What does it mean to be a professional?

Why is it that the educational profession has such a hard time gaining the respect it deserves? Is it the lack of monetary compensation? Yes. Could it be the fact that we are working with a segment of the population (children) that is grossly undervalued in this country? Definitely. We discussed the importance of using professional language to describe the work we do in the classroom. Our work in the classroom with students and co-workers require that we are passionate and caring about what we do, but from the outside these personal attributes don't seem to accurately describe the professional knowledge and skill that is required to be effective teachers. We, as a community of educators, need to 'market' ourselves in such a way that we are viewed as what we truly are...professionals. That may sound ridiculous, but it's true. The title of educator needs an image overhaul in the way the public views the profession. If we don't do it, who will? We also talked about the task of justifying our professional practice and the difficulty of measuring the results of our work. It is much easier  to gauge the effectiveness of other professions such as medicine, law or architecture. Gauging the success of  student learning requires a much more complex system of measurement. The key to successfully conveying the importance of the work we do as educators depends on our ability to accurately assess the impact of our work on student learning and adapt to the changing needs of the student population. A group of dedicated professionals continually acquiring skills in efforts to adapt to an ever changing clientele and learning environment...what could be more professional than that?