Need for Exemplary Teachers as School Leaders and Mentors

A recent article in The Christian Science Monitor (“How Do the New Teachers Measure Up?” March 8, 2005) reported a decrease in the number of “high-aptitude women” entering the teaching profession. The article used the term “high-aptitude” to describe women from the most selective colleges and with the highest SAT scores, and reported that it was more common in the past than it is presently for such women to become teachers and, by extension, assume roles as school mentors and leaders, because of their intelligence and abilities. The bottom line of the story, it seems, is that truly excellent teachers not only help their students; they also help their colleagues and their schools at large by acting as leaders, role models, and mentors. So there’s no such thing as being over-qualified for teaching. If you’re a high-achiever, you have all the more reason to enter the teaching profession, where your abilities will be put to maximum use.