ABSTRACT
Teaching is a complex art full of intense knowledge and activities. This chapter seeks to understand why teaching is less likely to be recognized as a profession and why professionalization of teaching has not been well established in the US It examines both the sociological theories of the profession and the historical contexts of professionalization of teaching in the US The chapter argues that the rhetoric of the current teacher reforms may be problematic, focusing too much on individual excellence of teachers; one may need to situate teaching as a unique profession that requires comprehensive but versatile teaching workforce through school-level collaborative communities rather than the strict and rigorous pursuit of their individual excellence. The data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that teachers around the world perceive that their work is not much valued in society.
