You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother. You may not dress in bright colors. You must wear at least two petticoats. You must start the fire at 7 a.m. so the school room will be warm by 8 a.m. — 1915 Rules for Teachers, Goodland, Kansas

What do you think of the 1915 Rules for Teachers?

Do they seem somewhat strange or outdated?

Teaching profession

In education, teachers are those who help students or pupils learn, often in a school. The objective is typically a course of study, lesson plan, or a practical skill, including learning and thinking skills. The different ways to teach are often referred to as the teacher's pedagogy. When deciding what teaching method to use, a teacher will need to consider students' background knowledge, environment, and their learning goals as well as standardized curricula as determined by the relevant authority. The teacher should also be able to deal with students with different abilities and should also be able to deal with learning disabilities. Many times, teachers assist in learning outside of the classroom by accompanying students on field trips. They also supervise study halls, help with the organization of school functions, and serve as supervisors for extracurricular activities.

Primary and Secondary School Teachers

Perhaps the most significant difference between primary and secondary teaching in the UK is the relationship between teachers and children. In primary schools each class has a teacher who stays with them for most of the week and will teach them the whole curriculum. In secondary schools they will be taught by different subject specialists each session during the week and may have 10 or more different teachers. The relationship between children and their teachers tends to be closer in the primary school where they act as form tutor, specialist teacher and surrogate parent during the course of the day.

This is true throughout most of the United States as well. However, alternative approaches for primary education do exist. One of these, sometimes referred to as a "platoon" system, involves placing a group of students together in one class that moves from one specialist to another for every subject. The advantage here is that students learn from teachers who specialize in one subject and who tend to be more knowledgeable in that one area than a teacher who teaches many subjects. Students still derive a strong sense of security by staying with the same group of peers for all classes.

University teachers

Teachers in college are called instructors or lecturers. In the United States, the term "professor" is usually applied to college or University teachers who have received their Ph.D., while instructors or lecturers have received their Masters degree, and usually are pursuing their Ph.D. Professorial rankings from Assistant Professor through Full Professor that may be defined differently at various institutions. The rank of American university instructors depends in part on the amount of relevant and publishable research completed over time.

An "assistant professor" is typically required to have completed extensive research seminars at the post-graduate level and have written and defended the dissertation. The Ph.D. is almost always required. Assistant professors are similar to lecturers or readers in the United Kingdom. Their initial preparation for the profession takes between eight and twelve years.

An "associate professor" must typically have completed five or more years of additional research, published articles in national and international journals, developed syllabi for the teaching of various courses, provided services to the University (i.e., committee member, faculty senate member, etc.), and in most cases have published refereed books.

The "full professor" in the United States would be the equivalent of the "Professor" in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. It is not typical to achieve the title of "full professor" within the first fifteen to twenty years as an educator and researcher at a university in the United States. It requires dedication to the discipline and eminent, original scholarship, as shown through published works and a diverse curriculum vitae.

In the United Kingdom the title 'Professor' is restricted to university teachers who have been granted a 'chair'. Others are known as lecturers or readers and usually carry the title "Dr." by virtue of having a PhD. A very small number of lecturers, particularly on social science and arts fields, may be titled "Mr/Mrs" etc as they may only have a Masters degree.