<p>^and I take it (by responses on this thread) too common, 1of42. That is indeed unfortunate for students & for the profession alike, but understand that such an emphasis lies partly at the feet of teaching programs who must be graduating inappropriately oriented candidates, and secondarily at the feet of principals not screening for a professional <em>manner</em>, on top of professional training and a “pure” (nonemotional) commitment to education as the priority.</p>
<p>No quality teaching program emphasizes emotion over substance. Teaching is not parenting or social work (or as I have said often, on other threads, psychiatry). Perhaps the multi-level, mis-assigned “helping” roles now being directed toward teachers (often because local or state governments are too cheap to provide separate social services, frankly, & sometimes because parents choose to “use” the educational system inappropriately for clinical reasons) is partly at the heart of this. Secondarily there is too much of an emphasis on “touchy-feely” in general, in education, which certainly does not help promote & sustain the “distance” that is more effective from a teacher’s perspective.</p>