Commitment to Professionalism
Page overview:
This page includes content that shows how I was commited to the profession of teaching, and the ways I was professional throughout this practicum.
Definition
An effective educator constantly searches for new ways to enhance the quality of education they provide. Some qualities that highlight a teacher's commitment to the teaching profession include communication with other stakeholders, maintaining a professional appearance, and being punctual (Zeiger, 2018).
Punctuality
Mentoring School Teacher's (MST) Observation
I have been consistent with planning for lessons, and being on time throughout the teaching placement.
Rationale
Evidence of effective teaching is apparent when time is used wisely. In an article titled "Teacher's Effectiveness and its influence on students' learning", it is stated that a teacher who comes late to class does not maximize instructional time (Aina & Olanipekun & Garuba, 2015). After giving countless lessons to students, it became clearer how valuable each second of a period is, and how important it is to use each minute sensibly.
Communication with Mentoring School Teacher (MST)
Assisting with Preparations
I assisted my MST in preparing for one of her lessons. The idea for the activity was to provide each group of students with a chart and for them to stick their finished work on it. Once a group has completed a work sheet, they receive a star.
Sharing Ideas
Before implementing any new strategy, I made sure to share my ideas with my MST so that I can receive feedback, and make any adjustments to my work.
Discussing Examinations
During the midterms week, I had the chance to have a conversation with my mentor about what skills are targeted throughout the examinations, and the difficulty level of the tasks. It was interesting to see the links between what they have been studying, and what they are tested on.
Rationale
Effective communication is vital in a workplace. Teachers must interact with various stakeholders, such as parents and administrators. Therefore, it's important to have good communication skills and to show initiative. When a teacher faces a problem in the classroom, it is likely that other teachers might have experienced the same thing. In this case, sharing knowledge through communicating is beneficial (The New Times, 2018). As a trainee, I'm at a phase where there's so much for me yet to learn. Communicating and cooperating with my mentor, and other teachers is a part of the learning experience.
Online Teaching Practice
Unit Plan
Learner's Book
Lesson Plan
Content Summary
Summary of grade 2 content throughout four weeks, including activities for each lesson.
Rationale
The Ministry of Education uploads content for students to study from on the "Smart Learning Gateway", assisting them through the at-home learning process. As a trainee, I was able to access the site as a part of online teaching practice, so I looked through the materials that the teachers uploaded. The table I created shown above titled "Content Summary" shows the alignment of content from the grade 2 English learner's book, lesson plans, and unit plans. In addition, it summarizes the activities for each lesson. While browsing the different materials that are used to deliver the content, I could see a clear link between the unit plan, lesson plan, and content in the book. For the learning outcomes to be supported, it is important to have an alignment between the objectives, assessments, anticipated knowledge, and skills (Napper, 2012). When a link is made, coherence is shown.
References:
Aina, J. K., Olanipekun, S. S., & Garuba, I. A. (2015). Teacher's effectiveness
and its influence on students' learning. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 2(4), 88-95. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.24.1082.
Napper, V. S. (2012). Alignment of learning, teaching, and assessment. In N. M.
Seel (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Sciences of learning. Retrieved from
SpringerLink database.
The New Times. (2018, February 28). Benefits of good communication among
teachers. The New Times. Retrieved from https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/
read/230476
Zeiger, S. (2018, June 28). List of core competencies for educators. Retrieved
April 23, 2020, from https://work.chron.com/
list-core-competencies-educators-8916.html