing you've ever seen, go out there and get some other experience before you make up your mind for sure." (Sandra)

Sandra followed her mother's advice and completed a degree in English. After graduation she worked in a preschool for two years before deciding to return to school. When Sandra reentered college, she said she was even more sure that education was her calling.

Natalie, another student whose mother was an educator, also downplayed the role of her parent as an influence on her decision to become a teacher.

I've actually known I was in this direction [going to be a teacher] since I was very young. My mother was a teacher, a high school teacher, English teacher, and then she's a superintendent now. And that [having a mother whom is a teacher] didn't necessarily gear me toward it. But I played school when I was young, and have always wanted to teach. I never had any, I never made any choices, and she didn't ... she never pressured me into teaching or said, "Why don't you become a teacher?" I just think that there were a lot of materials maybe at the house that might have stimulated that. I had textbooks to play with, and things that made me feel like a teacher. I've never really questioned it. I've always wanted to teach elementary school, I've never doubted that I wanted to be a teacher. It has just kind of evolved. (Natalie)

Natalie talked later about what she felt was a stronger influence on her choice to become a teacher. She believed that not just anyone could be a teacher, and stated that you had to receive a "calling to be a teacher."

Teaching As a Calling

The belief that teaching is a calling was a central point in these students' descriptions of who they were and why they were pursuing their teaching degrees. Natalie continued,

I think that there is a very big difference in understanding a concept and in being able to break it down and teach that concept, because the way that people learn are all different and you have to have a grasp of multiple ways to teach a certain thing in order to reach every child and help them learn that concept, and so I think that teaching requires a lot, and you know even with that, you can be taught all those methodologies and all the various ways to teach and still beyond that, I think there is a little something more, almost like the ministry, you know, I think there's a little more of a calling.

Natalie's belief in teaching as a calling was not unique. Out of the 13 participants, nine used this label to describe their view of themselves and why they had decided to enter the teaching profession. Sandra called her religious background the source of her belief in teaching as a calling. She stated,

I happen to be a Lutheran; it teaches that everyone finds their calling and that's your spiritual quest--to find your calling, and I believe that very strongly. And I believe I was called to be a teacher and I don't think that everybody was, so obviously everyone was not given the gifts that're necessary. There is this idea, that anyone can be trained to be a teacher, just like anyone can be trained to be a doctor, but that doesn't mean they are going to be a great doctor because I think a lot of it is based on intuition and feelings, and perceptions that you either have or you don't have, and it's probably the same about being a doctor, being an engineer or whatever. (Sandra)

When choosing a major, Barbara stated that she relied on what she called her recognition of the gift to teach. Discussions revealed that Barbara's choice of teaching as her profession was influenced by two factors. The first was the belief that she was given a gift to teach from God; the second was the examples that had been provided by some of her own teachers. She expressed her view that certain people have a gift to teach:

There are special teachers, you know, because I'm one of those (special) people. Special people are set aside. I really believe if you are called, which I believe I've been called, and I speak to God daily, "Lord, tell me I am suppose to do this. Tell me that again." But in praying to God, I would be like, He's led me to teach. I feel like this would be the best thing that I could do with my abilities and talents. And I'm trying to help someone with a better life than they would live without me. And trying to teach them why they live, the things that life has to offer that you wouldn't get on the street, I'd rather be in school. (Barbara)

Another student, Holly, explained why she felt so strongly that she was meant to be a teacher. She had completed a degree in business and was employed in a business setting when she entered a school to participate in a Junior Achievement Day activity. She recalled the experience as a turning point in her life.

The moment I walked in the door, I just knew. Isn't that strange? Both of my parents are teachers. My dad's a principal, and my mother's a teacher. It's been, you know, in the family forever. And I grew up in a school. Spent my free time there, my afternoons, my summers. I just walked into the classroom and it was wonderful. You know, it just sort of came naturally. You know, I didn't know the formal processes. I didn't know how...the teacher had set up the classroom or anything like that. And I didn't even know the children's names, but I could learn it really quickly, which surprised me, because I had, I don't know, I just, it just surprised me that it could happen that way, that it would all fall into place just like it was suppose to. Just like that was where I was supposed to be. (Holly)

Having, as Holly said, "grown up in schools," it would be understandable that she would feel comfortable in that environment. That strong feeling and a sense of belonging were enough to lead Holly to education as her new chosen career. Holly described her good feeling when she first entered the school as part of her "calling" to be a teacher. She also felt a strong conviction about her mission, or purpose, in life:

I just don't think that I was led to be a teacher to just do it eight hours a day. I just don't. I just don't feel that way. I worked for three and a half years in another job, in a business situation, and it was totally different, and I have not ever been happy, and [although] I've only been in the schools for six or seven months...I just don't ever see it being a 9-to-5 kind of job. If it takes doing stuff on weekends, it takes being there at night, that is what I want to do. (Holly)

Other students were like Bill, who was returning to school for his teaching degree after spending many years working as a teacher's aide in a variety of classrooms. He also described his decision to become a teacher as a religious experience.

I was living in Atlanta about seven years ago and sort of had a religious experience.... Something really touched me and it made me want to move back to my own community and try to definitely help re-establish more educational foundation and...moral value in some of the children's lives. (Bill)

What is significant about the view of teaching as a calling is how it affected the students' impressions and beliefs, specifically about what the students believed they needed to learn to be successful teachers. It also raised some interesting questions. Are all prospective teachers "called," or are there some who are not called, but who teach anyway? In addition, is it possible to lose one's calling? Mandi offered her thoughts about these questions:

Unfortunately, I do see a lot of people that should not be teachers that are teachers. And I think that is really unfortunate. So in some ways, how can I say, "No, you are wrong." When I see it out there, I think they are not happy, the ones that I have seen that do not, that don't enjoy, that are teachers that shouldn't be teachers, are usually unhappy, they usually have a kind of bad attitude. And I am sure that bad attitude reflects on the children. And they probably don't have a very nice class, because the kids aren't happy, the teacher's not happy, so I really don't believe that [uncalled] people can be happy teachers, not everyone can be a happy teacher. I'm assuming that if you go in and pass all of your classes, and you pass this and that, you can become a teacher. I know one person said that...in one of my classes [said] that she didn't really like kids, but she loved art and she loved to teach art. Well...I think she will make a good art teacher, but it was just funny hearing her say this. I do thi nk that teaching is a talent also. I think everyone is born with talents, and I think teaching is one of them, and therefore I don't think everyone is born to be a teacher, but I do think that it's unfortunate that a lot of people do get into the programs and are going out there to teach. (Mandi)

These students held strong beliefs about why teaching was the right career choice for them. For example, they commonly believed that being "called" to teach gave them special insight into children and teaching. They also seemed to emphasize the affective side of the relationship between teachers and students. Holly stated that it was possible, even in her courses, to identify who would be a successful teacher and who would not. She was most concerned, she said, about her peers who went into education as "a hobby rather than as a career," and those who were "very rigid in their thinking."

The students I interviewed drew a clear distinction between what they viewed as current practice and their idealized view of themselves as teachers.

Traditional teaching, I can't imagine teaching like that. Trying to teach someone like that would just be doing an injustice to them and taking my teaching certification and throwing it into the trash. (Barbara)

Most children are basically the same, but you know a lot of the behavior problems that you see in schools these days, a lot of it comes from mismanagement. (Bill)

It's such a sad situation because the teachers [currently in schools] do not care. I don't think they are horrible people, I just think they are not into their job. ... No excitement whatsoever in the classroom...Just, it's boring, boring. (Emma)

These students found the current system to be inadequate and believed they themselves, even with limited actual teaching experience, could identify and, through their efforts, solve the problem. This belief may come from viewing teaching as a spectator and not fully understanding the goals, strategies and outcomes of teaching efforts. Having opportunities to apply new knowledge appears critical to students' successful inclusion of that information into their beliefs. Amanda's comments were reflective of the group.

It [teacher training] didn't mean anything to me until I saw it and I experienced it. I think that memorizing is different from learning because in real learning you're adapting it to your own life. (Amanda)

Sandra, in summing up her preparation to be a teacher, echoed many of her classmates' views:

A lot of what we got [from education classes] or what I feel I have gotten so far has not been as much basic as what I feel I already had. It was like I already had the building blocks.... I already kind of knew how to plan a lesson.... In general, I think I am pretty much the same person I was when I came. (Sandra)

In summary, while being "called" was repeatedly identified by participants as a strong influence on their decision to become teachers, it was not the only factor. Many students had one or more close relatives, usually parents, who were teachers. Yet, few of the students stated that such a situation influenced their career choice. It is possible that these students identified strongly with the role of a teacher in part because it also involved their feelings for their parent who was a teacher.

Summary and Conclusions

Kostelnik, Soderman, and Whiren (1999) identified competence and worth as two critical factors affecting self-esteem. Perhaps the participants of this study were seeking recognition by the world to match their self-perceived worth as teachers. Many stated that they viewed themselves as teachers even before they started their formal professional preparation. Brookhart and Freeman (1992) indicate that most preservice teachers have an unrealistic optimism and self-serving bias that accounts for their belief that the attributes most important for successful teaching are the ones that they identify in themselves.

These students believed that they could avoid most of the problems commonly faced by classroom teachers, simply because they believed they had been called to the profession. Beginning teachers often view teaching as primarily presenting information and answering questions (Brookhart & Freeman, 1992). Furthermore, they believe that they only need to relate well to students for the students to learn and enjoy being in their classrooms. Preservice teachers tend to overemphasize the affective variables and underemphasize the cognitive knowledge base that is critical for teachers (Weinstein, 1988).

Before beginning their teacher education courses, these students possessed established beliefs not only about how to teach, but also about the value of the courses they were about to take. These students firmly believed that they were special and possessed unique qualities that other individuals did not possess and that would make them more successful teachers. These students strongly stated that not everyone can be a teacher. They also felt that they had been called, or blessed with a gift, to teach, and that this gift gave them an insight into children not shared by others.

Those who believe they have a calling for a specific career often display an elevated sense of self and of their value to society. It is one thing if these people take their training seriously and work to develop the skills required for fulfilling that calling. If, however, they believed that teaching was an easy job if you have the calling, they may neglect their preparation and place higher trust in what they termed "the personality of a teacher." Such students are likely to find that belief in themselves will not be sufficient to perform the myriad tasks associated with teaching.

Serow (1994) concluded that preservice students' beliefs in teaching as a calling had broad positive implications for the ways in which these students expected to carry out the teacher's role. Serow questioned whether these students would remain in the teacher education program if their beliefs were challenged or if they experienced failure in their initial teaching attempts. Like the Serow study, the finding that emerged from these interviews was the perception that being "called" was shaped by identification with the students' own teachers, the impact of parents as teachers, and reinforced through a positive feeling of acting within the teaching role themselves.

This author is concerned that the year spent student teaching may be insufficient for those students who believe that teaching success is a function of personality rather than learned skills. Many of the students interviewed for this study held firm to their beliefs even in the face of exposure to new ideas and methods, until they were convinced or had seen firsthand the methods successfully implemented.

At the beginning of the semester, some of these students believed they were merely acquiring labels for beliefs they already had. Even by the end of the semester, they did not have a sufficient grasp of either their own beliefs or those of the program in which they were enrolled. The students were not successful in blending lessons from the course material to their previous beliefs.

It would appear to be critical for preservice students to have honest, critical feedback early about their performance in applied settings. Merely offering nurturing and supportive comments would likely only validate that the student already is qualified to be a teacher. Only when students can draw a connection between new knowledge and application of that knowledge do they appear to change their perceptions of what they are getting from the university experience.

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