Andrew Stutts
When joining a profession, it is important to know and consider the professional organizations available. Therefore, when I entered my new profession teaching 6th grade science, I decided to review the various associations available for educators. I found it very educational and beneficial from many aspects to review the different associations available to educators. During this assignment, I reviewed national associations and those available for my content area in science. This short reflective paper will highlight what I noted concerning the National Education Association (NEA) and National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
The first organization I looked it is considered the biggest union in the United States. The NEA is the nation’s largest professional employee organization that is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA’s 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and more than 14,000 communities across the United States.
Some of the many members that comprise the National Education Association include education support professionals, higher education professionals, retired educators, students and substitute teachers as well. School administrators are also included. Therefore, this is an enormous organization with participating members from various specialized backgrounds.
The first thing I notice was the NEA offers a free online community called edCommunities. By joining NEA edCommunities you are sharing your commitment and dedication through an open exchange of strength and resources with thousands of other education professionals. NEA offers edCommunities completely free and open to everyone. According to the website edCommunities is designed and driven by its community to foster student success. Furthermore, it designed to enable its users to keep tabs on professional issues, share resources with colleagues, promote student achievement, and advance their careers. The site promotes this option to connect with virtual learning events to expand professional development opportunities, collaborate with fellow educators and others educational professionals, share classroom-ready resources and instructional materials, and learn by engaging with those who share commitment to success.
The NEA offers many benefits for membership. For instance, they have online lesson plans, grants and awards and are involved in advancement of professional pay issues. The NEA also offers practical advice for proper classroom management practices. There is also a program to help teachers find summer employment. Also, great books for teachers are reviewed and recommended in order to point teachers in the right direction for staying current with educational trends and information. The NEA presents a wealth of free tools by having a message board on their website that posts free tools for educators to use. Teachers can go there and get free things to use in their classroom.
This organization has many positive benefits but there are some issues I found that prevent me from wanting to join. First, at nearly $558 a year the dues are a little burdensome for one who actually needs to sustain a living on a teacher’s salary. Even if I could afford the dues, I could never bring myself to belong to NEA. This is mainly due to the union’s early endorsement of Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign. I feel this was a serious lapse in judgement on the part of the NEA. I doubt this decision was made with all the voices of membership in agreement before it was acted upon. This is counter to the very principle of what a union or an organization representing professionals is supposed to be. Lastly, I have personal reservations, that are outside the scope of this paper, about any organization that supports Hilary Clinton.
The next organization I will review is the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA). The NSTA, founded in 1944 and headquarter in Arlington, Virginia, is the largest organization in the world (representing more than 100 countries) committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. Their current membership of 55,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientist, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education. NSTA has 58 state chapters, 33 associate groups, 9 affiliates, and nearly 100 student chapters that cooperate to further promote and support quality science education. Their guiding principles are to: model excellence, champion science literacy, value scientific excellence, embrace diversity and learning through research, collaborate with partners, and exemplify a dynamic professional organization.
Unlike the NEA, the NSTA does not provide union representation and benefits. However, the NSTA does offer a plethora of resources for those teaching the content area of science and related subjects. NSTA provides support and resources in the following area: Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core State Standards, Curriculum Planning, and Classroom Resources. Furthermore, the NSTA provides opportunities for professional development delivered through a variety of mediums. Lastly, the NSTA freely shares news and information through an online blog.
The NSTA’s dues are an affordable $79 a year and the optional state chapter membership is $39 for 3 years. I am seriously considering joining this organization. I feel the lesson planning support alone is worth the price. Also, the NSTA offers much of its professional development through video and web seminars which further enhances affordability and convenience. In my humble opinion, the NSTA offers a lot of bang for the buck concerning content area support for educators.
One should consider and investigate the organizations supporting their profession because it is an important aspect of belonging to profession. I found it very educational and beneficial to explore the various associations available to educators. During this assignment, I summarized the information concerning the National Education Association (NEA) and National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Both organizations had their merits but the cost of membership, the apolitical nature of, and the specific content support area support are the main factors that make me consider only joining the NSTA.
Works Cited
National Science Teacher Association
National Education Association http://www.nea.org/home/ParentPartnershipResources.html
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