The Public Image of a Teacher (Summary of Week 3)

For the past week, my group has gathered pictures from Google Images to identify characteristics that define the public image of a “teacher”.  In reading the summaries from the other groups for this assignment, the images seem to meld into a common vision.  The most typical public image of a teacher is a conservative, professional female that teaches elementary students.  From the pictures that I collected for my collage, I can refine this image even further.  The teacher is portrayed as young, smiling, thin, and pretty.  Men are not often portrayed in the public perception as teachers.  When they are shown, they are always depicted as high school teachers for math, science or technology.  

Two attributes for a teacher are described by all of the groups in this study.  One of the attributes is that teachers care about their students.  The other trait is that teachers are enthusiastic about their jobs.  The pictures from Google Images for a “teacher” often show a smiling teacher helping students with activities, engaging students in instruction, and answering student questions.  The “Hollywood” version of a teacher takes these traits to a higher degree, where the teacher will go above and beyond the requirements of teaching to make their students successful.  In the marketing arena, students would not buy presents for teachers if they were not caring and enthusiastic about their profession.  In addition, they would not need smocks if they were not participating in student activities.

Some of the characteristics for the image of a public teacher were surprising (and possibly disturbing).  In many instances, teachers were shown attending teacher conferences.  This positive portrayal of teachers demonstrates a public perception that teachers are trying to improve their instructional methods for the benefit of the students.  Also, teachers were shown fighting political battles for education.  This may be a positive perception that teachers are willing to fight for what they think is right for education, or could be a negative image against tenure and unions.  The most disconcerting images portrayed the “sex kitten” teacher.  These images were shown in the marketing and overall “teacher” searches.  It is very unsettling to think that students could “google” their teachers on the internet and find images like this. 

 What is missing in the vision of a public teacher?  Diversity is the main characteristic missing from the images of a teacher.  Gender stereotyping is prevalent in this public image of a teacher.  Racial diversity for teachers is almost non-existent in any images across the board.  Age discrimination is also demonstrated, as few images displayed older teachers.  In addition, advanced methods for instruction are missing from the images.  Most teachers were shown instructing from the blackboard; technology was rarely shown in the school setting.  Finally, parents were not shown in many of the photos for teachers.  Since the teacher-student-parent triangle is extremely important for excellence in education, teachers should be shown working with parents for the benefit of the student.