Teacher as Professional
"I have standards I don't plan on lowering for anybody … including myself.”
~ Zendaya
The 5 Core Propositions
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Teacher are committed to students and their learning.
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Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
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Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
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Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
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Teachers are members of learning communities.
Teacher as Professionals
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was created in order to advance to the field of teaching as a profession and to assist others outside the field to see teachers as professionals. While NBPTS has created standards that focus on different grade levels and disciplines, they have also created the 5 Core Propositions to capture the essence of what teachers know and do as professionals. When developing as a professional, it can be valuable to connect new learning to the propositions. Read through the NBPTS's What Teachers Know and Should Be Able to Do. As you are reading, think about how your learning in this course fits within these propositions. Share your thoughts either in person or on social media. Use #TCH401 and #401reflection if on social media. The video below, also outlines NBPTS's Architecture of Accomplished Teaching. While most of this is intuitive, the video can serve as a reminder of why we do what we do.
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Reflection as Professional Development
As we wrap up the course, the final challenge asks you to reflect upon your learning. Reflection is an essential part of developing as a teacher--and as a larger learning community. "How to Encourage Reflective Teaching in Your School" outlines approaches for encouraging reflective practice. These practices--with and without technology--can occur year round. Teaching with technology can prompt different reflective questions than traditional teaching approaches. In this post, graduate student Juan Garcerán reflects on teaching with technology. The questions he poses and his accompanying answers might be helpful to you as you consider your learning in our course.