THE TEACHING PROFESSION

WEEK 2

LESSON

LESSON 1. THE DEMANDS OF SOCIETY FROM THE TEACHER AS A PROFESSIONAL

AND AS A PERSON
The Demands of Society from the Teacher as a Professional
Teachers spend at least 6 hours a day, 5 days a week in 10 months of the school year
with students. Practically considering the 8-hour sleeping time at home, teachers spend more
time with the students than parents. That's why parents expect so much of teachers.
Teachers have tremendous power to influence students. Society as a whole expects
much from teachers and schools. Often when the young do not behave as expected, the
question raised by parents “Is that what you are taught in school?”
Schools are expected to work with and so are teachers. The Code of Ethics for
Professional Teachers cite the state, the community, the teaching community,
non-teaching personnel and learners as groups of people with and for whom a teacher works.
So a teacher works with different groups and so plays different roles – tutor, nurse, guidance
counselor, community leader, resource speaker, consultant rolled into one. Indeed, much is
demanded of teachers. From his/her very title "teacher," to teach well is what society primarily
demands of teachers. The learning of the learner is the teacher's main concern. In this lesson,
let us focus on this societal primary expectation from teachers - good teaching Research says
that the teacher is the single most important factor in the learner's learning. The effective
teacher, the good and the not so good learner learn. On the other hand the ineffective teacher
adversely affects the learning of both good and the not so good student. Consider the following
research findings shared by Dallas Public Schools' Accountability System:
● Learning gains realized by students during a year in the classroom of an effective
teacher were sustained over later years and were compounded by additional years with
effective teachers.
● Conversely, depressed achievement results resisted improvement even after a student
was placed wit/t an effective teacher, and the negative impact was discernible
statistically for approximately three subsequent years.
● Learning gains realized by students during a year in the classroom of an effective
teacher were sustained over later years and were compounded by additional years with
effective teachers.
● The negative effects of a poor-performing teacher on student achievement persist
through three years of high-performing teachers.
● The good news is that if students have a high-performing teacher one year, they will
enjoy the advantage of that good teaching in future years.
● Conversely, if students have a low-performing teacher, they simply will not outgrow the
negative effects of lost learning opportunities for years to come.

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 ● Having a better teacher not only has a substantial impact on students' test scores at the
end of the school year but also increases their chances of attending college and their
earnings as adults. " (Hammond, D., 2000)

Clearly, a teacher's impact on learners lasts. The teacher is the key to student
achievement. Then you have to prepare yourselves to become the best and the brightest, the
most caring, competent and compassionate teachers. The best and the brightest are those that
possess the competencies expected of professional teachers. What are these competencies?

The Teacher as a Professional.

In Lesson 2, we discussed the elements of a profession then we examined teaching
against these elements. Teaching fulfills the elements of a profession and so a teacher is truly a
professional. A professional is one who went through long years of preparation to earn a
teacher education degree recognized by the Commission on Higher Education, after which
he/she hurdled a Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) administered by the Board for
Professional Teachers with the supervision of the Professional Regular Commission. By passing
the LET, he/she obtains a license which he/she is obliged to renew every three years on
condition he/she show Professional Development. As a professional teacher he/she expected to
abide by the Code of Ethics for Professional Violation of the Code of Ethics can be a ground for
the revocation of license. These ensure that as a professional teacher, he/she practices his/her
profession with technical and ethical and moral competence.
This is exactly how the Code of Ethics of Professional Teachers defines the professional
teacher. The teacher is a "licensed professional who possesses dignity and reputation with high
moral values as well as technical and professional competence ...he/ she adheres to, observes
and practices a set of ethical and moral principles, standards and values."

The Demands from the Teacher as a Professional

The Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers spells out the demands of the state,
community, higher authorities and school officials and parents from teachers. You will discuss
them in detail in the Chapter solely devoted to the Code of Ethics. In this lesson, we shall focus
on society's demand for good teaching from the professional teacher. In the first place, the word
"teacher" suggests that the main responsibility of the professional teachers is to teach. The
teacher's primary customer is the learner. So let us concentrate on effective teaching, the
professional teacher's primary responsibility.
There are a number of models/frameworks of effective teaching. In the country, we have
the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST). These PPST are standards of good
teaching, which will also be discussed in the succeeding lessons.

Models of Effective Teaching

Let us take a look at models of effective teaching which also serve as bases for
evaluation of teaching.

a. Robert Marzano's Causal Teacher Evaluation Model of four domains:

I. Classroom Strategies and Behaviors.

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 - This involves routine events such as communicating learning goals and
feedback and establishing and procedures
- This involves addressing content by helping students interact with new
knowledge practice and deepen new knowledge
- Helping students generate and test hypotheses
- Involve events enacted on the spot such as engaging students,
recognizing adherence to rules and procedures, establishing and
maintaining effective relationships with students and communicating high
expectations for all students

II. Planning and Preparing

- planning and preparing for lessons
- for use of technology
- for needs of students receiving Special education for needs of students
who lack support for schooling

III. Reflection on Teaching

- evaluating personal performance such as identifying areas of pedagogical
strengths and weaknesses
- developing, implementing and monitoring a professional growth plan

IV. Collegiality and Professionalism

- promoting positive interactions with colleagues, students and parents
- seeking mentorship for areas of need/interest
- mentoring other teachers and sharing ideas and strategies
- adhering to school rules and procedures
- participating in school initiatives

b. Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching

1. Planning and Preparation
2. The Classroom Environment
3. Instruction
4. Professional Responsibilities
- reflecting on teaching
- maintaining accurate records
- communicating with families
- participating in the professional community growing professionally
- showing professionalism

c. James Stronge — Teacher Effectiveness Performance Evaluation System (TEPES)

System:
There are seven standards on James’ Stronge’s TEPES model. The seven performance
standards are:
1. Professional Knowledge

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 2. Instructional Planning
3. Instructional Delivery
4. Assessment of/for Learning
5. The Learning Environment
6. Professionalism
- maintains a commitment to professional ethics, communicates effectively
and takes responsibility for and participates in professional growth that
results in enhanced learning
7. Student Progress — the work of the teacher results in acceptable, measurable
and appropriate student academic progress.

LESSON 4. THE DEMANDS OF SOCIETY FROM THE TEACHER AS A PERSON

“I am only a teacher!" Oftentimes this is what we hear when a teacher introduces
herself/himself amidst a group of professionals like doctors, lawyers, nurses, accountants,
engineers etc. And yet, admittedly, so much is expected or demanded of a teacher. More than
any other professional, teachers are subjected to scrutiny to the minutest detail by those they
associate with. Teachers are judged more strictly than other professionals. When a teacher fails
to meet expectations of the public, like when she wears an ultra mini skirt or fails to pay debt on
time, the remark from the scrutiny of the eye of the public is "teacher pa man din," (to think that
he/she is a teacher).
What are the demands of the teaching profession from the teacher as a person? This
can be restated as "what personal qualities or attributes of teachers are demanded by the
teaching profession" or "what personal traits must a teacher possess in order to function well as
a professional teacher?
Referring to the professional teacher, the Code of Ethics gives big words like “possesses
dignity and reputation, with high moral values . . . adheres to, observes and practices a set of
ethical and moral principles, standards and values.” What are these big words in more specific
teacher attributes?
The qualities of your favorite teachers may not be very far from one another. Let’s
compare them with the twelve (12) characteristics of an effective teacher gathered from a
fifteen-year longitudinal, qualitative study on more than one thousand essays of teacher
education students. These 12 characteristics are the following:
1. Prepared. Come to class each day ready to teach.
2. Positive. Have optimistic attitudes about teaching and about students.
3. Hold high expectations. Set no limits on students and believe everyone can
be successful.
4. Creative. Are resourceful and inventive in how they teach their classes
5. Fair. Handle students and grading fairly.
6. Display a personal touch. Approachable
7. Cultivate a sense of belonging. Have a way to make students feel welcome and
comfortable in their classrooms.
8. Compassionate. Are concerned about students’ personal problems and can relate to
them and their problems.
9. Have a sense of humor. Make learning fun and do not take everything seriously.

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 10. Respect students. Do not deliberately embarrass students; teachers who give the
highest respect get the highest respect.
11. Forgiving. Do not hold grudges.
12. Admit mistakes. Quick to admit being wrong.

These twelve traits of good teachers are the same traits given by the students of these
writers every time they asked various classes to list down traits of effective teachers. The most
common word given is caring. A caring teacher is fair. He/She displays a personal touch and so
is approachable. He/she makes every learner belong and feel welcome. He/she feels with
his/her students and is compassionate. He/she is forgiving, does not hold grudges against
learners. He/she is humble enough to admit mistakes. Because he/she cares, goes to class
prepared. He/she believes in his/her students and so sets high expectations. He/she cares that
students learn and so makes learning fun by injecting humor. His/her genuine care for learners
is grounded on his/her great respect for every learner.

Professionalism
Professionalism is something demanded of teachers both as professionals and as
persons. Professionalism is succinctly described in Article XI of the Code of Ethics for
Professional Teachers, to wit:
● Section 1. A teacher shall live with dignity at all times.
● Section 2. A teacher shall place a premium upon self-respect and self-discipline as the
principle of personal behavior in all relationships with others and in all situations.
● Section 3. A teacher shall maintain at all times a dignified personality which could serve
as a model. worthy of emulation by learners, peers, and others
● Section 4. A teacher shall always recognize the Almighty God or being as guide of his
own destiny and of the destinies of men and nations.

ENGAGING ACTIVITY (20 points)

Directions: Complete the acronym TEACHER as to what society expects of teachers as

professionals. Then, answer the questions after the table.

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1. What does your list tell about society’s expectations from teachers? (4 points)
2. How do you feel? Are you overwhelmed by the litany of expectations? (4 points)
3. Are you changing your “YES” to the call to teach? If yes, why, if No, why? (4 points)

PERFORMANCE TASK (20 points)

Recall your most memorable teacher who had the greatest impact on your life. What special
personal qualities did he/she possess? Write a short story (Minimum of 500 words).

RUBRICS

Rubrics for Performance Task

QUALITY OF
POINTS ORGANIZATION GRAMMAR PUNCTUALITY
INFORMATION

Information is very well

Information clearly
organized with well
relates to the main topic. No grammatical, Passed on or
constructed paragraphs,
5 Includes several spelling, or before the given
use of subheadings, and
supporting details and/or punctuation errors. deadline.
information is factual
examples.
and correct.

Information clearly
Information is well Almost no
relates to the main topic. Passed a few
constructed paragraphs grammatical,
4 It provides 1 - 2 minutes later than
and information is spelling, and
supporting details and/or the given deadline.
factual and correct. punctuation errors.
examples.

Information is organized Information clearly

A few grammatical, Passed 5 hours
but paragraphs are not relates to the main topic.
3 spelling, and later than the given
well constructed and No details and/or
punctuation errors. deadline.
information is factual. examples given.

The information appears

to be disorganized, Many grammatical, Passed 12 hours
Information has little to
2 information is suspected spelling, and later than the given
do with the topic.
to be correct and punctuation errors. deadline.
factual.

Way too many

Information is not Passed 13 hours
Information has nothing errors for a 3rd year
1 organized and beyond the given
to do with the topic. AB Communication
inaccurate. deadline.
student.

REFERENCES

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Bilbao, P.P., Corpuz, B.B, Llagas A., and Salandanan, G. (2015). The teaching
Profession, Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing

Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers, Board for Professional Teachers’ Res. #435,
s. 1997

RA. 10912, CPD Act of 2016 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations; PRC
resolution No. 2016-990