Category Archives: 3. Prof. Skills & Abilities

What is professionalism?

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The video ‘Professionalism (teachers say)’ on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ychgs3rrdA discusses different views on the professionalism of teachers. The documentary gives us an insight into the views of several teachers on what it means to be a professional. Although they don’t go into great detail on the subject matter I do agree with what they have to say. 

Miss Catherine Long begins the video by discussing how there is a need for a greater focus on the professionalism of teachers and how they are represented in today’s world. She later goes onto talk about the current demand for benchmarking how well students are doing which I do agree with. However as parents are becoming more knowledgeable on the current education system and how classrooms are run there is an increasing pressure on teachers to provide the best learning environment for every individual pupil. I think this highlights that parents today are becoming more involved in their child’s learning which in a way is a good thing but this does add pressure on teachers. There has been cases where parents are quick to blame the teacher if their child is not doing as well as they expected in a specific area of the curriculum. This scenario illuminates the need for teachers to act in a professional manner to deal with the situation correctly.

Mrs Nursen Chemmi is the next teacher featured in this video. She raises the view that teachers are role models which I could not agree with more. Being a role model for pupils to me is a crucial part of professionalism. Children are easily influenced especially at the primary school age and as a teacher we are one of the main adults in their life so we should be setting a good example from the beginning. By acting professionally and displaying good morals we are automatically setting an example to pupils which they will hopefully adopt. In acting in this manner we are teaching children how to become well-rounded, responsible citizens which is a very important part of professionalism.

Mrs Colleen Walsh begins to talk about the changes that she has seen in education over the past 30 years. She underlines the point that it is vital we do not judge children because of their upbringing or the area in which they live in. We have to understand as a professional that children come from a range of different areas with differing family incomes, morals and opportunities. As a professional our job is to give all of these children an equal chance at learning and support them in every way possible.

This video on professionalism has certainly made me think about what it is to be a professional. I think each teacher takes a different outlook on professionalism but it is clear that they collectively share the same view in that they all want to do their best for their pupils which I think is a key part of professionalism.

 

Active and Co-operative Learning

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Active learning is a contemporary and efficient way of learning. It allows for pupils to be more engaged and involved in their studies, offering them to discuss topics with their peers in both the classroom and through use of online connectivity. One of the many benefits from this method of learning is that pupils are more engaged in what they are learning as it is more motivating to be active than passive. Furthermore I believe it is easier to consolidate a child’s learning through active learning as they are taking their learning into their own hands. In addition active learning presents the child with an early sense of responsibility.

Cooperative learning is also an effective method for children to learn. Cooperative learning allows for pupils to engage with their peers in a group work styled task. This allows children to work towards a common goal shared by their peers as they provide eachother with mutal assistance. This enables children to create bonds and relationships with their peers which is vital. As well as being a fun method of learning it can furthermore help children feel more comfortable with others in their class. Children will in turn develop important communication and teamwork skills which they can apply to life on a daily basis. Finally co-operative learning also allows for children to respect the opinions of others in regards to solving problems. This collective of ideas allows the pupils to learn from one another and make tasks easier as the children work together to tackle what is assigned.

Overall I feel that both active and co-operative learning allow children to learn in new and diverse ways that will both inhance their school experience and provide them with life skills that can be applied in later life. Active learning teaches pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and hence provides them with a sense of responsibility at a young age. In addition to this, co-operative learning allows children to gain teamwork skills and effectively provides them with the opportunity to work together to solve a problem, a skill of great importance in most modern workplaces. We learn in order to prepare ourselves for life and the world of work. These methods of learning are excellent ways in which primarily school pupils can get an early flavour for skills they will be able to apply and use in their more mature lives.