What is Professionalism?

The definition of professionalism may be one of the most gray areas that I have come across in teaching so far. We discussed it in great length in class today, and it seems it is a subject that has many facets and that everyone views just a tiny bit different than everyone else. Not only that, but there is so much that could be included in it, where does one know where to begin and where to end?!

A good place to start I feel, is with Sergiovanni's Four Commitments to Professionalism. I really liked this model because it is very broad and can cover virtually anything that one sees as important to the definition of professionalism. The four commitments are commitment to caring, commitment to practice in exemplary ways, commitment to valued social ends and commitment to one's own practice, as well as the practice itself.I thought that all four of these were very important.

So what do I think professionaliam means?

To me professionalism means a lot of different things. First of all, I think that it means a a constant dedication to caring, courtesy, honesty and responsibility at ALL times. We are teachers 24/7 whether we like it or not. Our students look up to us and parents expect us to set an example. For example, dressing appropriately, not using foul language, as well as being sure that your social life (drinking, smoking, drugs, sex, etc.) is squeaky clean or at least STAYS private and personal, are all things that need to be considered. With the expansion of technology in todays world this is becoming tougher and tougher, but we must do our best. Nothing can ruin a persons professional image as quickly as a lack of attention to these things, whether it's in the classroom or in your personal life.

Another thing that I think is important as a professional is commitment to the profession of teaching in itself. I think that this could look like many things. For example, taking part in MTS activities, attending PDs to keep up on current strategies, reading relevant articles and most importantly, giving your own opionions on things in the hopes to continue to make our profession the greatest it can be. I think that another important piece of this is sharing our knowledge with new teachers as well, whether this be taking on a student teacher, or perhaps mentoring a first year teacher who is looking for some guidance. These are all important steps in making the profession of teaching the best that it can be in the future, and helping our students to continue to have success.

Last but not least, I think that being commited to teaching the student as a whole is an important part of being a professional as well. We are not just there for academic purposes. Teachers, in some cases, spend more time with children that any other adult in their life, and are a huge factor in helping them grow emotionally and socially as well. Again, I think that the phrase "We Make Good People" is very key here. Them being able to contribute to society from an academic standpoint is great, but it is not nearly as important as a childs social, emotional, psychological and physical well-being. I think that this is also the point where we bring the community into their learning as well (picking up garbage, volunteering, community concerts etc.), and strive to meet those social expectations.

So as we can see, there are many things that fit into the definition of professionalism. These are just my main ideas, and I am sure that there are others out there who both agree and diagree with me. I believe that each of my points actually fits quite nicely with Giovanni's Model as well. The first fits into the commitment to caring, the second fits in with the commitment to one's own practice, as well as the practice itself, and the last is dead on for being a commitment to valued social ends. It is obviously a great and practical model for teachers to consider.