Professional Growth

1
Professional Growth Responsibilities

• EDU 250

2
ATA and Frank Bruseker

• www.teachers.ab.ca
• Comments from his presentation?

3
Code of Conduct

• Code of Conduct
• Inquiry Question
• What is missing from the Code of Conduct?
• What seems unnecessary?
• Which item do you think is most often in
  violation of the Code by teachers?

4
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• The Code of Professional Conduct stipulates
  minimum standards of professional conduct of
  teachers but is not an exhaustive list of such
  standards.
• Unless exempted by legislation, any member of
  the Alberta Teachers Association who is alleged
  to have violated the standards of the profession,
  including the provisions of the code, may be
  subject to a charge of unprofessional conduct
  under the Discipline Bylaws of the Association.

5
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• In relation to pupils
• The teacher teaches in a manner that respects the
  dignity and rights of all persons without
  prejudice as to race, religious beliefs, color,
  sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
  physical characteristics, age, ancestry or place
  of origin.
• (1) The teacher is responsible for diagnosing
  educational needs, prescribing and implementing
  instructional programs and evaluating progress of
  pupils.
• (2) The teacher may not delegate these
  responsibilities to any person who is not a
  teacher.

6
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• The teacher may delegate specific and limited
  aspects of instructional activity to
  non-certificated personnel, provided that the
  teacher supervises and directs such activity.
• The teacher treats pupils with dignity and
  respect and is considerate of their
  circumstances.
• The teacher may not divulge information about a
  pupil received in confidence or in the course of
  professional duties except as required by law or
  where, in the judgment of the teacher, to do so
  is in the best interest of the pupil.

7
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• The teacher may not accept pay for tutoring a
  pupil in any subjects in which the teacher is
  responsible for giving classroom instruction to
  that pupil.
• The teacher may not take advantage of a
  professional position to profit from the sale of
  goods or services to or for pupils in the
  teachers charge.

8
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• In relation to school authorities
• The teacher protests the assignment of duties for
  which the teacher is not qualified or conditions
  which make it difficult to render professional
  service.
• The teacher fulfills contractual obligations to
  the employer until released by mutual consent or
  according to law.
• The teacher provides as much notice as possible
  of a decision to terminate employment.
• The teacher adheres to agreements negotiated on
  the teachers behalf by the Association.

9
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• In relation to colleagues
• The teacher does not undermine the confidence of
  pupils in other teachers.
• The teacher criticizes the professional
  competence or professional reputation of another
  teacher only in confidence to proper officials
  and after the other teacher has been informed of
  the criticism, subject only to section 24 of the
  Teaching Profession Act.

10
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• The teacher, when making a report on the
  professional performance of another teacher, does
  so in good faith and prior, to submitting the
  report, provides the teacher with a copy of the
  repot, subject only to section 24 of the teaching
  Profession Act
• The teacher does not take, because of animosity
  or for personal advantage, any steps to secure
  the dismissal of another teacher.

11
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• The teacher recognizes the duty to protest
  through proper channels administrative policies
  and practices which the teacher cannot in
  conscience accept and further recognize that if
  administration by consent fails, the
  administrator must adopt a position of authority.
• The teacher as an administrator provides
  opportunities for staff members to express their
  opinions and to bring forth suggestions regarding
  the administration of the school.

12
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• In relation to the profession
• The teacher acts in a manner which maintains the
  honor and dignity of the profession.
• The teacher does not engage in activities which
  adversely affect the quality of the teachers
  professional service.
• The teacher submits to the Association disputes
  arising from professional relationships with
  other teachers which cannot be resolved by
  personal discussion.

13
Teachers Code of Professional Conduct

• The teacher makes representations on behalf of
  the Association or members thereof only when
  authorized.
• The teacher accepts that service to the
  Association is a professional responsibility.
• June 16, 2003

14
Know Your ATA

• Governance
• Professional Development
• Members Assistance

15
The Farmers, Bible Bill and the ATA

• 1935 The Teaching Profession Act
• UFA passed a watered down Act. A few months
  later the Board of Education wanted all teachers
  to resign their contracts and be resigned for one
  year terms ____anually_______
• 1935 Provincial Election Social Credit Party
  and Bible Bill
• 1936 amendment to the Teaching Profession Act

16
The Farmers, Bible Bill and the ATA

• Amendments
• _______mandatory_____ membership in the ATA
• ATA receive ____collective_______bargaining
  rights

17
Professional Growth

• Teacher Professional Growth Plans
• Portfolios
• Reflective Practice

18
Three Dimensions of Professional Development

• Professional Development
• Practices and activities teachers do individually
  or collectively to enrich themselves
  professionally.
• Activities that provide opportunities for growth
  in knowledge, skills and attributes leading to
  improved practice.
• Encourages a broad range of activities

19
Accountability in EducationTeacher Growth,
Supervision and Evaluation Alberta Learning 1998

• Teacher Professional Growth means the
  career-long learning process whereby a teacher
  _____anually____develops and implements a plan to
  achieve professional learning objectives or goals
  that are consistent with the Teaching Quality
  Standard.

20
Teacher Professional Growth Planfrom vision to
action

• ___Mandated________by Department of Learning in
  cooperation with Alberta Teachers Association
• Self-assessment of learning needs (formative
  assessment)
• Write draft goals for professional growth
• Relate to Teaching Quality Standard
• Consider school, system and provincial goals

21
Teacher Professional Growth Planfrom vision to
action

• Set goals in order of priority
• Refine ____SMART_____goals
• Specific, Meaningful/Measurable, Achievable,
  Realistic, Time-targeted goals
• Design a plan to fulfill the goals
• Meet with your __principal________or group to
  review the plan

22
Teacher Professional Growth Planfrom vision to
action

• Implement the plan
• Meet with your __principal______or review group
  to discuss. . .
• How did you implement the plan?
• How did the plan address your professional
  needs?
• What are the implications for future action?
• CELEBRATE

23
Teacher Professional Growth Planfrom vision to
action

• What is the role of the administration?
• Review plan by October 30.
• Conversation about teaching practice.
• Encouragement/support for implementing plan
• Supervision
• Year-end review

24
Reflective PracticeReflective Teaching

• Reflective Practitioner
• Involves constantly evaluating the
  _____effectiveness______ of ones practice.
  Self-reflection as a teacher is the first step to
  understanding ones practice, enabling the
  teacher to see how ____modifications_______may be
  made for improvement.
• Kauchak, D. et al, Introduction to Teaching,
  Becoming a Professional

25
Reflective PracticeReflective Teaching

• Donald Cruickshank, one of the primary
  architects of reflective teaching, observed
• Rather than behaving according to technique,
  impulse, tradition, and authority (reflective
  teachers) deliberate on their teaching.

26
Reflective PracticeReflective Teaching

• Keeping a Professional Reflective Notebook
• Purposes
• To develop the habits of searching, listening and
  noticing the events, experiences and thoughts
  about teaching and learning that occur during the
  field experience.
• To keep a notebook is an opportunity to attend to
  ones questions or wonderings, to begin to
  understand them and to envision options or
  alternatives.
• Entries should be returned to, re-read,
  re-thought and re-written on an ongoing basis.

27
Reflective PracticeReflective Teaching

• Keeping a Professional Reflective Notebook
• Suggestions/Thoughts
• Keep it nearby
• Write in style that you are comfortable with.
• Entries may relate to questions, wonderings.
• Content, style, and focus of the entries shall be
  left up to individual student teachers.

28
Reflective PracticeReflective Teaching

• The keeping of a teacher-researcher notebook is
  an approach to teaching that helps to make
  explicit the negotiation that occurs among
  teaching practices, personal assumptions and
  beliefs about teaching and learning as well as
  conventional ways of defining and dealing with
  educational problems. By keeping a notebook,
  theory becomes integrated with practice. Written
  reflective thoughts provide an important
  documentary of ongoing personal and academic
  growth.

29
Student Teacher Portfolios Development and
Contents

• The most important component of portfolio
  creation and reflective practice is process, not
  product.
• Student Teacher Portfolio Development Guidelines
• (adapted from Professional Portfolios, The
  Alberta Teachers Association)
• Collect everything, but select carefully.
• Take your time --- it will help you decide what
  to include.
• Collect as you go. Keep a box in your
  office/class and a file on your computer.

30
Student Teacher Portfolios Development and
Contents

• Classify your collection by general categories.
• Do one section at a time.
• Date all artifacts/entries.
• Attach a descriptive comment to all photos or
  documents.
• Attach a personal reflection sheet to all
  teaching materials.

31
Student Teacher Portfolios Development and
Contents

• Describe the context for teaching and learning
  materials
• Organize your personal professional portfolio for
  maximum flexibility and accessibility of
  information
• Plan carefully how to present yourself.
• Be subtle and strategic.

32
Student Teacher Portfolios Development and
Contents

• A portfolio for employment purposes should be
  _______representative________, not comprehensive.
• Personal reflections can communicate growth and
  professional decision-making.
• Schedule a portfolio review with a critical
  friend for reflection and selection.

33
Challenges of Teaching

• Teacher Satisfaction
• Most dissatisfied are those who compare teaching
  with other occupations.
• Dissatisfaction also arises because of confusion
  as to the objectives of education
• What their students know
• What effects their teaching has had or will have
• What content they should be trying to teach
• How can they improve their teaching

34
Challenges of Teaching

• Struggling to compensate for a troubled society
• Since children spend so much time with teachers
  and in school environments we are expected to
  deal with and try to solve societal issues
• Becoming self-aware
• Be your own best critic or choose a critical
  friend
• Goal is to be aware of the gap in your teaching
  between intention and execution

35
Burnout

• Role ambiguity
• Locus of control
• Length of teaching
• Women role conflict, marital pressure, work
  sources of stress, lack of social support
• Men competence and problems with students

36
Living with Contradictions - The Male Elementary
Teacher

• Superhero and the Big Bad Wolf
• Be different but not too different
• Be firm but supportive
• A Father Figure or Mother Figure

37
What do Teachers Make?

• Despite the challenges and stress, those that do
  enter the profession find it a rewarding
  ever-changing career.
• How will you find your joy in teaching?
• Everyone who remembers his own
• educational experience remembers teachers,
• not methods and techniques.
• Sidney Hook
• http//ca.youtube.com/watch?vRxsOVK4syxU