Defining professionalism, reflective practice, and collaborative skills in teaching

standard # 5 becoming professional 1. - What a professional ? 2.- What importance a reflective practicioner? 3.-How important collaborative team participation skills professionalism? 4.- How plan developing professional? Bibliography: "Fundamentals Early child education" George S.

Standard # 5 Becoming professional

What does being a professional mean to you?

On the playing field, the difference between being a professional and being an amateur athlete seems clear. A professional is paid for his or her hobby, while an amateur plays for the love of the sport. Of course, the professional likely loves his or her sport, but the sport is his or her livelihood, not just a source of personal enrichment. There is a sense of responsibility to a larger organization and ethos, and also a sense of craft, for a professional must perform even when conditions are imperfect.

The same is true of teaching. Everyone is a teacher who instructs, in some sense, but a teacher's responsibility to the students demands a level of systematization in the processes of teaching. A teacher must pass through professional training to ensure that he or she can develop a craft of teaching that can deal with the needs of different learners. A teacher must teach even when students are being difficult. A professional can stretch out of his or her 'comfort zone' and, using the skill set and intellectual tools gained from professional study, reformulate a lesson plan to enable students who find learning challenging to become more receptive.

Q3. How important are collaborative team participation skills to professionalism?

Collaborative team participation skills are essential because they are critical elements of the learning process for teachers. Teachers must be constantly acquiring new techniques and skills to reach students. Older teachers can learn from the perspective of new teaching students just as much as new teaching recruits can learn from observing teacher mentors. Teachers can provide resources for one another in lesson planning and also emotional support, when commiserating about the challenges of teaching. Many school districts have incorporated collaborative professional development into the structure of their school years. In one district: "school leaders have set aside six days specifically designed for that purpose. Four of those days are designed as 'planning days.' Teachers share ideas at district-wide grade-level sessions where they collect information about what is being accomplished at other schools and learn practical strategies that can be used to improve achievement" (Teachers training teachers, n.d, Education World)

Q4. How do you plan to keep developing yourself as professional?

I intend to continue to read educational resources on the web, spanning from lesson plans to articles specifically designed to help teachers today. I intend to become an active part of curriculum planning at my school, and to use my fellow teachers as educational resources. I hope to mentor younger teachers one day, and will seek out mentor 'master teachers' as part of my learning process. I may go on to seek an advanced degree in my field. I know that I will continue to keep my skill set sharp by seeking out professional development courses. Simply reading books, being intellectually curious about the world, and seeking out new experiences to keep my mind young will also contribute to my sustained professional development.

Reference

Teachers training teachers. (n.d.). Education World. Retrieved:

http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin459.shtml