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I Hate The Elite Concept of Professionalism
It’s an idea meant to defend class and stratification

The idea of professionalism is bullshit. As a teacher, people often call me a very professional employee. I show up to work every day and on time. I dress well to work. I get all my reports and deliverables in on time. I do my job and do it, in every sense of the word, professionally.
My problem with professionalism isn’t quite what it demands from the American workforce. My problem is the implication. At its core, professionalism is an elitist concept. To be a “professional” puts you in a class above those who aren’t professional, to gloat in your status as someone higher than the average person. Just because I show up on time doesn’t necessarily make me better at my job than someone who doesn’t.
The problem with professionalism, beyond its implication, is it doesn’t leave much room for human connection or vulnerability. It requires a certain guardedness at work. I know many people who have no desire to fraternize with co-workers and keep a strong social distance (metaphorically) between their personal and professional lives.
I respect those decisions, but I’m an advocate for my workplace, at the very least, to be less professional in the sense that not everyone has to put on a show and act like they have it all together when they don’t. I sit in meetings where everyone pats themselves on the back, and no one admits what they struggle with or any issues they have in the workplace.
We all have the same job and struggle with the same things as teachers, from workload to classroom management to more. Is the culture of “shut up and do your job” really conducive to a positive work environment? I’m not saying every meeting should be a relentless airing of grievances, but grievances will be aired in some form or another, and when teachers get together, this is often what happens.
Professionalism implies a lack of authenticity, an environment where making mistakes and taking risks is frowned upon. It requires putting on a show instead of showing your true self. To some extent, professionalism means someone different to everyone, and again, many people like professional distance.