ABSTRACT
Education has a unique position among the professional fields. Students majoring in education do not begin to study their field with a blank slate. Instead, preservice teachers enter their programs with a plethora of preconceived notions about what it means to be a teacher. Unlike the fields of architecture or electrical engineering in which students often do not come into contact with architects or engineers before choosing their major, each of us has had rich and personal experiences with a variety of teachers. Before deciding to become a teacher, each of us spent a lot of time in classrooms as students. All education majors (indeed all majors) have had the opportunity to learn a lot about the profession of teaching. We all know much of what teachers do and have witnessed several teachers practicing their art. This knowledge colors the way we perceive the profession of education as we embark on a career in the field.
