Professional Practice 2015 - 2016

Session 1

What is Professional Practice?

Objectives

To reflect on your inspiration / motivation for becoming a teacher

To consider the importance of a philosophy of teaching

To begin to develop an understanding of professionalism and professional values

To begin the process of critical reflection

NB> there will also be some information about Professional Practice

What is Professional Practice?

A vital contribution to your development as a teacher

A place where you will gain knowledge and understanding of key areas for all teachers (eg. assessment, equality, pastoral issues)

A place where you will develop your philosophy as a teacher and your professionalism and professional contribution

Information about Professional Practice Taught in mixed-subject groups, always on a

Friday (see calendar) Covers areas which are essential for all

teachers, but which are not subject-specific Develops your reflective skills through the

use of discussion and groupwork Enables you to develop your professionalism

and understanding of the full role of the teacher

Linked to the ILA assessment

Key question 1: Why do you want to be a teacher?

What inspired you to become a teacher?

What do you find inspirational about your subject?

What are you bringing to the course?

Task Divide into mixed-subject groups of 3.

1. Each member should prepare a 3-minute exposition of what is important / interesting / motivating about their subject

2. Each member should prepare a brief report, in the third person, of what they bring to education.

3. Share

Key question 2: What inspired you to become a teacher?

This may be strongly linked to a person’s own experiences of school

People can be influenced by teachers they admired as well as by teachers they did not get along with.

People are also strongly influenced by their feelings towards the subject itself

Task.

In groups, describe a teacher / experience which has influenced your decision to become a teacher

What are the qualities / skills / attitudes and aptitudes which make a good teacher?

How were these evidenced in the teacher you admired at school?

A philosophy of teaching

Every teacher is influenced by their underlying philosophy of teaching

It enables them to develop the full role of the teacher

It enables them to develop and improve their qualities / skills / attitudes and aptitudes over time

It allows them to engage critically with the world of education and schools

Our philosophy of education is strongly linked to our values and the values we hold about the importance of education. These are often critical to the decision to become a teacher. This is what lay beneath the success of the teacher who inspired you (or perhaps what was missing from the teacher who didn’t). Professional Practice will help you develop and identify the values you hold about teaching.

Key question 3: What makes good education?

Who knows what makes good education?

Inspectors? Researchers? Headteachers? Pupils? Teachers? The government? Policy-makers? University tutors?

What sort of education system would you like to see?

Task – to do after the session

What would your ideal school be like? On a piece of paper, note three characteristics you would like to see in a school. Having a vision of education is an essential part of being a teacher. It is part of your philosophy, and will influence, guide and sustain you throughout your career.

Teachers need to understand the role of education in society, and the role of the teacher in education

Critical reflection is essential, ongoing, formative and developmental. It’s about investigation and enquiry

We will need to engage with others, including through research and writings

Reflection is an essential way of developing and extending our thinking and our practice

Key question 4: What is professionalism?

Professionalism – used by many but what does it really mean?

TASK: look at the sheet What is Professionalism? And choose the 5 statements which you consider most important. Working with the trainees on your table, find how many statements you have in common.

The PGCE is a journey

Professional Practice develops your ability to engage with key areas, critically and analytically, alongside the work in your subject groups.

This provides a full opportunity for you to develop your ability to understand, determine, decide and evaluate what pupils need in the classroom.

Teaching is more than a how-to list of what to do in the classroom

Professional Practice

Professionalism allows you to develop your enthusiasm and draw up plans to become the type of teacher you want to be

Professionalism allows you to manage and understand some of the challenges you will inevitably face

Professionalism allows you to engage in regular dialogue with tutors and peers, to give and receive support.

Professional Practice 2015 - 2016

Session 2

On becoming a professional

Objectives

To reflect on your Professional Practice session this morning and the whole cohort lecture

To develop an understanding of professionalism and professional values

To begin the process of critical reflection

To explore some professional issues within mixed subject areas.

Task one:

On your own; write down five personal key reflections of both this morning's session and the whole cohort lecture-

How has your awareness of professionalism and professional values

developed?

(6 minutes)

Task two:

In pairs, share your thoughts and explore any similarities or differences.

- Did anything surprise/shock you? What has come through as highly important for you?

( Six minutes)

You may want to share these with the rest of the group

Task three

Join another pair:

In groups of four: Sharing your emerging ideas and thoughts, come up with a group definition of ‘Professionalism and Professional Values’.

You will be presenting this with a rationale to the rest of the group!

(10 minutes)

Task Four

Each group- present your definition of ‘professionalism and professional values’ with a rationale to the rest of the class.

Can you all agree on one definition?

The Teaching Agency previously listed the various requirements of "professionalism" as:

Attributes Knowledge & Understanding Skills

What do each of these mean?

The first of these requirements (Attributes), which comes closest to defining “professionalism”, concerns:

Relationships with children and young people

Frameworks (awareness of policies, practices and professional duties)

Communicating and working with others

Personal Professional Development

In a keynote presentation at the LSIS conference, “Self Regulation – shifting the paradigm” (Feb 2009), Sue Crowley (Chair) and Toni Fazaeli (Chief Executive) of the Institute for Learning, proposed a paradigm for professionalism within further education that embraces:

altruism accountability continuous learning and improvement ‘collaborative autonomy’, (making informed

decisions in consultation with other actors) vigilance (against arrogance or poor

performance) passion humility

How do these attributes link in with your definitions and perceptions of professionalism and professional values?

From this morning……..

Professionalism allows you to develop your enthusiasm and draw up plans to become the type of teacher you want to be

Professionalism allows you to manage and understand some of the challenges you will inevitably face

Professionalism allows you to engage in regular dialogue with tutors and peers, to give and receive support.

Professionalism and professional values are key components to successful and effective teaching.

All we do in school must be based upon mutually shared, sound professional values and performed in a professional manner

TASK:

In groups; you will be given different scenarios, with your developing understanding of professionalism. Your task is to collectively decide what the individual in the scenario should do.

Your professional journey starts now!