The Teaching Profession

THE TEACHING PROFESSION The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession (adopted from Ontario College of Teachers)

The Purposes of the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession are: 1. to inspire a shared vision for the teaching profession 2. to identify the values, knowledge and skills that are dis tinctive to the teaching profession 3. to guide the professional judgment and actions of the teaching profession

4. to promote a common language that fosters an unders tanding of what it means to be a member of the teaching profession.

The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession are: Commitment to Students and Student Learning: Members are dedicated in their care and commitment to students. They treat students equitably and with respect and are sensitive to factors that influence individual student learning. Members facilitate the development of students as contributing citizens of the society

Leadership in Learning Communities: Members promote and participate in the creation of collaborative, safe and supportive learning communities. They recognize their shared responsibilities and leadership roles in facilitating student success. Members maintain and uphold the principles of the ethical standards in these learning communities.

The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession are: Professional Knowledge: Members strive to be current in their professional knowledge and recognize its relationship to practice. They understand and reflect on student development, learning theory, pedagogy, curriculum, ethics, educational research and related policies and legislation to inform professional judgment in practice. Professional Practice: Members apply professional knowledge and experience to promote student learning. They use appropriate pedadology, assesment and evaluation, resources and technology in planning for and responding to the needs of individual students and learning communities. Members refine their professional practice through ongoing inquiry, dialogue and reflection.

The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession are:

 Members recognize that a commitment to ongoing professional learning is integral to effective practice and to student learning. Professional practice and self-directed learning are informed by experience, research, collaboration and knowledge.

The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession • The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession represent a vision of professional practice. At the heart of a strong and effective teaching profession is a commitment to students and their learning. • The Purposes of the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession are: 1. to inspire members to reflect and uphold the honour and dignity of the teaching profession 2. to identify the ethical responsibilities and commitments in the teaching profession 3. to guide ethical decisions and actions in the teaching profession 4. to promote public trust and confidence in the teaching profession.

THE TEACHING PROFESSION Chapter 1– You, the TEACHER, as a PERSON in SOCIETY Objectives: With varied activities, at the end of the session, the students are expected to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

define what is a teacher operationally; tell their own perspective on teaching profession; formulate their own philosophies in life and education; identify their responsibilities as a Person; summarize five philosophies of education and draw the ir implications to teaching-learning; and, 6. create a personal learning journal.

LET’S KNOW OURSELVES FIRST… Are you excited? Not? Bored? Not interested? Uh-oh…

I hope this following activity will excite you!!!

Let’s value our selves first.

Please get a piece of paper.

Take your time with this and you will be amazed.

Just answer 4 questions and the answers will surprise you.

Warning !! Be honest and do not cheat. The mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is opened. This is fun to do, but you have to follow the instructions very closely. Do not cheat.

MAKE A WISH

BEFORE BEGIN!

A warning! Answer the questions as you go along. There are only 4 questions.

This is an honest questionnaire which will tell you a lot about your true self. Give an answer for each item. The first thing that comes to mind is usually your best answer.

Remember – no one sees this but you.

This is an honest questionnaire which will tell you a lot about your true self. Give an answer for each item. The first thing that comes to mind is usually your best answer.

Remember – no one sees this but you.

YOU HAVE YOUR WISH

RIGHT?

(1) Put the following 5 animals in the order of your preference:

Cow, Tiger, Sheep, Horse, Pig

(2) Write one word that describes each one of the following:

Dog, Cat, Rat, Coffee, Sea.

(3) Think of someone, who also knows you and is important to you, which you can relate them to the following colors. Do not repeat your answer twic e. Name just one person for each color: Yellow, Orange, Red, White, Green.

(4) Finally, write down your favorite number, and your favorite day of the week.

DONE ? Please be sure that your answers are what you REALLY WANT.

Look at the interpretations below: But first! REPEAT your wish.

ANSWERS:

(1) This will define your priorities in your life. Cow Signifies CAREER Tiger Signifies PRIDE Sheep Signifies LOVE Horse Signifies FAMILY Pig Signifies MONEY

(2) Your description of dog implies your own personality. Your description of cat implies the personality of your partner. Your description of rat implies the personality of your enemies. Your description of coffee is how you interpret sex. Your description of the sea implies your own life.

(3) Yellow: Someone you will never forget Orange: Someone you consider your true friend Red: Someone that you really love White: Your twin soul Green: Someone that you will remember for the rest of your life

(4) You have to DO THE SAME to as many persons as your favorite number and your wish will come true on the day that you recorded.

This is true, even if you are not superstitious. Please do this. It is fascinating.

0-4 TIMES: Your life will improve slightly

5-9 TIMES: Your life will improve to your liking 9-14 TIMES: You will have at least 5 surprises in the next three weeks 15 or more : Your life will improve drastically an d all that you wish will come true

Lesson 1: You, the Teacher, as a Person • John Donne said in Meditation XVII: No man is an island... "All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

•The idea that people are not isolated from one another, but that mankind is interconnected.

You, the Teacher, as a Person How are you going to view MAN? Nature of Man?

No Man Is an Island Artist(Band): Joan Baez No man is an island, No man stands alone, Each mans joy is joy to me, Each mans grief is my own . We need one another, So I will defend, Each man as my brother, Each man as my friend.

I saw the people gather, I heard the music start, The song that they were sing ing, Is ringing in my heart. No man is an island, Way out in the blue, We all look to the one above, For our strength to renew.

When I help my brother, Then I know that I, Plant the seed of friendship, That will never die.

Lesson learned… •We don’t live in a vacuum. We live in a society. We are part of society. Our thoughts, values, and actions are so mehow shaped by events and people we come in contact with. We, in turn, help shape society-its events, its people, and its destiny. • In the context of your life as a teacher, we would say: “No teacher is an island. No teacher stands alone”

• Indeed, YOU can’t become a TEACHER alone!

Lesson learned… •We don’t live in a vacuum. We live in a society. We are part of society. Our thoughts, values, and actions are so mehow shaped by events and people we come in contact with. We, in turn, help shape society-its events, its people, and its destiny. • In the context of your life as a teacher, we would say: “No teacher is an island. No teacher stands alone”

• Indeed, YOU can’t become a TEACHER alone!

Why do you want to become a Teacher? What is a Teacher for you?

• Knows the SM • Has limited knowledge of teaching methodologies • Relies mainly on explaining or lecturing •The students are only listening, occasionally answering questions, making notes, not personally involved or challenged •The students often get practiced by doing individual exercise after a lecture

The explainer

• Knows the SM • Is familiar with teaching methodologies • Uses appropriate teaching and organizational procedures and techniques to help students learn • Involves students actively and puts a great deal of efforts into finding appropriate and interesting activities

The involver

• Knows the SM • Knows about methodologies • Has the awareness of how individual students and groups are thinking and feeling within the class •Builds effective working relationships and a good classroom atmosphere • With an active personality and attitudes to encourage student learning • Develops the conditions that enable and thus students to learn how to learn and thus become life-long learners

The enabler

It is therefore, no joke to become one! •Why? Many a time the teacher is blamed for the many ills in society. There are lot of demands and much is expected from you. •Your influences on your students and on other people with whom you work and live are greater. But these influences depend greatly on your Philosophy as a Person and as a Teacher. Thus, Your Philosophy of Life and your Philosophy of Education serve as your “window” to the world and “compass” in the sea of Life. Within your personal Philosophy are your Principles and Values that will determine how you regard people, how you look at life as a whole. They govern and direct your lifestyle, your thoughts, decisions, actions and your relationships with people and things.

Teachers are expected to . . . • CARE

•Not to sCARE

CARE • look straight in the eyes

• gentle touch/pat on the back • acknowledgement

sCARE • name calling

• ignoring one’s capacity • belittling students

Buzz session • Group activity: For 20 minutes 1. Why do you want to become a Teacher? 2. For you, what is meant by “No teacher is an island. No Teacher can stand alone”. 3. Think and share… what are your different Responsibilities as a PERSON? (example: To God, family, friends, community, nature, parents, brothers, sisters, classmates, enemies, etc.)

Journal Entries Activity #1: All About My Self (describe in detail all about you) Activity #2: What is your understanding of the saying “No man is an island, no man can stand alone.” Would it be different if it will be written this way :“No Teacher is an island, no Teacher can stand alone?” Explain. Activity #3: My Responsibilities as a Person Think of the many people who are helping you and influencing you to become a teacher in the future? In what way do they affect your life? With creativity, construct anything that will show your different responsibilities as a person. To each responsibility, code it with a specific color and explain why you choose that particular color and what it represents to.

Lesson 2: My Philosophical Heritage To philosophize is so essentially human-and in a sense to philosophize means living a truly human life --J.Pieper

An Exercise to Determine Your Educational Philosophy Find out which Philosophy you adhere. To what extent does statement apply to you? Rate yourself 4 if you agree with the statement always, 3 if you agree but not always, 2 if you agree sometimes, 1 if you don’t agree at all.

Five Philosophies •Existentialism (Karl Jaspers, Martin Buber, Maxine Greene) • Perennialism (Allan Bloom) •Progressivism (Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner) • Essentialism (William Chandler Bagley) •Behaviorism (Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, Edward Lee T horndike, John B. Watson, Gestalt)

Normative philosophies or theories of education "Normative philosophies or theories of education may make use of the results of [philosophical thought] and of factual inquiries about human beings and the psychology of learning, but in any case they propound views about what education should be, what dispositions it should cultivate, why it ought to cultivate them, how and in whom it should do so, and what forms it should take. In a fullfledged philosophical normative theory of education, besides analysis of the sorts described, there will normally be propositions of the following kinds: 1. Basic normative premises about what is good or right; 2. Basic factual premises about humanity and the world; 3. Conclusions, based on these two kinds of premises, about the dispositions education should foster; 4. Further factual premises about such things as the psychology of learning and methods of teaching; and 5. Further conclusions about such things as the methods that education should use

Read the following aloud: •This is this cat • This is is cat •This is how cat • This is to cat •This is keep cat •This is an cat •This is idiot cat •This is busy cat •This is for cat •This is forty cat •This is seconds cat

* Now go back and read the third word only, in each line from the start

In a short role play or comical skit or whatever method you like…Explain how you will react to the given situation. What advice will you give? •Essentialist group – students are not interested in the lesson •Perennialist group students want to become skilled in certain fields of sepcialization •Progressivist group -Parents questiion students’ community immersion for it poses certain risks •Behaviorist group – Teacher tells students from the slum areas this: “If there’s a will, there’s a way. Poverty is not a hindrance to success. •Existentialist group – A colleague asks you to decide for her fear that she may make the wrong decision.

Formulating your Own Philosophy I believe that LIFE is … I believe that CHILD is … I believe that SCHOOL is… I believe that TEACHER is…

Research on other Philosophies with Proponents and indicate Why Teach? What to Teach? How to Teach? In a tabular form: • Idealism •Realism • Scholasticism •Pragmatism •Analytic Philosophy •Postmodernism •Social Reconstructionism •Montessori •Waldorf education •Democratic Education

• Rationalism •Empiricism •Epicureanism •Logical Positivism •Phenomenology •Stoic Philosophy •Hindu Philosophy •Buddhist Philosophy •Christian Philosophy •Paolo Freire’s Philosophy

Journal entries: •Activity #4: My Philosophical Heritage. Write Learning insights

•Activity #5: Formulating My Own Philosophies Complete the unfinished sentences: I believe that LIFE is … I believe that CHILD is … I believe that SCHOOL is… I believe that TEACHER is… • Activity #6: Educational Philosophies That Interest Me Put your research outputs here regarding the other philosophies that you have researched.