"If we’re genuine about addressing the teacher shortage and retaining the excellent teachers we already have in the system – not just recruiting more of the ‘best and brightest’ so we can burn them out – we could start by making the decision to stop infantilizing teachers."
Respect for teachers and for their knowledge is called for in this article while it foregrounds a lack of respect for the profession as one of the causes for the current teacher shortage. The plea ‘to stop infantalizing teachers’ is accompanied by a strong argument, which is based on decades of research, against the efficacy of standardised lesson plans and programs. The article suggests that support for a profession ‘in crisis’ means laypeople especially politicians must first understand and acknowledge the complexities of the profession. Meeting the individual needs of 25-30 students at a time requires much more than a standardised lesson plan.
Reference: Mockler, N. (2025, April,28) Just because you went to school doesn’t make you an expert on teaching. Edu Research Matters.