PROFESSIONALISM for PreService Teachers

1
PROFESSIONALISM forPre-Service Teachers

• College of Education

2
Teaching is a profession..

• therefore, candidates are expected to
  display appropriate and professional behavior,
  appearance, and dispositions.

3
Montana Professional Standards

• Professional Dispositions
• Candidates for all professional roles should
  develop and demonstrate dispositions that are
  expected for educators, demonstrating ethical
  behaviors and attitudes of a professional
  educator, and communicating with students,
  communities, and colleagues effectively.

State of Montana Administrative
Rule 10.58.304 Candidates preparing to work in
schools as teachers or other professional school
personnel know and demonstrate the content,
pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills,
and dispositions necessary to help all students
learn.and.meet professional, state, and
institutional standards.
4
Dispositions

• The values, commitments, and professional ethics
  that influence behaviors toward students,
  families, colleagues and communities that affect
  student learning, motivation, and development as
  well as the educators own professional growth,
  guided by beliefs and attitudes related to global
  values such as
• caring
• fairness
• honesty
• responsibility
• social justice
• etc.

5
Professional Dispositions

• Attendance and punctuality
• Self-initiative independence
• Reliability and dependability
• Desire to improve
• Appropriate response to feedback supervision
• Critical thinking skills
• Collegiality
• Adequate appropriate oral grammar speaking
  skills
• Adequate appropriate written grammar writing
  skills
• Commitment to the teaching profession.
• Professional ethics and demeanor

6
Professional Dispositions

• Developing skills of personal responsibility
  for
• professional development and learning
• behavior attitudes
• successes achievements
• failures mistakes

• Developing the professional maturity to
• apologize
• make amends
• celebrate others successes even if you have
  failed
• conduct professional reflection if you have
  failed, .and try again!

7
Professional Conduct for Pre-Service Teachers
8

• Arrive on time, stay the full period and/or time
  commitment.
• Pre-arrange any absence from your Field
  Experience or notify your Mentor Teacher and
  University Supervisor immediately if it is an
  emergency absence.
• Always have classroom materials prepared and
  organized.
• Do not bring your children to your school
  (unless, of course, they attend there). Make
  alternative arrangements for before and after
  school care. They should not be in your
  classroom.

9

• Consistently demonstrate professional writing
  skills.
• All writing will be evaluated as if you were a
  professional educator in a public or private
  classroom. Neatness, spelling, grammar,
  penmanship, citation and referencing counts!
• Home/school written communications
• School communications
• Writing on the board
• Etc.
• Consistently demonstrate professional oral
  language skills.
• Appropriate language, tone of voice, etc. is
  expected. Avoid
• cursing/swearing or use of objectionable words
• derogatory jokes, remarks, etc.
• racist, sexist, demeaning slurs, remarks, or
  jokes
• personal remarks about religious or political
  views to students
• personal remarks about students and staff
• argumentative or aggressive verbal tones
• Incorrect grammar and usage (a common reason why
  beginning teachers dont get jobs!!!)

10

• Always be respectful of classmates, colleagues,
  mentors, supervisors, staff and P-12 students.
• Respect staff and administrations practices,
  beliefs, classroom management, instructional
  styles, etc.
• Set aside magazines, materials stuff, laptop
  games, chit-chat , etc. during in-services,
  workshops, meetings, etc.
• Consistently demonstrate professional social
  skills.
• CAUTION the teacher lounge trap dont
  gossip!
• Maintain confidentiality of students and staff.
• Avoid using specific names of staff, students,
  and locations except with university supervisor,
  the Director of CAFÉ, and college and/or school
  faculty and administrators.
• NEVER discuss anything about a student outside of
  appropriate professional settings.

11
There are legal penalties for a breach of
confidentiality. You will be personally
liable for all legal actions and penalties and
you will fail student teaching if any allegations
are substantiated.
12

• Use extreme caution with ANY personal
  medication(s). Inform yourself of the schools
  policy.
• Smoking, smokeless tobacco, illegal drugs and
  alcohol are not allowed on school property.
• College students working in any field experience
  site are PROHIBITED from distribution or
  dispensing of tobacco products, drugs (illegal or
  legal), or alcohol on site, or away from the site
  with students or clients, in accordance with
  related state and federal laws.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TOBACCO, ALCOHOL AND
DRUG REGULATIONS WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE
FIELD EXPERIENCE.
13

• You are a GUEST in your school please avoid
• Casual blue jeans (except on sanctioned dress
  down days)
• Mini and low-rise skirts
• Crop tops, low cut tops, or spaghetti straps
• T-Shirts with logos/words (other than school
  sanctioned)
• Low-cut pants and baggy britches
• Overly tight-fitting clothing
• Strong scented perfumes, aftershaves, tobacco
  odor, etc.
• Spiky-high fashion shoes or flip-flops
• Baseball-style caps
• Obvious body piercings or tattoos minimize,
  remove, or cover - and - check on the schools
  policy.
• Gum, food, tongue studs (remove them for the
  school day!). because of effect on oral speech
  enunciation.
• Cell phone and pager usage during class time

14

• YES!
• Dress conservatively
• Shirts with collars
• Guys ties optional (observe male staff or ask!)
• Khakis, slacks, Docker style pants, etc.
• Comfortable skirts dresses
• Socks
• Leather-like shoes that are comfortable
• Be practical and professional life in P-12
  settings can be hard on clothing and shoes
  dont wear anything you dont want damaged! This
  is not the time or place for a fashion show!
• Do the mirror test. Bend over, stretch, lean
  down, and kneel if you see skin where you
  shouldnt dont wear it to school. A good rule
  of thumb collarbone to top of knee cap should
  be covered.

15
Professional Conduct

• Respect professional boundaries - DO NOT
• Date students, teachers, staff, or supervisors
• Develop a personal friendship with students
• Transport students in a vehicle at anytime, under
  any circumstances
• Invite students to meet you off school property
• Visit students at their home or have students
  come to your home
• Exception Authorized home visits that are
  part of the programbut you MUST have a
  supervisor with you.
• Sexual Harassment
• Do not be alone with a P-12 student. If you
  must
• First notify your mentor teacher
• Sit in full view (to the hallway) with an open
  door
• Sit on opposite side of desk or table or at
  least on adjacent side (avoid shoulder to
  shoulder)
• Keep all the lights on and window blinds open
• Do not sexually harass any student, staff member,
  or visitor
• Counseling Settings make every reasonable
  effort to avoid even the appearance of actions
  that could be interpreted as sexual harassment of
  students and/or co-workers.

16
Professional Conduct

• Respect personal boundaries
• Do not use corporal punishment
• Hitting, slapping, shoving, paddling, grabbing,
  etc.
• If you initiate time outs, do so only under
  direct supervision and follow all school and
  state-sanctioned guidelines and policies.
• USE EXTREME CAUTION with all physical contact
  including hugs, back-pats, touching, etc.
• Notify your university supervisor if you
  implement aversive treatment of a P-12 student or
  are concerned a student may alleged that
  inappropriate touching or harassment has
  occurred.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REGULATION WILL
RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE FIELD EXPERIENCE.
17
Career Killers

• Gossip, whining, griping
• Breach of confidentiality
• Substance abuse
• Tardiness absenteeism
• Academic incompetence
• Poor oral speaking skills
• Poor writing skills
• Unprofessional behavior and demeanor as described
  in this presentation.

18
BOTTOM LINE You have the civil right to present
yourself as you see fit. BUT site
administrators, university supervisors, faculty
and administrators have the AUTHORITY to remove
you from the site if they see fit.
19
Miscellaneous Responsibilities

• Learn the safety regulations. Know exactly what
  to do for
• Fire and other safety drills and evacuations
• Weapons bomb threats
• First aid situations, including school district
  policy about giving aid
• Lock-Down procedures (preplan care for your
  children if you cant leave the school!)
• People authorized for pick-up and delivery of
  students
• Use of Public Property
• Use property only in accordance with the rules
  and regulations of the school and district. No
  equipment, supplies or materials may be taken
  off-site without expressed permission.
• Drug use, sexual or physical abuse, neglect,
  potential suicide, harm to others, etc.
• Helping professionals and teachers are required
  to report.
• Report full knowledge to your mentor teacher and
  university supervisor, immediately.
• The school will have specific guidelines
  regarding the steps to be taken. Your
  responsibility is to inform without delay and to
  follow the procedures of the school and district.

20

• Communicable Diseases
• Always protect yourself strictly follow blood
  borne pathogens procedures.
• Always have rubber gloves on you (this is why
  teachers like pockets!) or near you.
• Liability
• There is always a risk that you can be held
  liable for a situation during a field experience.
• Most school districts will not cover personal
  liability cases or judgments against an
  individual.
• We strongly recommend that you acquire liability
  insurance.
• Personal policy
• Student MEA-MFT membership
• 20.00 per year
• 1 Million liability insurance coverage

21
The Buck Stops Here..

• Maintain a positive, professional attitude, even
  if things are getting rough and tough.
• Please conduct yourself in a manner befitting a
  member of the teaching profession!
• You must follow any other ethical and
  professional standards set by the school/agency
  in which you are completing a field experience.