Final Exam Essay I am not a babysitter
Terrence Hendrix
Professor Phil West
English 1301- 468
11 December 2014
I Am Not A Babysitter: A Rhetorical Analysis
Teaching is not a lowly job as most people think. Teaching is a profession that is highly, commendable just like banking, nursing and other professions. However, some people often ridicule the teaching profession merely because of its poor pay, poor career prospects, not to mention the perceived monotony of the daily routine writing lesson plans and preparing lecture materials. Despite all these criticisms, not many teachers have defended themselves. However, in the article “I am not a babysitter,” Heather Robinson takes a stand to defend the teaching profession effectively by appealing to ethos, pathos and logos. This paper seeks to explain how, the rhetor, Robinson, has effectively defended her profession. Ethos refers to how the audience perceives the rhetor. In this case, Robinson’s extrinsic ethos is strong because she is and has been a teacher for some time and therefore, has first-hand experience in the profession. She clearly articulates the rigor of the teaching profession with gusto explaining some of the main special problems she faces over her professions. Problems such as being ridiculed and jeered at by her parents and friends. Some even juxtapose her profession with banking. Robinson also has a strong ethos from her expertise in school related matter such as schemes of work, school timetables and class dynamics. She explains it so clearly that the reader can picture what a normal day in the life of a teacher looks like. Additionally, her intrinsic ethos is also strong because she writes with flair, which shows in the flow and thought processes of her writing. Her article is organized, flowing and appealing at the same time.
Robinson also used very strong pathos in her article. Pathos refers to the "emotional appeals" or the rhetor’s ability to establish a “relationship” with the readers. In this article, Robinson used pathos by
Professor Phil West
English 1301- 468
11 December 2014
I Am Not A Babysitter: A Rhetorical Analysis
Teaching is not a lowly job as most people think. Teaching is a profession that is highly, commendable just like banking, nursing and other professions. However, some people often ridicule the teaching profession merely because of its poor pay, poor career prospects, not to mention the perceived monotony of the daily routine writing lesson plans and preparing lecture materials. Despite all these criticisms, not many teachers have defended themselves. However, in the article “I am not a babysitter,” Heather Robinson takes a stand to defend the teaching profession effectively by appealing to ethos, pathos and logos. This paper seeks to explain how, the rhetor, Robinson, has effectively defended her profession. Ethos refers to how the audience perceives the rhetor. In this case, Robinson’s extrinsic ethos is strong because she is and has been a teacher for some time and therefore, has first-hand experience in the profession. She clearly articulates the rigor of the teaching profession with gusto explaining some of the main special problems she faces over her professions. Problems such as being ridiculed and jeered at by her parents and friends. Some even juxtapose her profession with banking. Robinson also has a strong ethos from her expertise in school related matter such as schemes of work, school timetables and class dynamics. She explains it so clearly that the reader can picture what a normal day in the life of a teacher looks like. Additionally, her intrinsic ethos is also strong because she writes with flair, which shows in the flow and thought processes of her writing. Her article is organized, flowing and appealing at the same time.
Robinson also used very strong pathos in her article. Pathos refers to the "emotional appeals" or the rhetor’s ability to establish a “relationship” with the readers. In this article, Robinson used pathos by
Cited: Robinson, Heather. "I Am Not a Baby Sittter." MY Turn: In Defence of Teachers. Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2008. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://www.newsweek.com/my-turn-defence-teachers-92149>.