Teachers are entrusted with parents' most valuable possession every day. The students are counting on the teacher for both their deficiency needs and growth needs while in the classroom. Therefore, it is essential that teachers act professionally in their career. This includes: reflecting on teaching, maintaining accurate records, communicating with families, participating in the professional community, growing and developing professionally, and demonstrating professionalism. If teachers are not doing these things, they will let down both students and families. Components of this include:
Reflecting on Teaching
Good teachers must make full use of the reflective teaching cycle. This means that they must take time after every lesson to analyze all the decisions made in the planning and implementing the lesson. These reflections should help teachers focus on what can be improved in future lessons to teach the students better. The ability to reflect with accuracy, specificity, and actually using what has been learned in future teaching is a learned skill. Mentors, coaches, and supervisors can help grow this skill in teachers through their support and deep questions. See page 4A: Reflecting on Teaching.
Maintaining Accurate Records
One of the most important things that parents are trusting teachers with is proper record keeping. A teacher must be able to keep track of notes, field trip forms, money, lunch, and other important non-instructional activities. Professionalism in this element is so important because it allows teachers to communicate with parents in order to best improve the classroom environment. Methods for recording are just as varied as the material being recorded. See page 4B: Maintaining Accurate Records.
Communicating with Families
It is the role of the teacher to engage all families in the classroom so that they are as up-to-date as possible about the instructional process and of the specific progress of their student. Teachers should be inviting parents to participate in the educational process from kindergarten through graduation. See page 4C: Communicating with Families.
Participating in the Professional Community
Teachers must all work together in order to create the best learning environment for their students. Teachers must work together to share strategies, plan joint activities, and plan for the most success for individual students. Therefore, a school building can also be described as a professional organization for teachers. These communities should be supportive of teachers constantly working to improve practice both individually and as a whole school. It also necessary for teachers to understand that their duties extend beyond the four walls of their classroom and include school-wide and district-wide duties. Finally, as the teacher's experience grows, they should begin taking leadership roles in these activities. See page 4D: Participating in the Professional Community.
Growing and Developing Professionally
Teachers must make a continual effort to grow and change along with their profession. Content, pedagogy, and information technology are ever changing, meaning teachers must be up-to-date on these things. One way to do this is to learn from other educators through joint planning, study groups, lesson study, or other job-embedded professional development opportunities. Another way for educators to grow is to belong to professional organizations, read professional journals, attend educational conferences, and take university classes. As teachers gain expertise, they can better contribute to their students, colleagues, and the profession. See page 4E: Growing and Developing Professionally
Demonstrating Professionalism
Teachers of impact demonstrate professionalism to both their students and to the profession. This means that teachers should make every decision with the students in mind. This may make things more difficult, but these teachers have a strong moral compass and are guided by what is best for their students. This component is demonstrated by interactions conducted with honesty and integrity, knowledge and meeting of students' needs, and advocating for what is best for the students. Good teachers must also adhere to school rules and policies, but if there are outdated or ineffective rules, work to improve them. See page 4F: Demonstrating Professionalism.
Reflecting on Teaching
Good teachers must make full use of the reflective teaching cycle. This means that they must take time after every lesson to analyze all the decisions made in the planning and implementing the lesson. These reflections should help teachers focus on what can be improved in future lessons to teach the students better. The ability to reflect with accuracy, specificity, and actually using what has been learned in future teaching is a learned skill. Mentors, coaches, and supervisors can help grow this skill in teachers through their support and deep questions. See page 4A: Reflecting on Teaching.
Maintaining Accurate Records
One of the most important things that parents are trusting teachers with is proper record keeping. A teacher must be able to keep track of notes, field trip forms, money, lunch, and other important non-instructional activities. Professionalism in this element is so important because it allows teachers to communicate with parents in order to best improve the classroom environment. Methods for recording are just as varied as the material being recorded. See page 4B: Maintaining Accurate Records.
Communicating with Families
It is the role of the teacher to engage all families in the classroom so that they are as up-to-date as possible about the instructional process and of the specific progress of their student. Teachers should be inviting parents to participate in the educational process from kindergarten through graduation. See page 4C: Communicating with Families.
Participating in the Professional Community
Teachers must all work together in order to create the best learning environment for their students. Teachers must work together to share strategies, plan joint activities, and plan for the most success for individual students. Therefore, a school building can also be described as a professional organization for teachers. These communities should be supportive of teachers constantly working to improve practice both individually and as a whole school. It also necessary for teachers to understand that their duties extend beyond the four walls of their classroom and include school-wide and district-wide duties. Finally, as the teacher's experience grows, they should begin taking leadership roles in these activities. See page 4D: Participating in the Professional Community.
Growing and Developing Professionally
Teachers must make a continual effort to grow and change along with their profession. Content, pedagogy, and information technology are ever changing, meaning teachers must be up-to-date on these things. One way to do this is to learn from other educators through joint planning, study groups, lesson study, or other job-embedded professional development opportunities. Another way for educators to grow is to belong to professional organizations, read professional journals, attend educational conferences, and take university classes. As teachers gain expertise, they can better contribute to their students, colleagues, and the profession. See page 4E: Growing and Developing Professionally
Demonstrating Professionalism
Teachers of impact demonstrate professionalism to both their students and to the profession. This means that teachers should make every decision with the students in mind. This may make things more difficult, but these teachers have a strong moral compass and are guided by what is best for their students. This component is demonstrated by interactions conducted with honesty and integrity, knowledge and meeting of students' needs, and advocating for what is best for the students. Good teachers must also adhere to school rules and policies, but if there are outdated or ineffective rules, work to improve them. See page 4F: Demonstrating Professionalism.
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