Teachers are the conduit for the quality of life in America, because they touch just about every adult in the nation at some point in their lives. Let’s look at some of the reasons society trusts teachers and what society expects of teachers.

Public trust. Teachers carry a great responsibility. They are educating American youth, the future members of society, and they are perceived by society as highly important. Teachers are also given a lot of power over children. Parents expect teachers to do a good job in teaching and influencing their children and expect their children to obey and respect teachers. Most students in this small group are working together—except one student. How would you react to the problematic student?

Teacher accountability. Even though the public may not agree completely about what should be taught, there is general agreement that teachers should be held accountable for promoting student learning. As a teacher, you’ll be expected to understand and adjust to various student characteristics, such as student background, learning styles, and attitude toward education, to carry out your teaching responsibilities. You must create a safe and positive learning environment for all students. You’ll also be responsible for maintaining professional working standards and equalizing educational opportunities.

Teacher competency and effectiveness. Society requires teachers who are competent and effective at their jobs. As a teacher, you’ll be expected to have a deep understanding of a wide range of instructional strategies, curriculum materials, classroom management techniques, and educational technologies, and the ability to incorporate these into the learning environment. And although students today come from diverse backgrounds, you’ll be expected to bring out the potential in all your students. To achieve this, you’ll need to draw effectively from a wide selection of instructional strategies and resources to promote student learning.