Lesson 3: PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIORS AND CONTEXT OF SCHOOLS

Objectives:

• Reflect upon the principles for professional behaviors.
• Analyze the educational, social, and collegial context of schools.

Principles for Professional Behaviors:

Commitment to the Students

An educator needs to help each student realize their potential as a valuable and effective member of society. Teachers must ensure that every student, not just high or low achievers, receives the attention needed to reach their maximum potential. Ignoring average learners can undermine our commitment to students.

Educators must also stimulate the spirit of inquiry and the acquisition of knowledge. It’s crucial to foster and develop students’ natural curiosity to prevent learning from becoming a burden.

Commitment to the Profession:

1. Raising Professional Standards:

• Pedagogical Content Knowledge: Understanding the subject matter and teaching methods.
• Communication Skills: Clear communication, eye contact, and understanding verbal/non-verbal cues.
• Assessing Skills: Proficiency in various assessment methods.
• Understanding How Students Learn: Knowledge of learning theories and language acquisition.
• Awareness of Recent Developments: Staying updated with the latest research and educational theories.

1. Promote a Climate that Encourages Professional Judgment:

• Professional judgment involves evidence-based assessments by educators, promoting a climate where such judgments are respected.

1. Achieve Conditions that Attract Trustworthy Individuals to Education Careers:

• Changing the self-image of teaching as a career and advocating for teaching to be a first career choice.

1. Prevent the Practice of the Profession by Unqualified Persons:

• Ensuring that only those with proper educational qualifications (e.g., B.Ed., M.Ed.) are teaching, especially in private and street schools.

Key Context of Schooling:

Educational Context:

• Literal Level: Students understand and memorize content.
• Application Level: Students apply knowledge practically, such as using maps in real-life situations.
• Higher Thinking Levels: Developing critical thinking, creativity, and questioning skills.

Social Context:

A sign in the Singapore International Airport reads “Welcome to Singapore: where our only National Resource is Our People.” This statement highlights the importance of developing social capital, emphasizing that the most valuable aspect of a school is its people.

• Sum of Interpersonal Relationships: Teachers should increase students’ social capital through group activities and problem-solving tasks.

Collegial Context:

Characterized by shared power and decision-making among colleagues.

• Promoting a Collegial Environment: Ensuring professional development through sharing ideas, work habits, and creating a supportive learning community.

Assumptions on Schooling:

• Group Orientation: Schooling is a group-oriented activity, not about a single person.
• Diversity: Schools consist of diverse individuals from different backgrounds.
• Curriculum: Schools follow a structured curriculum that includes educational, social, and collegial aspects.

Interview Insights on Schooling:

1. Parent: Schools help children become better human beings and provide better job opportunities. They also build self-confidence through various activities.
2. Student: Schools offer engaging activities and supportive teachers who speak politely.
3. Teacher: Schools are platforms for moral, physical, emotional, and ethical development. Teachers play a crucial role in cognitive and social development.

Multiple Choice Questions

Principles for Professional Behaviours

1. What is a key principle for professional behavior concerning commitment to students?

• A) Focus only on high achievers.
• B) Focus only on low achievers.
• C) Focus on realizing the potential of all students.
• D) Focus only on average students.
• Answer: C) Focus on realizing the potential of all students.

1. Why is it important for educators to stimulate the spirit of inquiry in students?

• A) To ensure students memorize facts.
• B) To keep students engaged with routine tasks.
• C) To develop a habit of questioning and curiosity.
• D) To reduce the workload of teachers.
• Answer: C) To develop a habit of questioning and curiosity.

1. What should educators do to raise professional standards?

• A) Meet the minimum teaching requirements.
• B) Stay updated with recent developments in their profession.
• C) Focus solely on theoretical knowledge.
• D) Avoid assessing students regularly.
• Answer: B) Stay updated with recent developments in their profession.

1. What is an example of promoting a climate that encourages professional judgment?

• A) Ignoring parent-teacher meetings.
• B) Making judgments based on assumptions.
• C) Creating evidence-based judgments.
• D) Relying on judgments made by parents.
• Answer: C) Creating evidence-based judgments.

1. How can teachers advocate for the teaching profession?

• A) By considering teaching as a last career option.
• B) By promoting teaching as a first career option.
• C) By discouraging others from entering the profession.
• D) By avoiding professional development.
• Answer: B) By promoting teaching as a first career option.

1. What does it mean to prevent the practice of the profession by unqualified persons?

• A) Allowing anyone to teach regardless of qualifications.
• B) Replacing unqualified teachers with qualified ones.
• C) Ignoring the qualifications of teachers.
• D) Encouraging unqualified individuals to teach.
• Answer: B) Replacing unqualified teachers with qualified ones.

Key Context of Schooling

7. According to a parent’s interview, why do they send their children to school?

• A) To become better athletes.
• B) To learn attitudes of winning and losing.
• C) To become better human beings and get better job opportunities.
• D) To avoid staying at home.
• Answer: C) To become better human beings and get better job opportunities.

7. What does a teacher believe is the school’s responsibility towards a child?

• A) Only teaching academic subjects.
• B) Providing a place for social development.
• C) Ensuring the child is busy.
• D) Focusing solely on physical activities.
• Answer: B) Providing a place for social development.

7. What is a key assumption about the group orientation activity in schools?

• A) Schools focus only on individual achievements.
• B) Schools are a place for isolated learning.
• C) Schools are about group orientation and diverse interactions.
• D) Schools discourage group activities.
• Answer: C) Schools are about group orientation and diverse interactions.

7. What does the educational context of schooling include?
   • A) Only teaching facts.
   • B) Helping students apply knowledge practically.
   • C) Avoiding creativity in teaching.
   • D) Focusing solely on memorization.
   Answer: B) Helping students apply knowledge practically.
8. What does the social context of schooling emphasize?
   • A) The importance of school buildings and facilities.
   • B) Developing interpersonal relationships and social capital.
   • C) Keeping students isolated.
   • D) Avoiding group activities.
   Answer: B) Developing interpersonal relationships and social capital.

Collegial Context of Schooling

12. What does the statement “School business is not discussed here” in the staffroom indicate?
    • A) Strong professional development among colleagues.
    • B) Weak collegial context.
    • C) Encouragement of discussing professional issues.
    • D) Focus on professional growth.
    Answer: B) Weak collegial context.
13. What does the statement “We believe in sharing ideas, work and food” imply about a school’s collegial context?
    • A) The teachers avoid professional collaboration.
    • B) There is a strong sense of community and collaboration.
    • C) The teachers work in isolation.
    • D) The school discourages teamwork.
    Answer: B) There is a strong sense of community and collaboration.
14. What is indicated by the statement “Let’s establish a learning community” in a school?
    • A) The school discourages professional learning.
    • B) The school values continuous learning and collaboration.
    • C) The school focuses only on administrative tasks.
    • D) The school avoids sharing knowledge.
    Answer: B) The school values continuous learning and collaboration.
15. What does the statement “My colleagues are my mentors” suggest about the school’s environment?
    • A) There is no respect for senior teachers.
    • B) Teachers value and learn from each other.
    • C) Teachers work in isolation.
    • D) There is a lack of professional development.
    Answer: B) Teachers value and learn from each other.