This paper aims to provide a perspective on the current professionalization of the teacher (Dillabough 2006) by transposing some ideas of Walter Benjamin’s acclaimed article ‘The work of art in the age of it’s mechanical reproduction’ to this pedagogical setting. There are two ideas in Benjamin’s article that will lead my reflective analogy. The first is the notion of aura; and the second is the comparison Benjamin makes between the surgeon and the magician. My goal here mainly consist in transforming the idea of aura into an educational framework; and in translating the analogy of the surgeon and the magician into the role(s) of the teacher. Pedagogical aura is then seen as leading to a unique learning experience consisting of and/or leading to passionate thinking. The teacher as a surgeon didactically interferes with the lives of his students in an educational framework. I will argue that the aim of this framework consists of reproductive didactic activities, in which the surgeon-teacher is interchangeable. Benjamin's these is that the work of art loses aura because of it's mechanical reproduction. The question here then is if the current professionalization of the teacher can be seen as didactical reproductiveness and, if so, if this leads to a loss of pedagogical aura, and thus pedagogical effectiveness. I will argue that this can be the case. If we make a caricature of the current trend of professionalization, the teacher can be seen as the surgeon, and this can very well lead to a loss of unique learning experiences. The tremendous influence of the professionalization on the role of the teacher (e.g. Furlong 2005) and the critique that has been uttered by teachers against this professionalization (e.g. Smyth et al 2000) can be rephrased as a (fear of) loss of pedagogical aura. We would have to ask ourselves the question how far we let the professionalization of the teacher go, and where there is to be drawn a line. Do we want the teacher to resemble a surgeon? Lastly, I will discuss the transition from teaching to learning, as a transition from surgeon to magician. This will consist in two parts. Firstly the question how to outline this magician-teacher; and secondly how to make room for pedagogical aura.

A philosophical translation of the theoretical framework found in Walter Benjamin's 'The work of art in the age of it's mechanical reproduction' to current pedagogical settings allows us to rephrase the professionalization of the teacher as an increasing didactical reproductiveness; and the critique from certain teachers on this professionalization as (a fear of) losing aura. It will be argued that a professionalization of the teacher as increasing didactical reproductiveness could lead to the loss of pedagogical effectiveness. The translation of Benjamin's insights to a pedagogical context can also give a perspective on what the transition from teaching to learning may be.