The purpose of the Professionalism Standard is to ensure teachers in the Commonwealth of Virginia exhibit the same superb qualities of professionals in other fields such as medicine or the law and hold their profession to high professional standards. The Professionalism Standard is important because it ensures professional teachers provide students with an exemplary education, just as professional doctors would provide patients with exemplary medical care, or lawyers would provide their clients with exemplary counsel. The Virginia Department of Education (2011) recommends several ways the teacher can meet the Professionalism Standard, three of which are to:
1.) Take Responsibility for and Participate in a Meaningful and Continuous Process of Professional Development
2.) Work in Partnership with Families to Promote Student Learning at Home and in the School
3.) Continually Reflect On, Evaluate, and Seek to Improve Their Practice
1. ) Take Responsibility for and Participate in a Meaningful and Continuous Process of Professional Development
I am a member of the following professional organizations.
Between March 16-18, 2017, I attended the Virginia State Reading Association’s annual conference. I was fortunate to hear Marvin Terban speak about the very positive imp
act his first-grade teacher from Chelsea, Massachusetts, had on him.
2.) Work in Partnership with Families to Promote Student Learning at Home and in the School
Teachers can engage with families through one-on-one meetings with families and students, parents’ nights, home phone calls, and a classroom web site, among other activities. Teachers communicate consistently, not irregularly, with families (National Council on Teacher Quality, n.d.).
During student teaching, I placed the Weekly Star (a weekly newsletter) in the student’s binders to communicate homework and reminders to the parents. The parents could write notes to the teacher on the Star and the teacher could return notes to the parents. As a teacher, I will continue the practice of sending home a Weekly Star.
3.) Reflect on, Evaluate, and Seek to Improve Their Practice
During my student internship at G.W. Carver Elementary School, I kept a dialog book where I wrote questions and observations I had throughout the school day. I reflected on my day in a written reflection in the dialog book. Daily reflective journaling of this kind is important for the professional teacher and a practice I will continue as a teacher.
References
National Council on Teacher Quality. n.d. Framework for Effective Teaching: Professionalism. Retrieved from http://www.nctq.org/docs/Framework-for-Effective-Teaching—Professionalism.pdf
Virginia Department of Education. (2011). Virginia Standards of the Professional Practice of Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/regulations/uniform_performance_stds_2011.pdf