Excursus 5
A Subjective Warrant to Teach
In his classic study, Schoolteacher, (University of Chicago Press, 1975), Dan Lortie described what he called a "subjective warrant", or those things that a person considers as necessary for success in a potential profession. For example, he describes an adolescent boy testing his manual dexterity to see if you might have a "surgeon's hands" or a young person arguing with a group of peers to see if she might make a good lawyer. He noted that, "Occupations with stringent warrants will lose more would-be members through self-discouragement than will those with permissive warrants" (p. 39). In his study, the types of "warrants" or personal qualities most teachers thought suited them for teaching were: liked children, patience, sense of humor, calm and self-possessed nature and leadership ability. Fewer than 20% of the participants included traits related to intellectual strengths or interests. In their minds, the subjective warrant for teaching is not stringent. As a result, the relatively lack of stringency meant that those interested in teaching were less likely to force self-elimination when considering teaching as a profession.
There are some important implications for teacher quality and the profession in general in the nature of the subjective warrants for teaching. Lortie mentions a few directly:
1. Early deciders (those who know from a young age that they want to be teachers) are unlikely to see their aspiration to teach as ridiculously high
2. Late deciders (deciding in college, second career teachers, and so on) do not have to worry about their "lack of protracted and specialized preparation for the role" (p.40)
3. The content of the warrant has a "feminine ring" to it since it emphasizes expressive qualities "which are presumed to differentiate women in the American division of labor between the sexes" (p. 40).
The influence of the warrant is all the more powerful if the content of the warrant is communicated to a young person, especially at particularly impressionable ages, by someone who is especially respected or beloved. Consider, for example, a 3rd grade girl who is told by the teacher she loves, "You would make a great teacher". This pronouncement is made because of the young girl's patience, willingness to help other children, and love of teaching routines like grading papers, organizing the classroom, and so on. Now imagine that same girl as young woman in a teacher preparation program. In her mind she has already been "anointed" a teacher and already possesses all it takes to be a good teacher -- patience, love of children, etc.. In her mind coursework in the general education curriculum or educational foundations or educational theory, is going to have little to do with what it takes to be a truly effective teacher.
Of course, the same scenario could play out with a 3rd grade boy but, as other literature reviewed in this study (as well according to Lortie's own observation) shows, it is much less likely. In fact, one could imagine a male 3rd grade classmate who thinks he might want to be a teacher, overhearing the remarks the teacher (who the boy, too, loves and respects) makes to the young girl. At the same moment and with the same words that the teacher has bestowed "teacher-ness" on the young girl she might have ruled out teaching as an option for the young boy because he might not possess or, at least, has not exhibited, those qualities typically attributed to girls.
In our present study, Raine describes the time as a college student that a respected teacher identified in him, the affective warrants needed to be a good teacher and ordained his professional path [Hour One Transcript]. During an early field experience the teacher noticed Raine's ability to watch children carefully and to emphasize with their energy and joy. As a result, he tells Raine that even though his grades aren't all that great [which the teacher attributed to partying during his first year] "if I’ve ever seen anyone destined for the world of teaching, it’s you.” In just a few words that teacher minimized the more stringent warrant of teaching (subject matter knowledge and intellectual strength) and reinforced that qualities such as observation, empathy and joy are what really make a teacher. Raine goes on to describe what Lortie observed nearly 40 years ago.
"And I had admired this man, respected him. And what he said really wised me up and took me out of that mode of being lost and realizing maybe – like it or not – there was a calling out there for me if I was picking up on some of the things that he was hoping kids would pick up on . . . students would pick up on. So one of the reasons for sure was that I loved the energy of kids, especially on the elementary scene. I got to view the junior high and the high school as well. But the energy in the elementary was just so fascinating to me. I guess ‘cause I felt like a kid. So that told me . . . that would be one of the reasons."
There are some important implications for teacher quality and the profession in general in the nature of the subjective warrants for teaching. Lortie mentions a few directly:
1. Early deciders (those who know from a young age that they want to be teachers) are unlikely to see their aspiration to teach as ridiculously high
2. Late deciders (deciding in college, second career teachers, and so on) do not have to worry about their "lack of protracted and specialized preparation for the role" (p.40)
3. The content of the warrant has a "feminine ring" to it since it emphasizes expressive qualities "which are presumed to differentiate women in the American division of labor between the sexes" (p. 40).
The influence of the warrant is all the more powerful if the content of the warrant is communicated to a young person, especially at particularly impressionable ages, by someone who is especially respected or beloved. Consider, for example, a 3rd grade girl who is told by the teacher she loves, "You would make a great teacher". This pronouncement is made because of the young girl's patience, willingness to help other children, and love of teaching routines like grading papers, organizing the classroom, and so on. Now imagine that same girl as young woman in a teacher preparation program. In her mind she has already been "anointed" a teacher and already possesses all it takes to be a good teacher -- patience, love of children, etc.. In her mind coursework in the general education curriculum or educational foundations or educational theory, is going to have little to do with what it takes to be a truly effective teacher.
Of course, the same scenario could play out with a 3rd grade boy but, as other literature reviewed in this study (as well according to Lortie's own observation) shows, it is much less likely. In fact, one could imagine a male 3rd grade classmate who thinks he might want to be a teacher, overhearing the remarks the teacher (who the boy, too, loves and respects) makes to the young girl. At the same moment and with the same words that the teacher has bestowed "teacher-ness" on the young girl she might have ruled out teaching as an option for the young boy because he might not possess or, at least, has not exhibited, those qualities typically attributed to girls.
In our present study, Raine describes the time as a college student that a respected teacher identified in him, the affective warrants needed to be a good teacher and ordained his professional path [Hour One Transcript]. During an early field experience the teacher noticed Raine's ability to watch children carefully and to emphasize with their energy and joy. As a result, he tells Raine that even though his grades aren't all that great [which the teacher attributed to partying during his first year] "if I’ve ever seen anyone destined for the world of teaching, it’s you.” In just a few words that teacher minimized the more stringent warrant of teaching (subject matter knowledge and intellectual strength) and reinforced that qualities such as observation, empathy and joy are what really make a teacher. Raine goes on to describe what Lortie observed nearly 40 years ago.
"And I had admired this man, respected him. And what he said really wised me up and took me out of that mode of being lost and realizing maybe – like it or not – there was a calling out there for me if I was picking up on some of the things that he was hoping kids would pick up on . . . students would pick up on. So one of the reasons for sure was that I loved the energy of kids, especially on the elementary scene. I got to view the junior high and the high school as well. But the energy in the elementary was just so fascinating to me. I guess ‘cause I felt like a kid. So that told me . . . that would be one of the reasons."