Perhaps the most important component of teaching, professional responsibilities encompass several nuanced traits that a successful educator must adopt and refine in order to serve the school community and evolve pedagogical practices on a consistent basis (Danielson, 2013). Professionalism extends beyond the policies in an educational job description - it is a mindset and commitment to growth, collaboration, and advocacy (Danielson, 2013). While it is vital for educators to place the needs and best interests of students and their families as a high priority, it is equally important for them to hold themselves to high standards and nurture their own well-being as well.
Traditionally, teaching has been viewed as an intimate profession and workspace. Teachers have classrooms, routines, procedures, and students of their own, which can make collaboration seem awkward or impossible at times. However, in modern education, collaboration is more important than ever, and it is also more accessible. Through the internet and smart technology, educators have access to innumerable resources for planning, networking, and professional development. Blog and networking sites such as TeachersPayTeachers.com, Pinterest, and Edutopia, as well as professional organizations (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, International Society for Technology in Education, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children) are easily accessible resources for lesson planning, curriculum building, and opportunities for further learning and professional development.
Engaging in constructive dialogue with colleagues provides opportunities to give and receive valuable feedback on your teaching and networking, as well as a chance to exercise leadership skills (Philadelphia Teacher Residency, 2021). Throughout my own journey as an educator, this has been the most valuable aspect of my professional practice. Keeping an open working dialogue with mentors and colleagues has allowed me to gain more nuanced, on-the-job knowledge and insight than any other resource. Forming a professional relationship with my mentor teacher has also helped me gain more confidence in teaching, especially when it comes to curricular knowledge and instructional planning (Danielson, 2013).
Another important aspect of professionalism is maintaining working relationships with students and their families (Philadelphia Teacher Residency, 2021). Every student brings a unique personality, background, and learning style into the classroom, and it is important for teachers to make an effort to get to know that student and their family, as well as to appeal to the student’s interests and strong suits. Each student receives individualized feedback from teachers who demonstrate high professionalism in this area, and the same level of meaningful feedback should be extended to their families on a regular basis as well (Danielson, 2013). Meaningful feedback can be a simple message home (such as a phone call, email, or journal note), or a formal progress report.
It is also important to get the families involved with the school and classroom community through conferences, chaperone opportunities, guest appearances, or classroom newsletters. As an educator in the early stages of experience, I have not had many opportunities to connect with students’ families yet, but I do write feedback in students’ homework journals on a regular basis and I will be sending individualized notes home at the end of my student teaching experience. Simple actions mean a lot to students and their families, and I have been inspired by colleagues to incorporate regular opportunities for the families to play an active role in my future classroom.
The final elements of professionalism concern reflection and record keeping. As mentioned in the Danielson teaching domains, reflecting on teaching is an acquired skill that gets educators in the mindset of constantly observing, analyzing, and adapting their own practices (Danielson, 2013). The reflection strategies I most often engage in are conscious observation, journal keeping, and conversations with students. Assessments are also a key aspect of the reflection process because they provide concrete data that gives me a glimpse of the effectiveness of my teaching; accurate record keeping is directly related to reflection because it allows educators to keep track of academic and non-academic school activities and student progress (Danielson, 2013).
Developing professional competence is a skill that can take years to refine. Though I have not been teaching for very long, I have had many opportunities to reflect on my practices, connect with students, and keep meticulous records of students’ progress. As my student teaching experience begins drawing to a close, I am enjoying the newfound confidence in the classroom, and plan to keep refining my practice and staying involved in the professional and school community.
References
Danielson, Charlotte. (2013). The framework for teaching: evaluation instrument.
Philadelphia Teacher Residency. (2021). The Philadelphia Teacher Residency (PTR) Core Practices.
Traditionally, teaching has been viewed as an intimate profession and workspace. Teachers have classrooms, routines, procedures, and students of their own, which can make collaboration seem awkward or impossible at times. However, in modern education, collaboration is more important than ever, and it is also more accessible. Through the internet and smart technology, educators have access to innumerable resources for planning, networking, and professional development. Blog and networking sites such as TeachersPayTeachers.com, Pinterest, and Edutopia, as well as professional organizations (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, International Society for Technology in Education, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children) are easily accessible resources for lesson planning, curriculum building, and opportunities for further learning and professional development.
Engaging in constructive dialogue with colleagues provides opportunities to give and receive valuable feedback on your teaching and networking, as well as a chance to exercise leadership skills (Philadelphia Teacher Residency, 2021). Throughout my own journey as an educator, this has been the most valuable aspect of my professional practice. Keeping an open working dialogue with mentors and colleagues has allowed me to gain more nuanced, on-the-job knowledge and insight than any other resource. Forming a professional relationship with my mentor teacher has also helped me gain more confidence in teaching, especially when it comes to curricular knowledge and instructional planning (Danielson, 2013).
Another important aspect of professionalism is maintaining working relationships with students and their families (Philadelphia Teacher Residency, 2021). Every student brings a unique personality, background, and learning style into the classroom, and it is important for teachers to make an effort to get to know that student and their family, as well as to appeal to the student’s interests and strong suits. Each student receives individualized feedback from teachers who demonstrate high professionalism in this area, and the same level of meaningful feedback should be extended to their families on a regular basis as well (Danielson, 2013). Meaningful feedback can be a simple message home (such as a phone call, email, or journal note), or a formal progress report.
It is also important to get the families involved with the school and classroom community through conferences, chaperone opportunities, guest appearances, or classroom newsletters. As an educator in the early stages of experience, I have not had many opportunities to connect with students’ families yet, but I do write feedback in students’ homework journals on a regular basis and I will be sending individualized notes home at the end of my student teaching experience. Simple actions mean a lot to students and their families, and I have been inspired by colleagues to incorporate regular opportunities for the families to play an active role in my future classroom.
The final elements of professionalism concern reflection and record keeping. As mentioned in the Danielson teaching domains, reflecting on teaching is an acquired skill that gets educators in the mindset of constantly observing, analyzing, and adapting their own practices (Danielson, 2013). The reflection strategies I most often engage in are conscious observation, journal keeping, and conversations with students. Assessments are also a key aspect of the reflection process because they provide concrete data that gives me a glimpse of the effectiveness of my teaching; accurate record keeping is directly related to reflection because it allows educators to keep track of academic and non-academic school activities and student progress (Danielson, 2013).
Developing professional competence is a skill that can take years to refine. Though I have not been teaching for very long, I have had many opportunities to reflect on my practices, connect with students, and keep meticulous records of students’ progress. As my student teaching experience begins drawing to a close, I am enjoying the newfound confidence in the classroom, and plan to keep refining my practice and staying involved in the professional and school community.
References
Danielson, Charlotte. (2013). The framework for teaching: evaluation instrument.
Philadelphia Teacher Residency. (2021). The Philadelphia Teacher Residency (PTR) Core Practices.
