Discussion 2- Critiquing Teacher Professionalism and Practices

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Walden University *

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Jun 2, 2024

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Critiquing Teacher Professionalism and Practices Teacher professionalism is embedded into our daily practices. It is the way we present ourselves- professional appearance and demeanor- being a team player, being on time, and maintaining a positive relationship with all stakeholders. Talis, 2016 also postulated that teacher professionalism is the "knowledge, skills and practices that teachers must have to be effective educators." The book, Why We Teach Now offers essays written by a teacher to help answer questions of why teachers teach (Nieto, 2014). I am a professional like Mary Jane Haney. I love what I do. I am delighted to know how impactful I am, and I am grateful for the opportunity to mould young minds to become the leaders of tomorrow's society. Mary's love for the profession resonates with me because I am very passionate about my job and the daily impact I have on my students. She begins her testimony about why she teaches by proclaiming that she wants to reform and re-form the education she received as an African American in the public school system and give the same academic standards to her students. She mentioned, "I want to create spaces of success for all students each day as I look into the eyes of the students and families of the rural communities in which I teach. I see myself in these students. I hope for their future I hope for their dreams" Nieto, 2014, Chapter 9). Just like Mary, I strive to inspire my students' growth, creativity, and inquiry minds, which should be done through collaborations with families and getting to know the students and their families. While I continued reading through Mary Jade Haney's experiences, not only did she demonstrated exemplified effective teaching practices , but she also exhibited professionalism by being aware of her students' prior knowledge, culture, family, and community values to improve teaching and learning (Laureate Education, Inc., 2016a). Which I believe is a vital role for
educators. I admired her resilience when she highlighted that "I teach to inform the future through reliving the past and supporting the present. I intentionally design instruction based on historical events that have affected the lives of my students, their parents, their grandparents, and other family members. I believe it is equally important to know who we are, where we are from, and what connects us as human beings. When students learn how we connect culturally and socially, learning becomes an engaging and enjoyable experience" (Nieto, 2014). Mary demonstrated a true example of collaboration (professional deposition) where she built partnerships and fostered relationships with students, families, and colleagues to improve student learning (Laureate Education, Inc., 2016b). Her professional disposition was evident in her testimony about how she coordinated a learning opportunity where students, parents, and grandparents travelled to Canada via motorcoach. "All participants wrote daily responses, reflections, and observations. Some were even inspired to write poetry, capturing each day in their Writers' Notebooks as they viewed the powerful and majestic Niagara Falls, visited a butterfly pavilion, and exchanged U.S. dollars for Canadian currency". She further highlighted another learning engagement, this time, they travelled to Orlando, Florida, and spent the night at Sea World learning together about killer whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures. She promoted that learning experiences opened her students to unique and challenging learning environments that could never be duplicated in a classroom setting during regular school hours (Nieto, 2014). I solemnly agree with Haney's collaborative initiatives with students, families, and colleagues. Through these experiences, good communication between parents and teachers is developed, which helps advance students' growth in and out of the classroom; I can also testify to this. Mary Jane Haney says that "she teaches to defy the labels given to bright children who are outliers." Not minding the labels these students are labelled with, she makes sure that her
classroom never discriminates between the very bright and struggling students. She believes all students should enjoy the same quality and richness of education. Hence my reason for specializing in Special Education, I believe that equity is crucial to education as there are mixed ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and disabilities, to name a few, present in every classroom. Hence, I practice showing kindness, fairness, and affection equally to my students. I allow them to make their own mistake, solve problems, take risks, and demonstrate a persistent attitude towards learning. Haney further mentioned that she teaches to ignite and inspire the passion for learning in the hearts of all her children. She shared a particular example of such, "As I entered my classroom one morning, I noticed something attached to my classroom door. It was a yellow sticky note that read, To: Mrs. Haney. From: Anaya. One day I'm going to be just like YOU! YOU are my true inspiration! Love: Anaya C. J. This note came from a student who was not in my classroom but who knew me only as a reading teacher because I regularly visit all classes. I did not have any direct conversations with Anaya at any particular time, proving that teachers and the words we speak are powerful." It is the simple things that we do as teachers that leave a remarkable impact on the lives of our students. My students know that motivational quotes or messages are uplifting gestures that anyone can do for me. The feeling of you making a difference in a person's life and hearing about it is inspiring indeed. A simple note can do that for me as well. Mary's proclamation expounds that she teaches to educate herself so that she can effectively educate; it brought me back to the Richard W Riley College of Educational Leadership (RWRCEL) professional disposition on Professional Qualities. Educators need to reflect and engage in ongoing professional development and growth to improve professional practice that promotes positive social changes (Laureate Education, Inc., 2016b). I want to ask,
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