14 November 2006
Professionalism is important in any job. But have you ever thought what represents professionalism in a teaching environment? Is it enough for a teacher to look presentable and get their students pass examinations? No. For a teacher, professionalism means juggling many different types of skills, while also considering the needs of the students and the demands of the learning environment.
No short essay could be expected to describe all of the different talents and skills that make a good teacher (many books have been written on the subject), but this essay should give parents and students a few ideas of how and why the teacher organises the class the way he/she does.
Even the easiest classes with ‘easy-to-learn’ topics and model pupils would be difficult to handle for someone who has not experienced teacher-training nor has no previous knowledge of group interaction and behaviour. Lots of people believe that teaching is easy but how many people would truly consider spending every day in the company of children and educating them to the level required by the curriculum.
As teachers, we all recognise that every student is an individual, with individual needs and strengths. A class is a group of individuals, and although often they behave as a group, very often the individuality of separate students becomes more obvious.
It can be a temptation for any teacher to ‘fly with the fastest’ – that is to assume that all of the class are as clever as the most able (or most vocal) children. This assumption is dangerous and can leave the weaker members of the class behind. If there is a particularly advanced child in the group, a teacher would encourage that child to help other students.
Here at Saint Peter’s School, we use teamwork as a method of sharing knowledge and empowering the weaker members of a group. This means that, first; students from the same level are exposed to and learn the same material. Secondly, students receive the same evaluation. Thirdly, the quality of our students can be measured within a class or against other classes at the same level. Fourthly, learners can build confidence and not feel isolated.
This is only one of many ways to organise the class to assist their learning. Different learning environments enable learners in different ways. Some students respond well to visual stimuli, some to audio, some to written exercises and others to a method known as Total Physical Response (TPR). TPR is a teaching method that encourages students to provide a physical response to a question. This method is like a game for the students and allows the teacher to educate without students realising that they are being taught. We can use many different methods to teach the same information but it is up to a professional teacher to choose the most valid for the needs of the particular class.
To make a class as interesting and valid as possible a large amount of a teacher’s time goes into planning lessons and resource development. This means constantly revising the teaching methods used in a particular class and tailoring them to the classes needs.
Professionalism in teaching also involves a large amount of parenting. Since teachers are responsible for the children for a large part of the day, our duties include teaching children politeness, courtesy and the social skills that are necessary for the child to grow up to be a well-rounded individual. To become professional a teacher has to be professional planner, professional presenter, and professional ‘parent’. These are just a few of the responsibilities a teacher has. Sounds easy? Give it a try.
Writer: Elzy (Former JHS Teacher)