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Core professional competencies for the teaching profession

55

Professional competencies

1. To act as a professional inheritor, critic and inter-preter of knowledge or culture when teachingstudents.

2. To communicate clearly in the language ofinstruction, both orally and in writing, using cor-rect grammar, in various contexts related toteaching.

Foundations

7. To adapt his or her teaching to the needs and char-acteristics of students with learning disabilities,social maladjustments or handicaps.

8. To integrate information and communications tech-nologies (ICT) in the preparation and delivery ofteaching/learning activities and for instructionalmanagement and professional development pur-poses.

9. To cooperate with school staff, parents, partners inthe community and students in pursuing the edu-cational objectives of the school.

10. To cooperate with members of the teaching team incarrying out tasks involving the development andevaluation of the competencies targeted in the pro-grams of study, taking into account the studentsconcerned.

Social and educational context

3. To develop teaching/learning situations that are appro-priate to the students concerned and the subject contentwith a view to developing the competencies targeted inthe programs of study.

4. To pilot teaching/learning situations that are appropriateto the students concerned and to the subject contentwith a view to developing the competencies targeted inthe programs of study.

5. To evaluate student progress in learning the subjectcontent and mastering the related competencies.

6. To plan, organize and supervise a class in such a way asto promote students' learning and social development.

Teaching act

11. To engage in professional development indi-vidually and with others.

12. To demonstrate ethical and responsible pro-fessional behaviour in the performance of hisor her duties.

Professional identity

Summary table

123

To act as a professional inheritor, critic and interpreter ofknowledge or culture when teaching students.

COMPETENCY No 1

By the end of his or her initial training, the studentteacher should be able to :

� understand the subject-specific and program-specific knowledge to be taught, so as to beable to promote the creation of meaningfullinks by the students;

� exhibit a critical understanding of his or hercultural development and be aware of itspotential and limitations;

� exhibit a critical understanding of the knowl-edge to be taught, so as to promote the cre-ation of meaningful links by the students;

� Establish links with the students' culture in theproposed learning activities.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Situates the discipline's basic benchmarks andpoints of understanding (concepts, postulatesand methods) in order to facilitate significant, in-depth learning by students.

� Adopts a critical approach to the subject matter.

� Establishes links between the secondary cultureset out in the program and the secondary cultureof the students.

� Transforms the classroom into a cultural baseopen to a range of different viewpoints within acommon space.

� Casts a critical look at his or her own origins,cultural practices and social role.

FEATURES

Summary table

125

To communicate clearly in the language of instruction,both orally and in writing, using correct grammar, in var-ious contexts related to teaching.

COMPETENCY No 2

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Uses appropriate language when speaking tostudents, parents and peers.

� Observes rules of grammar and stylisticswhen writing texts intended for students, par-ents or peers.

� Is able to take up a position, support his orher ideas and argue his or her subject matterin a consistent, effective, constructive andrespectful way during discussions.

� Communicates ideas concisely using precisevocabulary and correct syntax.

� Corrects the mistakes students make whenspeaking and writing.

� Constantly strives to improve his or her ownoral and written language skills.

FEATURES


� master the rules of oral and written expression soas to be understood by most of the linguisticcommunity;

� Express himself or herself with the ease, preci-sion, efficiency and accuracy expected by societyof a teaching professional.

Summary table

127

To develop teaching/learning situations that are appropriate tothe students concerned and the subject content with a view todeveloping the competencies targeted in the programs ofstudy.

COMPETENCY No 3


� develop appropriate and varied teaching/learn-ing situations involving a reasonable level ofcomplexity that enable students to progress inthe development of their competencies;

� Build these activities into a long-term plan.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Bases the selection and content of teachingsequences on data drawn from recent didacticaland pedagogical research.

� Selects and interprets subject-specific knowledgein terms of the aims, competencies and subjectcontent specified in the program of study.

� Plans teaching and evaluation sequences takinginto account the logic of the content to the taughtand the development of learning.

� Takes into account the prerequisites, conceptions,social differences (i.e. gender, ethnic origin, socio-economic and cultural differences), needs andspecial interests of the students when developingteaching/learning situations.

� Selects diverse instructional approaches that aresuited to the development of the competenciestargeted in the programs of study.

� Anticipates obstacles to learning posed by thecontent to be taught.

� Plans learning situations that provide opportuni-ties to apply competencies in different contexts.

FEATURES

Summary table

129

To pilot teaching/learning situations that are appropriate tothe students concerned and to the subject content with a viewto developing the competencies targeted in the programs ofstudy.

COMPETENCY No 4


� guide students, through appropriate interventions, incarrying out learning tasks;

� lead the students to work together in cooperation;

� Detect teaching/learning problems that arise and usethe appropriate resources to remedy them.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Creates conditions in which students canengage in meaningful problem situations, tasksor projects, based on their cognitive, emotionaland social characteristics.

� Provides students with the resources they needto take part in the learning situations.

� Guides students in selecting, interpreting andunderstanding the information provided in thevarious resources and in understanding the ele-ments of a problem situation or the require-ments of a task or project.

� Supports student learning by asking questionsand providing frequent and relevant feedback topromote the integration and transfer of learning.

� Encourages teamwork.

FEATURES

Summary table

131

To evaluate student progress in learning the subjectcontent and mastering the related competencies.

COMPETENCY No 5


� detect the strengths and weaknesses of the stu-dents in a learning situation;

� identify some of the adjustments required in his orher teaching on his or her own;

� in cooperation with colleagues, design evaluationmaterials, interpret the work of students in termsof their mastery of the competencies, and developtools for communicating with parents;

� Inform the students of the results of a diagnosticevaluation process and inform parents and mem-bers of the teaching team of the corrective inter-vention strategy elements envisaged.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Gathers information as students are engaged in alearning situation in order to identify their strengthsand weaknesses and to review and adapt his or herteaching accordingly to help them progress.

� Takes stock of the learning acquired by students inorder to assess their mastery of the related compe-tencies.

� Designs or uses tools to evaluate student progressand mastery of competencies.

� Communicates expected outcomes to students andparents and provides feedback on student progressand mastery of competencies using clear, simple lan-guage.

� Works with the teaching team to determine thedesired stages and rate of progression within the cycleconcerned.

FEATURES

Summary table

133

To plan, organize and supervise a class in such a way as topromote students' learning and social development.

COMPETENCY No 6


� introduce and maintain routines that ensure thesmooth running of regular classroom activities;

� identify and correct organizational problems thathinder the smooth running of the class;

� anticipate some of the organizational problemsthat hinder the smooth running of the class andplan measures to prevent them;

� Establish and apply methods that can be used tosolve problems with students who exhibit inap-propriate behaviours.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Develops and implements an efficient system forrunning regular classroom activities.

� Communicates clear requirements regardingappropriate school and social behaviour andmakes sure that students meet those require-ments.

� Involves students on an individual or a groupbasis in setting standards for the smooth runningof the class.

� Develops strategies for preventing inappropriatebehaviour and dealing effectively with it when itoccurs.

� Maintains a classroom climate that is conduciveto learning.

FEATURES

Summary table

135

To adapt his or her teaching to the needs and characteristicsof students with learning disabilities, social maladjustments orhandicaps.

COMPETENCY No 7


� Cooperate in the development and implementationof individualized education plans designed for stu-dents under his or her responsibility.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Facilitates the educational and social integrationof students with learning disabilities, social mal-adjustments or handicaps.

� Consults resource people and parents to obtainbackground information on students with difficul-ties (needs, progress, etc.).

� Proposes learning tasks, challenges and roleswithin the class that help students to progress.

� Participates in developing and implementing indi-vidualized education plans.

FEATURES

Summary table

137

To integrate information and communications technologies(ICT) in the preparation and delivery of teaching/learningactivities and for instructional management and profession-al development purposes.

COMPETENCY No 8

By the end of his or her initial training, the stu-dent teacher should be able to :

� demonstrate critical judgment regarding thereal benefits and limitations of ICT as teachingand learning resources;

� demonstrate a general understanding of the possi-bilities offered by ICT (and the Internet in particular)for teaching and learning, and know how to inte-grate ICT in a functional manner into teaching/learn-ing activities, when appropriate;

� use ICT effectively in different aspects of his or herintellectual and professional life: communication,research, information processing, evaluation, inter-action with colleagues or experts, etc.;

� Effectively transmit the ability to use ICT to his or herstudents in order to support the collective construc-tion of learning in a well-structured, critical manner.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Exercises critical judgment regarding the realbenefits and limitations of ICT as teaching andlearning resources, and regarding the socialissues they raise.

� Assesses the instructional potential of computerapplications and networking technology in rela-tion to the development of the competencies tar-geted in the programs of study.

� Communicates using various multimedia resources.

� Uses ICT effectively to search for, interpret andcommunicate information and to solve problems.

� Uses ICT effectively to build networks that facili-tate information sharing and professional devel-opment with respect to his or her own field ofteaching or teaching practice.

� Helps students to familiarize themselves with ICT,to use ICT to carry out learning activities, toassess their own use of ICT, and to exercise criti-cal judgment regarding the information they findon the Internet.

FEATURES

Summary table

139

To cooperate with school staff, parents, partners in the com-munity and students in pursuing the educational objectives ofthe school.

COMPETENCY No 9


� situate his or her role in relation to that played byother internal or external resource persons;

� adjust his or her actions to the educational objec-tives of the school and contribute to the attainmentof these objectives by becoming personallyinvolved in school projects;

� Start building a trusting relationship with parents.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Collaborates with other members of the schoolstaff in defining orientations, and developing andimplementing projects related to educationalservices in areas falling under the responsibilityof the school.

� Informs parents and encourages them tobecome actively involved.

� Coordinates his or her actions with those of theschool's various partners.

� Supports students involved in the administrativestructures of the school or in school activities orprojects.

FEATURES

Summary table

141

To cooperate with members of the teaching team in carry-ing out tasks involving the development and evaluation ofthe competencies targeted in the programs of study, takinginto account the students concerned.

COMPETENCY No 10


� contribute to the work of the teaching team in aneffective manner;

� Provide constructive criticism and make innovativesuggestions with respect to the team's work.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Recognizes instances where cooperation withother members of the teaching team is requiredin order to design or adapt teaching/learning sit-uations, to evaluate student learning or to pro-mote the mastery of competencies by the end ofthe cycle.

� Develops and organizes a project appropriate tothe objectives to be attained by the teachingteam.

� Cooperates in an active, ongoing manner withthe teaching teams working with the same stu-dents.

� Helps build consensus, when required, amongmembers of the teaching team.

FEATURES

Summary table

143

To engage in professional development individually andwith others.

COMPETENCY No 11


� identify, understand and use available resources(research reports and professional literature,pedagogical networks, professional associations,data banks) related to teaching;

� identify his or her strengths and limitations,along with his or her personal objectives and themeans of achieving them;

� engage in rigorous reflexive analysis on specificaspects of his or her teaching;

� Undertake research projects related to specificaspects of his or her teaching.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Takes stock of his or her competencies andtakes steps to develop them using availableresources.

� Discusses the relevance of his or her pedagog-ical choices with his or her colleagues.

� Reflects on his or her practice (reflective analy-sis) and makes the appropriate adjustments.

� Spearheads projects to solve teaching prob-lems.

� Involves peers in research related to the mas-tery of the competencies targeted in the pro-grams of study and to the educational objec-tives of the school.

FEATURES

Summary table

145

To demonstrate ethical and responsible professionalbehaviour in the performance of his or her duties.

COMPETENCY No 12


� demonstrate sufficient responsibility in dealingswith students that one can recommend with noreservations that a class be entrusted to his or hercare;

� Answer to others for his or her actions by providingwell-founded reasons.

LEVEL OF MASTERY

� Understands the values underlying his or her teaching.

� Manages his or her class in a democratic way.

� Provides students with appropriate attention andsupport.

� Justifies his or her decisions concerning the learn-ing and education of students to the parties con-cerned.

� Respects the confidential nature of certain aspectsof his or her work.

� Avoids any form of discrimination toward students,parents or colleagues.

� Situates the moral conflicts arising in class withreference to the major schools of thought.

� Demonstrates sound judgment in using the legaland regulatory framework governing the teachingprofession.

FEATURES