The profession of a teacher

Candidates for teaching should be:

• Among the highest academic performers
• Well versed in the subjects they teach
• Knowledgeable about how to teach
• Able to use different strategies
• Interested in ideas
• Committed to teaching and learning
• Eager to make a difference in students' lives

Every teacher must develop the characteristics of a professional and model professionalism every day. Speaking about the main elements of professionalism the main three categories should be indicated: attitude, behavior and communication. Addressing these areas can help any teacher to develop a stronger sense of professionalism.

Attitude is everything! A positive attitude is an essential component of professionalism. Beginning at the dimpliest level, teachers cannot let their personal lives interfere with there professional attitude. Even when having a bad day, a teacher still needs to maintain a positive attitude and not a bad mood on the students. A professional needs to push away outside concerns or distractions and focus on the task at hand.

One of the best things a teacher can do is to love his or her students. It is so important for students to know that their teachers care for them. A professional doesn’t view his or her profession as just a job, but rather sees it as a calling that is all about caring for children. The ability to make personal connections with students is an identifiable trait of a successful teacher. It’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the negative. Every job and profession has its ups and downs, and a true professional focuses his or her energy in a positive way. This calls for the attitude of assertiveness. When a teacher sees that something is not working well, he or she needs to take action and seek solution.

Risk taking is another element of a professional attitude. There can be no accomplishment without taking some risk. A professional should be willing to take risks and try new things, and thus avoid falling into a rut and becoming stagnant.

An attitude of confidence is another key component of professionalism. Lack of confidence can lead to social errors and unprofessional behavior. Teachers must know and trust themselves and their abilities.

An attitude of initiative is also important element. Professionals set goals for themselves and their students. They know what they want to achieve. One of the first signs that prove that teachers are becoming more professional is that they begin to take initiative, rather than wait to be told what to do.

Lastly, effective teachers need to commit themselves to being lifelong learners, because real professional has a continuing growth plan to achieve competence and strives continuously to raise the level of each new group of students.

One more category is behavior. A professional is defined not by the business a person is in but by the way that person does his or her business. Preparedness, one behavior associated with professionalism, is an important focus in the current standards movement that require that the teacher should know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so students can learn, teachers should know the content and methodology of what they teach. Teachers need to be prepared to teach the content of their lessons, as well as be prepared with the proper materials and resources. Many beginning teacher underestimate how much time proper planning and preparation entail. The sooner they understand this, the better.

Punctuality is another critical behavior associated with professionalism. It is critical that the teachers arrive on time, whether it is for the start of the school day or for picking up the students from a special class.

Professionals, metaphorically, live in the glass houses; they are under constant scrutiny and are held to the highest moral and ethical standards. Teachers, expected to be role models for their students, must carefully examine how their behavior, both in and out of the classroom, might make an impression on others. A teacher’s actions and influence as a role model can either help or harm others. Just a hint of any impropriety can both ruin a teacher’s reputation and leave students disappointed and confused.

Like it or not, people are often judged by their appearance. A professional is expected to dress in a respectable manner. While the level of formality has declined in many professions, many types of clothing still are considered inappropriate in professional settings. Clothes that are too provocative, casual or sloppy are inappropriate. Body piercing, tattoos and other bold fashions are often looked upon unfavorably. Teachers are encouraged to err on the side of formality, rather than to dress in casual or contemporary fashion. A teacher should look like a teacher, not one of the students. University or school is not the place to make wild fashion statements or to dress in provocative ways.

Being able to discern the types of topics that are appropriate for conversation is an important quality of professional behavior. It is recommended for teacher to avoid responding to inappropriate questions and ones that are too personal. In conversations, they also should avoid interrupting others and should think before they speak.

Respect – the act of displaying a high regard for students. A professional respects all others, even when that respect is not returned. As a role model for appropriate behavior, a teacher always must show respect to colleagues, parents and students. A professional treats everyone with dignity.

Numerous facets of communication impact professionalism. Among these are collaboration, cooperation, support and encouragement, and participation in learning communities, as well as basic modeling of proper language usage. Collaboration is one of the core propositions of accomplished teaching. Building good, strong relationships is part of being a professional. Teachers no longer can go into their classroom, shut the door and do their own things. The changing nature of schools calls for teachers to collaborate with others and work effectively as a team toward common goals. Collaboration is essential for meeting the needs of all the students.

Teaching is hard work, and a little encouragement goes a long way. It is important for teachers to edify and support one another, to have opportunities to share their triumphs and tragedies. As professionals, teachers must focus on cooperation rather than competition. Real professionals consult and help one another.

A professional should sound like an educated person, always using proper speech and grammar. Here again, teachers need to be appropriate role models for students.

Becoming truly professional is a lifelong challenge. Professionalism is a process more than an outcome – a way of encountering new students and new classroom problems and of finding meaning and solution to them as you grow. Educators play a significant role in enhancing the professionalism of the teaching field by demonstrating these characteristics in their own professional lives.