The Pedagogical Profession

The pedagogical profession is defined from a historical and conceptual, theoretical and practical perspective. It is analyzed in the current context, at the level of: a) sphere of reference, which is extended to the scale of the whole society, outlined formally and non-formally within the education system and process; b) general functions – to carry out organized activities and unorganized influences, with formative purposes, with positive and/or negative impact; c) basic structure, necessary for the exercising of the “pedagogical profession”, which can be identified and perfected at the level of the existing relations between several components: socio-professional status (teacher specialized in education) – training roles (specialized teacher, teacher-form tutor, teacher-school manager etc.) – pedagogical openings to the numerous informal influences coming from the social environment, including the school one. A plea for the pedagogical profession demands: relating to the model represented by the teacher – a specialist in formal (but also non-formal) education/training, which is achieved through various school or university disciplines, at all levels of the education system; “seeking new perspectives” of understanding the status and roles of the teacher as an agent of change in the specific context of postmodern (contemporary) information knowledge-based societies