We spent a fairly good chunk of class time over the last couple of days going over the MTS Code of Professional Practice. This is basically just the set of rules and ethics that all Manitoban teachers must abide by. The thing that I liked the best about going over these was that, not only did I learn something new, but like professionalism before it, it covers a lot of gray areas. I thought that was great because those are usually the areas that we need the most advice in.
I think that the one code that people have the most trouble with, and that which we as new teachers may not be aware of, is the one that requires us to deal directly with colleagues if we are having an issue with them. I think that new teachers automatically assume that you are to go to the principal when you are having problems, but this is not the case. Even though it may be intimidating as a new teacher, especially if the colleague in question is a vetran, we are required to confront them alone first and follow the proper chain of command. You may call on your MTS rep to give you advice on how to handle it, but they will not actually deal with it for you.
As someone who has worked in a school in the past I have seen even teachers of 30 years really struggle with this one. I think that it is natural to want to ask other colleagues for their advice and opinions to help validate how you are feeling, but you should not do so. As soon as you bring other people into the conflict it becomes unprofessional, and may be seen as you gossiping behind a colleagues back. Then, before you know it, your conflict is ten times larger than it ever was, and there's a very good chance you're going to come out looking like the bad guy. If you must seek adivice,..call your MTS rep!
There were also several other things that were discussed regarding the code that I was not aware of. For example, I had absolutely no idea that you were not supposed to accept a poistion from a school/division that is dealing their contract or striking. I also had never really thought about the part of the code that states you should never claim to be representing the MTS in any way when giving statements. I dont think this situation is very common, but nonetheless I would say that it is an excellent reminder to always be cautious about the things you say. It only takes one tiny slip-up to destroy a lifetime of building a professional image.
So as we can see, this code, though short and sweet, deals with a lot of very tricky issues. It is a great thing for new teachers to familiarize themselves with and may make certain decisions a little more clear during times of uncertainty.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
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.
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.
Professional Knowledge vs. Subject Knowledge
Which is more important for a teacher to have, professional knowledge (how to teach, strategies etc.) or subject knowledge (content)?
We discussed this topic in great lengths today and everyone felt that professional knowledge was more important. This is for several reasons.
First of all, in my opinion, it doesn't matter how much knowledge you have if you are not able to teach it. It was brought up in class today that a lot of our worst experiences in classrooms were simply because the teacher was too smart!! That may sound silly, but if teachers cannot dumb it down for students, or explain to them their strategies for finding solutions etc. in the first place, then the knowledege is virtually useless to anyone but them.
One may also try and argue the reverse I suppose, that knowing how to teach doesn't make much sense if you don't know what you're teaching, but I think that this is much less of a problem than the former. Im pretty sure that most of us are quite capable of teaching ourselves the knowledge we need know in order to teach our students. You research, and use your resources, such as other teachers, curriulum guides, textbooks, the internet etc. Also, were we not taught that "To Teach Is To Learn" in the first place? So what if you don't know a whole lot about a certain subject! Perhaps it is an inquiry project that you can do with your students, and therefore you'll all learn something new! Im sure we all know how to research, so this really shouldn't be that difficult.
On the flip side, I believe that trying to gain professional knowledge would be much more difficult. Not impossible, but I dont think that there are as many resources to turn to in this case. I also think that for some people, you really need to be able to experience these things hands on, as students, like we are now. This is why most of our professors model our classes like elementary classes. In this respect I believe that the 2 years we are spending in our Education After Degree right now are priceless. That is what methods classes are for, as well as our student teaching. You use THIS time to experiement and learn what works best for you. For example, you learn 10 different strategies, and then during student teaching, see which ones work the best. That is what these two years SHOULD be used for, and I think it is very important to have an idea of these things before you have you own classroom. This is not to say that you won't continue to experiment, as every child and class is different, but it is maybe not practical to assume that it will be as easy at a later date.
Of course there are other things to be considered as well. For example, senior years teachers need to know much more content knowledge because they usually only teach a couple of things. Elementary teachers on the other hand, need to know at least a little about everything because they teach almost everything! Does this change the argument? Maybe a little, but I still believe the same reasons for my position apply here as well. The best answer to this question is probably that they are equally important. Having a balance between the two will make you the best teacher that you can be, and we should be life long learners, constantly striving for this.
We discussed this topic in great lengths today and everyone felt that professional knowledge was more important. This is for several reasons.
First of all, in my opinion, it doesn't matter how much knowledge you have if you are not able to teach it. It was brought up in class today that a lot of our worst experiences in classrooms were simply because the teacher was too smart!! That may sound silly, but if teachers cannot dumb it down for students, or explain to them their strategies for finding solutions etc. in the first place, then the knowledege is virtually useless to anyone but them.
One may also try and argue the reverse I suppose, that knowing how to teach doesn't make much sense if you don't know what you're teaching, but I think that this is much less of a problem than the former. Im pretty sure that most of us are quite capable of teaching ourselves the knowledge we need know in order to teach our students. You research, and use your resources, such as other teachers, curriulum guides, textbooks, the internet etc. Also, were we not taught that "To Teach Is To Learn" in the first place? So what if you don't know a whole lot about a certain subject! Perhaps it is an inquiry project that you can do with your students, and therefore you'll all learn something new! Im sure we all know how to research, so this really shouldn't be that difficult.
On the flip side, I believe that trying to gain professional knowledge would be much more difficult. Not impossible, but I dont think that there are as many resources to turn to in this case. I also think that for some people, you really need to be able to experience these things hands on, as students, like we are now. This is why most of our professors model our classes like elementary classes. In this respect I believe that the 2 years we are spending in our Education After Degree right now are priceless. That is what methods classes are for, as well as our student teaching. You use THIS time to experiement and learn what works best for you. For example, you learn 10 different strategies, and then during student teaching, see which ones work the best. That is what these two years SHOULD be used for, and I think it is very important to have an idea of these things before you have you own classroom. This is not to say that you won't continue to experiment, as every child and class is different, but it is maybe not practical to assume that it will be as easy at a later date.
Of course there are other things to be considered as well. For example, senior years teachers need to know much more content knowledge because they usually only teach a couple of things. Elementary teachers on the other hand, need to know at least a little about everything because they teach almost everything! Does this change the argument? Maybe a little, but I still believe the same reasons for my position apply here as well. The best answer to this question is probably that they are equally important. Having a balance between the two will make you the best teacher that you can be, and we should be life long learners, constantly striving for this.
Why Teach?
At some point in the past year, or in the near future, those of us who are embarking upon our education degree will ask ourselves why we have decided to become teachers. For some of us, it will have been something we have dreamed about since the first time someone asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. For others, it may be something that was not discovered until we actually had life experience, and realized what we DID NOT want to do with our lives, and what we had a natural talent for.
I myself fall into the second category. When I first graduated highschool I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had always liked kids, but for some reason being a teacher never really came to mind when people asked me that question. I went through my first few years of university thinking I may end up in the social work or psychology fields, as I really enjoyed those subjects. However, I later realized, being someone who is settled in the rural area, that my opportunities for employment would be few and far between, and I was back to the drawing board.
It was at this point in my life that I decided to leave education for awhile. I graduated from BU in 2006 with an arts degree that seemed kind of useless at the time, but thought it might be beneficial to me to work for a few years before I wasted any more money on a career path that I was uncertain about. After living in Red Deer Alberta for a year, I found my way back to Manitoba and ended up landing a job as the secretary at my old K-12 high school. Over the next 3 1/2 years I got a real feel for the community of a school. Not only was I the secretary, but I also took on roles as curling, soccer and volleyball coaches, as well as lunch time supervision in both ends of the school. I LOVED my job, but the one thing that I really didnt like about it was that I did not get to spend much time with the kids. I loved that their 30 second visits to the office were the highlights of my day. I also found it amazing what a pick-me-up they could be when I was having a rough day. For this reason I came to really look forward to my lunch duties.
So this brings me back to my original question, why teach? There are many things that could be said of the profession. It is a reasonably well paying job with good benefits, and you get all holidays and summers off which for a parent is a dream. However, as much as these things are perks, I dont think that one can rely on those reasons alone to make them happy. My interest in teaching has a lot more to do with my passion for working with kids, that feeling of accomplishment I get when a child has that "lightbulb" moment, and the feeling of community I get when i'm working in a school, including the teamwork that takes place between colleagues. I also really love the idea that being a teacher is not just about academics, and that it is important to teach the child as a whole. The school I used to work in had a motto that I loved. "We Make Good People."
I was also drawn to teaching because I think that it draws on some of my greatest strengths in patience and organization. I think that humour is important, I dont get rattled very easily, and I really believe that there is merit in the phrase "take your teaching seriously, but yourself lightly." It is this combination of different things that I think makes people want to teach, but there is no all inclusive answer. This is what makes teachers great. We might all have the same base beliefs, but in the end, we are all still individuals with different strengths and things to offer.
I myself fall into the second category. When I first graduated highschool I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had always liked kids, but for some reason being a teacher never really came to mind when people asked me that question. I went through my first few years of university thinking I may end up in the social work or psychology fields, as I really enjoyed those subjects. However, I later realized, being someone who is settled in the rural area, that my opportunities for employment would be few and far between, and I was back to the drawing board.
It was at this point in my life that I decided to leave education for awhile. I graduated from BU in 2006 with an arts degree that seemed kind of useless at the time, but thought it might be beneficial to me to work for a few years before I wasted any more money on a career path that I was uncertain about. After living in Red Deer Alberta for a year, I found my way back to Manitoba and ended up landing a job as the secretary at my old K-12 high school. Over the next 3 1/2 years I got a real feel for the community of a school. Not only was I the secretary, but I also took on roles as curling, soccer and volleyball coaches, as well as lunch time supervision in both ends of the school. I LOVED my job, but the one thing that I really didnt like about it was that I did not get to spend much time with the kids. I loved that their 30 second visits to the office were the highlights of my day. I also found it amazing what a pick-me-up they could be when I was having a rough day. For this reason I came to really look forward to my lunch duties.
So this brings me back to my original question, why teach? There are many things that could be said of the profession. It is a reasonably well paying job with good benefits, and you get all holidays and summers off which for a parent is a dream. However, as much as these things are perks, I dont think that one can rely on those reasons alone to make them happy. My interest in teaching has a lot more to do with my passion for working with kids, that feeling of accomplishment I get when a child has that "lightbulb" moment, and the feeling of community I get when i'm working in a school, including the teamwork that takes place between colleagues. I also really love the idea that being a teacher is not just about academics, and that it is important to teach the child as a whole. The school I used to work in had a motto that I loved. "We Make Good People."
I was also drawn to teaching because I think that it draws on some of my greatest strengths in patience and organization. I think that humour is important, I dont get rattled very easily, and I really believe that there is merit in the phrase "take your teaching seriously, but yourself lightly." It is this combination of different things that I think makes people want to teach, but there is no all inclusive answer. This is what makes teachers great. We might all have the same base beliefs, but in the end, we are all still individuals with different strengths and things to offer.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
My Favourite Teacher
What makes a good teacher?
We've all had favourite teachers over the years I'm willing to bet. Everyone, for the most part, has experienced that one person who really pushed them or encouraged them, and it is my belief that it is people like this that make us the people we are today! Is it any wonder then, that the characteristics that these people possess are the very ones that we as future educators strive to achieve? Or that it was them that probably made us want to be teachers in the first place?
When I was in high school I loved to play sports. Given that I lived in a small town, most kids who liked sports took part in everything, not just one or two specific sports. When I started grade nine, I joined the volleyball team. Me being all of 5 feet tall, the coach at the time basically told me that there was no way I could play in the front, and therefore stuck me in the back once in awhile just so he could say he had included me. Even though I didnt enjoy it as much as I had hoped, I stuck it out. When I entered grade eleven, we got a new coach. She took me aside one day and told me that because I was short, I was very quick, and that I had great soft hands. She made me a setter, and really encouraged me to become the best that I could be. I LOVED volleyball that year, and not only that, but I learned a ton and improved leaps and bound over the other years. I may not have got to spike the ball, but what was most important to me was that she gave me a role, and made me feel like I belonged. From that year on, I was our setter, and I was proud of it!
I think that this is a great example of some of the characteristics that made her a great teacher. She not only got to know my individual strengths, but she focused on those positives, instead the negatives, or things I couldn't do. She was funny and personable as well. Some other traits that I also feel are important as an educator are patience, flexibility, organization, kindness, warmness, sense of humour, energy & a passion for teaching. I think that we need to speak to kids on their level instead of talking down to them, and I believe that if you foster good, personal, realtionships with kids, they will most likely feel comfortable coming to you with anything! You never know the impact that just the smallest of your actions as a teacher can have on a childs life forever. For me, this is the reason that I remembered this teacher today. It is also the reason that I coached volleyball myself years later!!! None of my kids were too short to contribute..lol.
We've all had favourite teachers over the years I'm willing to bet. Everyone, for the most part, has experienced that one person who really pushed them or encouraged them, and it is my belief that it is people like this that make us the people we are today! Is it any wonder then, that the characteristics that these people possess are the very ones that we as future educators strive to achieve? Or that it was them that probably made us want to be teachers in the first place?
When I was in high school I loved to play sports. Given that I lived in a small town, most kids who liked sports took part in everything, not just one or two specific sports. When I started grade nine, I joined the volleyball team. Me being all of 5 feet tall, the coach at the time basically told me that there was no way I could play in the front, and therefore stuck me in the back once in awhile just so he could say he had included me. Even though I didnt enjoy it as much as I had hoped, I stuck it out. When I entered grade eleven, we got a new coach. She took me aside one day and told me that because I was short, I was very quick, and that I had great soft hands. She made me a setter, and really encouraged me to become the best that I could be. I LOVED volleyball that year, and not only that, but I learned a ton and improved leaps and bound over the other years. I may not have got to spike the ball, but what was most important to me was that she gave me a role, and made me feel like I belonged. From that year on, I was our setter, and I was proud of it!
I think that this is a great example of some of the characteristics that made her a great teacher. She not only got to know my individual strengths, but she focused on those positives, instead the negatives, or things I couldn't do. She was funny and personable as well. Some other traits that I also feel are important as an educator are patience, flexibility, organization, kindness, warmness, sense of humour, energy & a passion for teaching. I think that we need to speak to kids on their level instead of talking down to them, and I believe that if you foster good, personal, realtionships with kids, they will most likely feel comfortable coming to you with anything! You never know the impact that just the smallest of your actions as a teacher can have on a childs life forever. For me, this is the reason that I remembered this teacher today. It is also the reason that I coached volleyball myself years later!!! None of my kids were too short to contribute..lol.
Fish Philosophy
One of the very first things we took a look at when we started this semester is FISH philosophy. I had never heard of it before, and i can absolutely say that I am loving it! I think that the best thing about this philosophy is how simple it is. The four principles, which are Play, Make Their Day, Be There and Choose Your Attitude, are not only simple, but they actually make sense! The other upside to this theory is that it can be used both in your classroom, and in other areas of your life as well.
We have had a lot of discussions recently about the Make Their Day principle. I think that this is one of the easiest ones to accomplish, but it is just really hard to remember to do it on a daily basis. The smallest of things can make a persons day, whether it be a compliment or simply helping someone out! These small efforts can go a long way to brightening a persons day, or addressing an insecurity they may have, and they are really not hard to do. I think that kids do this for us as educators all the time, and we should remind ourselves daily to return the favor.
I also like the "Play" principle. It has been noted that perhaps we as adults may have the most trouble with this one simply because play is generally seen as lazy or lacking in ambition. I completely disagree with this and think that if you are able to play/have fun AND work, you will not only love your job more, but you will probably have that effect on the others that you work with as well.
I think that the "Be There" principle is fairly stright forward in that it simply has to do with being both physically and mentally commited to what you are doing. In otherwards, when you are at work, you are %100 focused on the kids, and not thinking about what you have planned when you get home etc. I think that kids can pick up on it when we, as teachers, are not really there and then they become less engaged. I also think that they feel more worthwhile when we are truly interested in them. In this respect, this principle is huge in building relationships with your students.
Last, but not least, the "Choose Your Attitude" principle to me is the one that we know we must do, but find the hardest. We all know that when you get to class you can fake it, but to truly "Choose Your Attitude" can be very difficult. My thoughts on it are that you should let the kids be your guide. The majority of early years students love school, and are thrilled to be there. Let them make you laugh and boost your ego and perhaps choosing your attitude will not be as difficult as you think. Focus on the positive, not the negative.
These are just a few of my thoughts about this philosophy. We started trying to practice FISH in our PT class today and I think it totally works. We played a game at the beginning of class today and the rest of the class absolutely flew by. I felt really focused after being able to have a little fun. We also started a "Warm & Fuzzy Bucket" in which we have to write one nice thing about someone, or something they have done, every day. A few were read at the end of the day and I left feeling in a great mood, so it works! Cant wait to see what tomorrow brings!
We have had a lot of discussions recently about the Make Their Day principle. I think that this is one of the easiest ones to accomplish, but it is just really hard to remember to do it on a daily basis. The smallest of things can make a persons day, whether it be a compliment or simply helping someone out! These small efforts can go a long way to brightening a persons day, or addressing an insecurity they may have, and they are really not hard to do. I think that kids do this for us as educators all the time, and we should remind ourselves daily to return the favor.
I also like the "Play" principle. It has been noted that perhaps we as adults may have the most trouble with this one simply because play is generally seen as lazy or lacking in ambition. I completely disagree with this and think that if you are able to play/have fun AND work, you will not only love your job more, but you will probably have that effect on the others that you work with as well.
I think that the "Be There" principle is fairly stright forward in that it simply has to do with being both physically and mentally commited to what you are doing. In otherwards, when you are at work, you are %100 focused on the kids, and not thinking about what you have planned when you get home etc. I think that kids can pick up on it when we, as teachers, are not really there and then they become less engaged. I also think that they feel more worthwhile when we are truly interested in them. In this respect, this principle is huge in building relationships with your students.
Last, but not least, the "Choose Your Attitude" principle to me is the one that we know we must do, but find the hardest. We all know that when you get to class you can fake it, but to truly "Choose Your Attitude" can be very difficult. My thoughts on it are that you should let the kids be your guide. The majority of early years students love school, and are thrilled to be there. Let them make you laugh and boost your ego and perhaps choosing your attitude will not be as difficult as you think. Focus on the positive, not the negative.
These are just a few of my thoughts about this philosophy. We started trying to practice FISH in our PT class today and I think it totally works. We played a game at the beginning of class today and the rest of the class absolutely flew by. I felt really focused after being able to have a little fun. We also started a "Warm & Fuzzy Bucket" in which we have to write one nice thing about someone, or something they have done, every day. A few were read at the end of the day and I left feeling in a great mood, so it works! Cant wait to see what tomorrow brings!
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