Category Archives: Contemporary issues

Aspects of a Professional

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A professional is a member of a profession or any person who earns their living from a specified activity. This could mean having a professional manner to their work or being part of what society deems a profession. Not to get into debate or start my assignment early, I am going to reflect upon 5 key aspects that help construct the teacher as a professional.

Compassion

To be able to show concern for the misfortunes of others is such a meaningful attribute to have in the teaching profession. As a teacher you work and come into contact with people from all walks of life; relating to them in a compassionate manner puts yourself in a more favourable light. There is a wariness to not become condescending but this is learnt with time and I believe it is better for a teacher to show compassion than indifference. Hopefully if a child is shown compassion they are more likely to mimic and display this in their own lives and the wider community.

Honesty

This is a harder characteristic to reflect upon but an incredibly important one. A teacher must first and foremost be honest with themselves, true reflection is needed to be a better teacher. To be honest with pupils and families is to give meaningful input and constructive criticism but never to pass judgement. The community needs to see a professional manner and to be brutally honest may become detrimental.

Moral Courage

This leads on well from honesty as morals can be so varied between the teacher, her class and indeed colleagues. When it comes to a child’s safety, moral courage is paramount. Being able to justifiably protect the children in our care is so important. Even if the outcome isn’t of great benefit personally, there should be no doubt when it comes to doing the right thing. Corresponding closely with the GTCS Standards for Registration and beyond.

Respect

Teachers should give respect but also hope to be treated with respect. When the teacher is treated disrespectfully it is within their power to act in a manner becoming of the profession and our regulatory body. No respect can be given if it is not deserved: it is the regards for the rights, abilities and qualities of others. Gaining respect as a teacher must be so valuable in their job and the wider community. Respected professionals are listened to, confided in, needed and trusted by those around them. It must be a very rewarding feeling.

Justice

Justice (fairness in the way people are treated), namely Social Justice (distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges within society) should mean so much to today’s teacher because the world is increasingly interdependent. The GTCS standard put Social Justice at the core of Professional Values and Personal Commitment (GTCS 1.1.1). It is my hope that I can help create a Just Society; help to create an informed and Socially Just generation, so atrocities are not repeated. Teachers have to predominantly teach in a Socially Just fashion; fact independent from opinion and that is what they are entrusted to provide. As a teacher it is vital to help children act in a Just manner, therefore they must educate children with various theories and a holistic approach. The Curriculum for Excellence relates to this with the idea of a global citizen but the concept of justice resonates in the four capacities; Successful Learners (openness to new ideas), Confident Individuals (secure values and beliefs), Responsible Citizens (respect for others) and Effective Contributors (enterprising attitude). Providing a Socially Just education in a Just manner.

Me, Me, Me

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Completing a questionnaire about learning styles seems borderline irrelevant when we are geared towards creating holistic individuals, however, I was keen to find out what type of learner they thought I was. I have been reading more and more about how learning styles are detrimental. One of the reasons being, you are catering to a child’s strength not improving upon a weakness. I can see how this can be a hindrance but I found it beneficial to highlight what areas I need to work on.

There are many learning style theorists; Gunn and Gunn, VAK learning styles, Gregorc’s mind styles and Kolb. The questionnaire I took was the Honey and Mumford Learning Styles Questionnaire, influenced by Kolb’s experiential learning styles. The questionnaire has 4 basic experiential learning style outcomes; Activist, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist. Out of 80 questions I related to 34 and these are my results

Activist = 14              Reflector = 4           Theorist = 8               Pragmatist = 8

These show that I have, according to Honey and Mumford an Activist learning style. I am in short, a do-er. My criticism’s towards this sort of questionnaire were that I found the questions very non specific and they were hard to give a definite answer to. There was only one question I answered with a whole hearted YES and that was “I prefer to respond to events on a spontaneous, flexible basis rather than plan things out in advance.” Now I know very well that I cannot and do not approach my university work like this… I’d say I utilise aspects of the 4 and want everything as perfect as I can make it.  If I had answered these questions in my youth or prior to having my daughter I know my answers would be very different.  So it is correct in the sense that we all have different ways we think, regarding our overall learning style, but it is not definitive of who I am or the only way I learn. If I reflect, so far, on my time at University I know I have come into contact with at least 4 different teaching styles/methods/approaches. If I didn’t have the skills to decipher those “styles” with my learning style I would be in a pickle.

Children should be seen as individuals and exposure to varying approaches and involvement within their community will hopefully shape them to be all types of learners. They will develop, change and expand their learning the more “styles” they use in their enquiries and as they grow. If a child is solely taught in one teaching style you are not creating the opportunity for praxis and collaboration of ideas. It is imparting on the children a sense of how to do things in the wider world. Take an onus for their holistic learning, not “training” them to seek out chances to use a specific style.

This appears to be a bash at learning styles, maybe my inner Activist took hold. Joking aside, compartmentalising a child is a restriction. That restriction may also apply to the teacher if learning styles are focussed on too heavily. Understanding of learning styles should be used as a primitive base for teachers to comprehend the vast responsibility that is: teaching. We are aiming for inspirational stimulation in the classroom and I believe that concentrated focus and labelling of learning styles detracts from this.

 

 

A Messy Divorce

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The GTCS code regarding social media and its use is clear in conveying the importance of conscientious contribution to the world of Social Media. For all the perks of the profession and the reward, it is also in the GTCS’ best interests that the teachers of Scotland conduct themselves in a manner that instils trust within the pupils, parents and society.

In my opinion I feel teachers would be perceived as out of touch and reluctant to be forward thinkers themselves if they didn’t embrace Social Media in some-way or another. Social Media should be seen as an extension of the classroom and if the teacher is willing to marry their private life to that professional space, they are doing so against guidance. Social Media as an entity is judgemental and self-involved. Understanding the intense pressure there is to be involved in Social Media is the first step. It is everywhere! Instead of adopting a “retreat!” attitude, as teachers, we should be innovating ways to make it benefit the pupils. If you want your private life to stay as such, insure you have the correct settings. I know myself that I have a private Facebook and Instagram account, however my Pintrest is public. I find Pintrest a positive space, devoid of too many trolls or negative comments and enjoy searching recipes, fashion design and rainy day projects. Social Media has the power to portray the teacher as holistic, human, relatable and approachable. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram cannot help but become personal, the line is blurred before the first post is even created. It is all about how you feel and what you think, the temptation to blurt a rant on Facebook is all too easy. Emotions are at the core, “liking”, “reposting”, “#selfie”. Marrying the private and professional aspects exposes the teacher to scrutiny and to befriend a pupil or parent goes against the guidance laid out for us as part of our regulatory body.

So, if I feel Facebook and twitter are too personal and places like glow are too professional or not inclusive of parents then what space do I use? If Social Media is to be a positive experience for all involved, what can I do to get it incorporated?

Pinterest and YouTube are easily accessible, BoB is useful for keeping track of educational programmes. I think many of these social media platforms bring the real world to the classroom. Live connections that can change the setting instantly; evoke instant emotion and discussion. Insuring first and foremost that you are well versed in the lingo, savvy about safety and aware of the omnipresence that Social Media has become. If use of social media is approached in the same manner a teacher would approach a book or a project; well planned, concise and relevant, then there is no detriment to the pupils.

We are now part of a culture that sees children exposed too young, to so many inappropriate images. The need for them to relate and conform to society is a growing pressure and instead of teachers shying away from the subject of social media they need to be seen as a guide. In saying that they also have to guide parents. Why can’t social media be used positively to bridge the gap between home and school? Indeed, between personal life and school?

I looked into this and within a few searches I found a site called Edmodo, a space for pupils, teachers and parents alike. It claims to keep parents in the loop about upcoming assignments, eases use of on the go learning and makes class comprehension something you can analyse mid lesson. For teachers it has all the benefits of social media in a professional context. This appears to be catered to the English curriculum but it’s very interesting how sleek and appealing it looks. Could it be the Facebook for teachers?

As a parent my-self the horror stories regarding misuse of Social Media seem to be splayed everywhere. This doesn’t deter me from encouraging Social Media use in the classroom but it does highlight the need for dialogue. Attitudes will not change if the horror stories are continuously repeated and then documented, ironically, on news sites and Social Media. We teach children how to cross the road, how to construct a sentence but when it comes to Social Media it appears to be them teaching us. Children are all too aware of the independence they can feel on the “big bad internet” and it is our job to show them how to handle that independence and use it to a positive end.

Children have created the frame, catapulting social media into the classroom and we must help them keep within age appropriate boundaries but make the content engaging and beneficial. They will see massive changes in their lifetime. When I was 5 I never imagined I’d be using the internet to converse with people all over the world instantaneously. Actually, when I was 5, there was no internet! If I can’t resist using Social Media in my personal life then surely I can utilise it in my professional life? By following the Professional Guidance on the Use of Electronic Communication and Social Media as guidelines we can help shape the positive use of Social Media in the classroom. There is opportunity to bypass media hegemony and use Social Media to mould a more Just society

Male/Female…. did it matter?

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Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity.

I personally never felt being a female effected my education. I was always in a mixed group for classes and spent just as much time building bridges from junk as I did going to a calligraphy group. Interacting with boys in the classroom was easy and encouraged but as soon as we stepped out onto the playground the segregation happened. Boys ran off to play football as the girls huddled to do handstands and gossip. I wasn’t aware that this was inequality or an injustice against me because it was my own choice. Is it innate that we group according to gender? Do hormones play a roll in our interest or interaction with the opposite sex and was I treated in a more gentile manner because of my gender?

I found this document from 2007 highlighting the links between gender and inequality…

Although I have found reflecting on my own primary experience (way back in 1993-2000) has magnified the drastic social changes that children are relating to more and more. Gender confusion in younger children, the need to use gender as a form of identification i.e. transgender and how this must impact upon their lives. I believe as a teacher I will have to be aware of how I refer to a child, that should be as a person and as an individual. So, “boys line up first”, “can the girls all put their coats on” and “pick a girl to dance with” will become antiquated language.