Q1 Explain teaching as profession.

Which professional characteristics are required

for effective teaching? (20)

A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of

which is to supply disinterested objective counsel and service to others, for a direct and
definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain. The term is a
truncation of the term "liberal profession", which is, in turn, an Anglicization of the French
term "profession libérale". Originally borrowed by English users in the 19th century, it has
been re-borrowed by international users from the late 20th, though the (upper-middle) class
overtones of the term do not seem to survive retranslation: "liberal professions" are,
according to the European Union's Directive on Recognition of Professional Qualifications
(2005/36/EC) "those practiced on the basis of relevant professional qualifications in a
personal, responsible and professionally independent capacity by those providing intellectual
and conceptual services in the interest of the client and the public".

Profession” in a generic sort

We often use the term “profession” in a generic sort of way referring to what is your
trade/vocation. Profession is derived from the word “profiteor” meaning to profess. The
connotation here is that a professional is a person who possesses knowledge of something and
has a commitment to a particular set of values both of which are generally well accepted
characteristics of professions. History records the early professions of the priesthood, law,
medical/physicians and university teaching. As time progressed, dentistry, engineering,
accountants and architects were ascribed “professional” status.

Originally, any regulation of the professions was self-regulation through bodies such as the
College of Physicians or the Inns of Court. With the growing role of government, statutory
bodies have increasingly taken on this role, their members being appointed either by the
profession or (increasingly) by government. Proposals for the introduction or enhancement of
statutory regulation may be welcomed by a profession as protecting clients and enhancing its
quality and reputation, or as restricting access to the profession and hence enabling higher
fees to be charged. It may be resisted as limiting the members' freedom to innovate or to
practice as in their professional judgement they consider best.

Statutory regulation of psychologists

An example was in 2008, when the British government proposed wide statutory regulation of
psychologists. The inspiration for the change was a number of problems in the psychotherapy
field, but there are various kinds of psychologist including many who have no clinical role
and where the case for regulation was not so clear. Work psychology brought especial
disagreement, with the British Psychological Society favoring statutory regulation of
"occupational psychologists" and the Association of Business Psychologists resisting the
statutory regulation of "business psychologists" – descriptions of professional activity which
it may not be easy to distinguish.

Besides regulating access to a profession, professional bodies may set examinations of

competence and enforce adherence to an ethical code. There may be several such bodies for
one profession in a single country, an example being the accountancy bodies of the United
Kingdom (ACCA, CAI, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW and ICAS), all of which have been given a
Royal Charter, although their members are not necessarily considered to hold equivalent
qualifications, and which operate alongside further bodies (AAPA, IFA, CPAA). Another
example of a regulatory body that governs a profession is the Hong Kong Professional
Teachers Union, which governs the conduct, rights, obligations and duties of salaried
teachers working in educational institutions in Hong Kong.

David Belfall, in his article, Creating Value for Members, published in 1999, identifies key
characteristics that define an occupation as a profession. These characteristics are an
assessment process for entry into the profession, a common body of knowledge, a code of
ethics and a professional association.

Eric Hoyle and Peter John in their article, Professional Knowledge and Professional Practice,
published in 1995 list as general characteristics of a profession the possession and use of
expert or specialist knowledge, the exercise of autonomous thought and judgment, and
responsibility to clients (e.g., students, parents) and wider society through a voluntary
commitment to a set of principles. The advantage of these characteristics is that they are
independent of any particular organizational model or occupation/trade. They can be applied
to individual practitioners as well as recognized.

Characteristics (of a Teaching Comments

Profession)

Entry Assessment Process Schools of Education (or Need for more rigor. Schools
alternative entry), exam of Education need to be
(Praxis) & Licensure more selective and program
of study needs to be more
rigorous with emphasis on
planning and delivery of
learning including modules
on collaboration, creativity,
relevance and igniting
passion.

Expert Knowledge College degree & Need for increased focus on

professional development use of technology as a tool.
(PD)

Autonomous thought & Lession planning Need for increased focus on

Judgment empowerment use of technology as a tool.

Responsibility to Students / Student/Parent Conferences, Need for sustained effort to

parents / Community PTSA meetings, community encourage / recognize
outreach initiatives excellence in this area.

Commitment of Life-Long Continuing Education Need to continue to promote

Learning courses, advanced degree and evaluate commitment.
programs

Collaboration Professional learning Need for a greater emphasis

Communities, team teaching and commitment to (making
“public classrooms”, teacher time available) by SOE,
led PD school leaders. Encourage &
assess

Personal Reflection Observation & Evaluation Need for much more

instrument component emphasis and training on
how to reflect in a manner
that will improve teacher
efficacy.

In the authors’ textbook, Rethink, Rebuild, Rebound: A Framework for Shared Responsibility
and Accountability in Education, 2nd Edition published in 2011(Pearson Learning Solutions),
in addition to the characteristics mentioned above it addresses life-long learning,
collaboration and personal reflection as characteristics of a profession. Furthermore, the
authors link characteristics of a profession (i.e., teaching) to teaching dispositions forming
a composite view of the consummate teacher. The dispositions listed in the
aforementioned text are professional conduct, respect for diversity, high expectations (of
themselves and those they teach), respect for others, compassion, advocacy, curiosity,
dedication, honesty and fairness.

Let’s examine in more detail teaching as a profession as defined by the characteristics

identified above. To begin, the chart lists the key characteristics of a professional as noted in
this article and the authors’ assessment on how teaching stacks up.

Teaching is as critical, many might suggest even more so, as any profession including
medical, law or accountancy to list a few. Dedication to purpose, knowledge expertise and
advocacy are core strengths of those in the teaching profession. While, unfortunately, it is
not perceived in this great country to be on an equal footing as those professions named
above teachers are instrumental in preparing others for those professions.

In Finland only the best and brightest are accepted in their schools of education preparing to
be teachers. It is considered one of the most highly esteemed professions in Finland and not
surprisingly one of the most competitive in terms of entry. They are compensated well
relative to Finnish pay levels.

In the United States, we have work to do to elevate teaching as a profession. From the
teaching professionals, including schools of education, to legislators/politicians and the media
we need to rethink (and recalibrate) our priorities which the authors believe will result in
teaching being elevated to the highest priority. Through serious and honest introspection, the
teaching profession needs to adopt reforms necessary to catapult our measures of success to
levels of excellence on a sustained basis. This includes transforming our schools of education,
instituting rigorous (& honest) assessments of performance and paying for that performance
(i.e., merit pay).

Raising the stature of the teaching profession in the United States is an imperative and
increasing teacher pay is a major step in that direction. The U.S. needs the best and
brightest professionals teaching our children.

Q [Link] is professionalization? Describe professional responsibilities of a teacher. (20)

The School of Education has identified eight dispositions with specific indicators that the
effective professional educator displays. The effective professional educator demonstrates a
commitment to the following.
1. Professional ethics

 Maintaining my position as a positive role model for students and others in regular
attendance, grooming, punctuality, and professional demeanor

 Demonstrating positive work habits and interpersonal skills, including a positive

attitude, dependability, honesty, and respect for others

 Maintaining the standards of confidentiality regarding student information and

communications

 Using sound judgment and thoughtful decision-making with consideration of the

consequences

2. Collaboration

Collaborating with other professionals to improve the overall learning of students

Understanding and involving a wide variety of resources in the school, family, culture, and
community to facilitate student learning

3. Diversity

Recognizing students’ unique prior knowledge, life experiences, and interests as part of the
context for student learning

Understanding and involving a wide variety of resources in the school, family, culture, and
community to facilitate student learning

Providing equitable learning opportunities for all students

4. Self-reflection

Life-long learning and personal growth through reflection, seeking constructive feedback,
and willingness to learn from others and past experience

Using analysis and reflection to assess and plan for student learning

5. Belief in students’ ability to learn

Promoting achievement of students at all levels

 Understanding and involving a wide variety of resources in the school, family,

culture, and community to facilitate student learning

 Developing students’ skills as problem-solvers as they progress toward becoming

independent, self- directed learners

 Effective planning and classroom organization as tools in maximizing the time

available for instruction and learning
6. Technology

Understanding and involving a wide variety of resources in the school, family, culture, and
community to facilitate student learning

Using analysis and reflection to assess and plan for student learning

7. The teaching profession

 Accepting responsibility for what occurs in my classroom and for other school-wide
responsibilities that contribute to student learning and a safe, orderly environment

 Using sound judgment and thoughtful decision-making with consideration of the

consequences

 Life-long learning and personal growth through reflection, seeking constructive

feedback, and willingness to learn from others and past experience

 Participating in professional growth activities within and outside the school

8. Professional growth

 Participating in professional growth activities within and outside the school

 Life-long learning and personal growth through reflection, seeking constructive

feedback, and willingness to learn from others and past experience

These attributes–sometimes known as soft skills–are more properly labeled as professional

dispositions. Accrediting bodies such as the National Council for the Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE) started emphasizing their importance many years ago. Even
though they never defined them, NCATE spoke about dispositions in terms of values,
commitments, and ethics; these in turn impact the behaviors and decisions of teachers in the
classroom and in their interactions with others. More recently, the Council for the
Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as well as industry leaders such as the
Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) emphasize the role that
professional dispositions play in effective teaching and school leadership, and they hold
schools of education accountable for identifying, selecting, and graduating individuals who
indicate a propensity for success as an educator, including the demonstration of specific
professional dispositions.

Needless to say, dispositions can have a huge impact on student learning, development,
motivation, and overall happiness in school. Dispositions stem from our beliefs, our attitudes,
and our personal “compass” that steers us through life. Do we really care about others? Are
we compassionate and empathetic? Are we respectful of other ideas or traditions, even if they
differ from our own? Do we take responsibility for our own actions? Do we take the high
road even when no one else is looking?

Other important questions to consider:

 What dispositions make the very best teachers? What about school leaders?

 How can dispositions be assessed?

 Can these skills be taught, or are they innate?

 And if they can be taught, how can it be done effectively?

 On a wider scale, are the dispositions for teachers and school leaders the same for
those outside of education–such as in the health professions, or in IT, or in business?

Professional dispositions are the principles or standards that underpin a teacher’s success in
the classroom. They are the values, commitments, and professional ethics that govern how a
teacher acts with students, families, colleagues, and communities. The Washington State
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) mandates, through the Washington
Administrative Code (WAC), that all certified educators must be “fit to teach” and “have the
proper dispositions to teach.” The transformation of a person from one who merely possesses
knowledge and technique into a superior teacher must include the development of
characteristics such as a capacity for active and creative communication, a tendency to probe,
and a willingness to explore topics from a variety of perspectives. Further, an outstanding
educator must possess the desire to engage and encourage students who have a wide range of
abilities, interests, and temperaments. In order to provide the highest quality teacher force
possible, Washington State University ’s College of Education has the responsibility of
evaluating teacher effectiveness along a variety of dimensions. It uses many instruments and
methods to assess the effectiveness of prospective teachers, to make certain they have the
knowledge, skills and professional habits necessary to serve in the highly dynamic and
complex classrooms of the 21st century.

Wide range of abilities

Good teachers come from widely different backgrounds, and have varied opinions, interests,
and personalities. But some qualities, such as the ability to communicate clearly, are common
to nearly all good teachers. On the other hand, it is hard to imagine a teacher being a success
without possessing these qualities. Likewise, students in Washington’s K-12 classrooms
come from varied backgrounds. They have a wide range of abilities, different levels of prior
knowledge, and vary in how they feel about learning and school. These young people grow
and develop, sometimes slowly, sometimes with astonishing quickness. Each classroom,
therefore, is a mix of dozens of competing interests, stages of development, and strategies for
learning.

Even within a single student’s attempt to learn, a teacher may have to try several approaches
before finding one that succeeds. A student may believe that she is “no good at math (or
science or history or reading),” for reasons having nothing to do with her abilities. With as
many as a hundred different students and several different subjects to teach every day,
teachers have an almost impossible mission. Yet we expect nothing less of them than success
with every student. In order to be successful—to leave, truly, no child behind—teachers must
purposefully act in caring, fair, professional, respectful, and responsible ways.

Q [Link] are professional standards necessary for a profession? Comment in the light of
professional standards of teaching profession. (20)

Education play a vital role in national development. National Professional Standards for
Teachers in Pakistan will prove a mile stone in educational development. These standards are
necessary for every teacher to improve his teaching style and strategy. These courses and
programmes range from three-month diploma courses to full-fledged Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees in education and even MS/MPhil and PhD degrees for research purposes in the field.
Universities are the biggest stakeholders in this endeavour. Though the universities are doing
well in this regard, a change is still required in order to make future teachers fully compatible
with the needs and requirements of the new era.

The National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan has a total 10 standards each of
which comprises three equally important parts: knowledge (what the teacher knows),
disposition (the teacher’s behaviour, attitudes and values) and performance (what the teacher
can do and should be able to do).

Let us now take a brief look at what these standards are with special reference to our local
setting. Firstly, the teacher must possess subject-matter knowledge. He or she should be able
to apply it efficiently and effectively in whatever setting/situation he comes up with.
Following the traditional syllabi the potential teachers are heavily burdened with theoretical
subject-matter knowledge and since there is a lack of practical work so they are unable to
apply the acquired knowledge in varying situations.

Growth and development

The second standard is human growth and development something which is highly important
in the teaching-learning process. The teacher should not only be well acquainted with the
basic concepts of educational psychology, developmental phases and their requirements,
principles of development, development factors, individual differences, etc., he or she should
also be in a sound position to apply the theories, conditions and laws of learning and
motivation in an actual classroom setting. The actual situation in this regard is quite different
and the teachers cannot do so as they are just being taught theoretically. The third standard is
regarding knowledge of Islamic ethical values/social life skills. The teacher should be well-
versed with these and be able to educate the pupils about the ethical values and life skills. But
in the absence of practical work, life skills are somewhat extinct among teachers and there is
a huge contradiction between the teacher’s words and actions which in turn affects the
students’ attitude and behaviour.

The next standard is related to the use of proper instructional planning and strategies. The
teacher must not only know the importance of planning the lesson, pedagogy and strategies.
He or she should also be well-acquainted with all the teaching aids that can help in achieving
the objectives of a lesson. But in practice the situation is quite discouraging as even after
completion of their teaching training, the teachers are unaware of the use of overhead
projectors (OHPs) and multimedia projectors. This is just because they are being heavily
dosed with theory and not practice. Where these student-teachers are personally willing to use
these gadgets to gain experience, they are being stopped from doing so on the pretext of the
gadgets being fragile and costly.

Primary School Teachers

Teacher training at the post secondary level takes place in Regional Institutes of Teacher
Education (RITE), and at the Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad for a one-year
program known as the Primary Teaching Certificate. In addition, prospective teachers are
also prepared at the private sector institutions affiliated or enlisted with universities of public
or private sector.

Secondary School Teachers

Government training institutes of education and different affiliated colleges in private sector
train teachers for the secondary school level. They are awarded a Certificate of Teaching
(CT) for one year study after passing the examination of Higher Secondary School
Certificate.

Teacher Education at Universities

The prospective teachers aspiring to teach at the higher secondary school level study for one
year at the Education Colleges for the Bachelor of Education ([Link].) degree, after two-year
bachelor’s of Arts or Science (BA/BSc) education. Teachers possessing [Link] degree are
eligible to teach at the Secondary school level. Masters of Education ([Link]) is a one year
university education after completion of [Link].

Policy Priorities for Teacher Education

All the National Education Policies of Pakistan have accorded great importance to teacher
education. The 1959 Commission on National Education stressed upon the necessity of
adequate pre service teacher education gave recommendations about functions of teachers in
a university and about selection and promotion of teachers. The Education Policy 1972-80
estimated the teacher producing capacity of then existing 12 teacher training colleges and 55
teacher education institutions in Pakistan, to be four thousand which was much less than the
estimated demand of three hundred thousand additionally required teachers. It recommended
the introduction of Education subject at Secondary, Higher Secondary and Degree level and
students qualifying these subjects were suggested to be taken as primary, middle and high
level teachers. Relaxation of training requirements for women teachers in special cases was
recommended in order to increase the number of women teachers. An academy for teachers’
and educational Administrators’ training was recommended to be set up. The outdated nature
of the teacher training courses was admitted, and their revision was recommended, along with
this preparation of model standard textbooks for teacher trainees were advised.

The National Education Policy 1979 had vividly valued the significant role of teachers in the
effective implementation of the education policies. It was asserted that teacher is the pivot of
the entire educational system. In order to promote pre-service teacher education, all the
Primary Teacher Training Institutions were planned to be upgraded to Colleges of
Elementary Education. An Academy of Higher Education was approved to be established to
provide in-service and pre-service training to the College and University teachers. Another
Academy for Educational Planning and Management was also established to provide
opportunities of training to administrators and supervisors working at different levels of the
educational system. This National Education Policy envisaged that every teacher would be
expected to undergo one in-service course during five-year cycle of his/her service. A system
of National Awards for best teachers was planned to be instituted. Every year ten teachers of
various levels and categories were planned to receive these awards from the President of
Pakistan at national level. Similar awards were planned to be given to selected teachers by the
respective provincial governors.

Assessment standard

The fifth is the assessment standard which means that the teacher should know the
significance of assessment and different assessment techniques and methods. He or she
should not show favouritism while assessing any of the students but the fact of the matter is
quite contradictory to the standard.

The next standard deals with learning environment. The teacher should be well-acquainted
with the meaning of learning, learning theories and other related concepts. He or she should
at the same time take certain measures to create a learning and knowledge-sharing
environment, not only within the classroom but outside of it as well. But here the teacher’s
sole emphasis seems to be on the cramming factor. Communication is another factor in
National Professional Standards, which means that the teacher should not only know the
basic concepts related to communication. He or she should also be able to use it effectively
and efficiently. The teacher is supposed to collaborate with certain professional development
organisations in order to get updated about the new and most modern Information
Communication Technologies (ICTs) and trends occurring in the field of education and
research. Here as well the situation unfortunately is not that encouraging.

Above mentioned standards

In light of the above mentioned standards, this is the right time to replace the traditional
instructional and teaching methodologies with new and modern techniques and pedagogical
skills. There is a dire need to update the course outlines of the corresponding subjects as well
by discarding the sole emphasis on theoretical knowledge in order to give the future teachers
more exposure to practice and action research. These professional standards must be
considered while updating the course outlines because they serve as a blueprint and give us
an insight on how and to which direction a prospective teacher should be trained.

The future teachers after completing their degrees are considered as a product which is
absolutely final and flawless in the field of teaching and learning. All these standards must be
incorporated in them through the course content and they should be given complete
autonomy to use each and every gadget which would aid them in gaining personal
experience and lesson objectives in the actual classroom.

The component of teaching practice serves the basis for sensitizing and experiencing the
prospective teachers about their work. But unfortunately the duration of teaching practice is
very little, i.e., 40 days at the most in the Master’s degree of education. Since teaching cannot
be learned theoretically and is rather a skill which gets strengthened through practice the
duration of teaching practice should be increased up to six months for the Master’s degree
and three months for Bachelor’s in education.

These feats would definitely pave the way in improving our educational system, which would
ultimately lead to progress and prosperity of the motherland. On the other hand, teachers
were observed rarely engaged with parents and the wider community. Most of the teachers
showed weak link to professional development as no evidence was observed regarding
individual development plan, performance evidence log, professional portfolio, self-reflection
or detail of instructional studies. Results of the study further indicate that majority of the
teachers cannot communicate in target language due to lack of command on communication
skill. Majority of primary school teachers don’t know about national professional standards.
During research when the teachers were asked about national professional standards, most of
the teachers not only didn’t know about national professional standards but even they
remained unable just to tell the names or total number of standards which shows lack of
command and awareness regarding national professional standards.

Teachers’ continuous professional development

It is an in-service process for professional refinement of practicing teachers. It is a life long

process in which efforts are made to improve and polish up the potentials of the teachers. It
includes professional trainings like workshops, short courses and seminars. This is usually
formally arranged by good schools or can be self directed through reading of professional
books, discussions with colleagues, benefiting from on line courses, or attending training
workshops, conferences, and symposiums.

With the passage of time, all institutions have started to value in service training of teachers
more and more; and are regularly arranging training programs of different durations for their
teachers. These trainings are sometimes general in nature for the improvement of the overall
teaching methodologies, and sometimes focused on improving specific subject-teaching
skills, enabling teachers master innovative concepts recently incorporated in the existing
curriculum. Such in service trainings are usually taken up in anticipation for the expected
promotions.

Usefulness of Comparing Teacher Education Systems

Comparative education is a popular educational venture and is considered very useful in

countries like USA, UK, Russia and even India. It is considered so, as education has been
recognized an investment for development of human resources, which is in fact the
development of human capital formation. All people engaged in the field of education have
much to learn from the policies and educational practices of other lands. Apparently the
educational system of a country grows out of the historical background, economic and social
conditions, geographical features and political systems and no country is in a position to
totally adopt the educational patterns of another country as such. But lessons can be learnt,
and successful practices can be adopted to meet the needs from the angle it looks upon them.”

With advancement in technology and with communication explosion, the geographical

distances are shrinking and people are coming closer to each other. The similarities caused by
science and technology are overpowering the differences resulting from cultural diversities.
The fact suggested by increasing similarities is that different nations of the world–which
looks like a global village now, can learn a lot from each others’ experiences and progress to
save time, energy and resources required for the ‘try and learn’ activities. The knowledge
about the successes and failures of other systems can be very awakening and beneficial in
comprehending one’s own educational problems. The backwardness or advancement of one’s
own system can be ascertained only through analytical comparison, particularly with those of
the economically and educationally advanced countries.

Spite of increased investment in education sector

In spite of increased investment in education sector, Pakistan has not yet achieved its target of
UPE (Universal Primary Education) set in 1960 that was to be achieved by 1980. Analysis of
the educational status of Pakistan reveals that a reasonable progress has been made by it since
independence. At that time not even a million students were studying in schools, whereas
now more than twelve million children are in schools. But at the same time due to a very high
population growth rate, more than twelve million school age children are out of school, doing
jobs or just doing nothing. The recent comparisons with the educational situation in China
and India show that Pakistan is still far behind than the more thickly populated neighbouring
countries, where China with literacy rate of 90% and India with 65% are substantially ahead
of Pakistan. The situation of full enrollment which is a far cry is further aggravated by an
alarmingly high rate of dropouts. Female literacy rate is abysmally low, and education of
females and rural population at all levels is much underrepresented.

As the population is growing at a geometrical rate, the need for more schools and for more
and better teachers has risen substantially. With increased focus on the quantitative expansion
necessitated by substantial raises in population, the qualitative dimension of teacher
education in Pakistan has not received adequate attention, resulting in passing out of scores of
teachers from different teacher education institutions with inadequate grip over the content
and teaching methodologies. This demands special focus to improve the status of teacher
education, by learning through analysis and comparison with education systems that are
progressing and delivering well in other countries of the world.
Q [Link] problems notice that teachers face in teaching profession. Arrange a
meeting with two no nice teachers in your area and share their views in this regard. (20)

This conversation took place at the govt Islamia high school liaqat bagh Rawalpindi during
one of the pro- fessional development sessions attended by two of teachers who have been
working at the school for many years and teachers who have only recently started their
experience there. Like other conversations, it was part of a professional development project
whose objective, among many others, was to analyze the problem areas that were emerging
from the daily experience of these new teachers. Terms such as theory, practice, professional
development, observation, documentation, strategies, projects, collaboration, and many others
came up repeatedly during the conversation and became concepts within which new content
started to develop.

The voices of the participants followed one another, alternated with one another, and at times
overlapped, seeming to need more space in which to be heard. At times the thoughts that
emerged were echoed, as if to find confirmation in different ways or to strengthen a reflection
that has been enriched by the opinion of someone else. This seesaw of dialogues and different
points of view is part of a long-term knowledge-building process that leaves open the
possibility of revising one’s thinking within a situation that is in a constant state of flux, in a
search for new identities. The first question in this conversation stemmed from discussions
held during earlier sessions, which had led the teachers to look for more appropriate
definitions of their roles based on a careful analysis of the complexity of their work.

Every day when parents send kids off to school, they trust teachers and other school officials
to care for their children’s safety and well-being as well as their learning. Teachers have a
wide range of responsibilities to students that come from a variety of federal, state, and local
laws and regulations. If they don’t meet these standards, parents might be able to file
complaints and force changes—or even to sue the school in some circumstances.

Whatever the issue, you're probably not looking forward to dealing with difficult parents at
this point. But there are plenty of ways to defuse the situation, keep your cool, and even help
parents come to an understanding about their child's progress. Another important occasion in
our experience that I believe contributes significantly to our professional development is
when we organize a visual document such as a slide show or a video. Indeed, I think that
making a slide show, a video, or a publication means having the opportunity to construct a
sort of “reflective space” that stands between ourselves and our action. A space where, to an
extent, we can “invite” other people’s contributions and comments. This is why a
documentary or a publication is also an unfinished experience.

I found the following problems and its solution after meets with those teachers of my area
which are:

Were there times, though, almost immediately afterward, in which people could discuss and
share with you what the day was like at school?

Yes, but it wasn’t enough, because there were still a lot of situations to take care of. It wasn’t
just the game of finding out who was at school and who was at home, or lunch time, or
cleaning up the classroom, it was the whole complexity of the experience I had in front of
me. Just to give you an example, in the morning, when we and the children were dividing into
medium and small groups, I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t sure whether I had to follow a
single group or walk around the groups. I felt that I didn’t know how to organize myself or
how to organize my thoughts and actions.

1. No Surprises

This is probably the most important thing to keep in mind throughout the year: Make sure
you keep parents apprised of any issues. If you think a student has learning problems and
should be tested, don't wait until the entire year has passed before suggesting it. You can
often avoid problems at the end of the year if parents have already been made aware of your
concerns.

But even for teachers who've done a great job of keeping parents on board, some parents will
"forget" that they've been informed of any problems at the end of the year. In these cases, it's
important to keep a record of emails, phone calls, or other conversations you've had regarding
the student's issues throughout the year.

2. Meet Face-to-Face with Parents

Invite them in to meet with you rather than trying to resolve a problem over the phone or
email. That way, you can show them samples of their child's work or records of attendance.
You can also share evidence of the times you discussed the issue with them. In the end, it's
usually easier for angry parents to say unpleasant things electronically than in person.

3. Alert Your Principal or Department Chair to the Situation

If the parents have already called to complain, the principal may want to sit in on the
meeting. If not, she may want to be available if the issue can't be resolved between you and
the parents.

4. Listen and Ask Questions

Shake hands with the parents who come to meet with you and ask them to explain what
they're unhappy about. Wait until they finish, and don't interrupt unless you're asking for
clarification.

5. Try to Find Things You Agree On

Make sure parents understand that, as the child's teacher, you'd like to see him do better, too.
Be clear that your role is not to punish the child at the end of the year for not studying, not
handing in work, or being absent. Your role is to figure out how to make their child more
successful in the future.

6. Don't Allow Yourself to Be Pressured

A few parents may ask a teacher to change a grade or move their child forward even if he or
she hasn't fulfilled the requirements. You, of course, have to adhere to your professional
ethics—and you don't want the reputation of someone who can be manipulated by parents. If
they want to, parents always have the option to escalate the problem to the principal.

7. Know When the Conversation Is Over

In my experience, once most difficult parents have expressed their unhappiness or anger, you
can all can move on to find a workable solution together. Unfortunately, this is not the case
with all parents. It's fine for parents to be angry, but it isn't OK for them to be abusive. If that
happens and it's clear you're not going to agree, it's time to bring the conversation to a close.
They may decide to take their complaint to the principal, and that's fine. That's how the
system works.

During your career, you'll have many meetings with parents. Most of them will be easy,
gratifying, and pleasant—but a handful won't be. Knowing how to deal with difficult parents
should be part of every teacher's skill set, so you can keep your cool while working to find a
resolution that's in the student's best interests.
Q 5. Explain need and application of reflective practice in teaching. (20)

Reflective teaching is a personal tool that teachers can use to observe and evaluate the way
they behave in their classroom. It can be both a private process as well as one that you
discuss with colleagues. When you collect information regarding what went on in your
classroom and take the time to analyse it from a distance, you can identify more than just
what worked and what didn’t. You will be able to look at the underlying principles and
beliefs that define the way that you work. This kind of self-awareness is a powerful ally for a
teacher, especially when so much of what and how they teach can change in the moment.

Reflective teaching is about more than just summarizing what happened in the classroom. If
you spend all your time discussing the events of the lesson, it’s possible to jump to abrupt
conclusions about why things happened as they did.

Reflective teaching is a quieter and more systemic approach to looking at what happened. It
requires patience, and careful observation of the entire lesson’s experience.

According to Jack Richards, reflection or “critical reflection, refers to an activity or process

in which an experience is recalled, considered, and evaluated, usually in relation to a broader
purpose. It is a response to past experience and involves conscious recall and examination of
the experience as a basis for evaluation and decision-making and as a source for planning and
action. (Richard 1990)

Bartlett (1990) points out that becoming a reflective teacher involves moving beyond a
primary concern with instructional techniques and “how to” questions and asking “what” and
“why” questions that regard instructions and managerial techniques not as ends in
themselves, but as part of broader educational purposes. Asking “what and why” questions
give us a certain power over our teaching. We could claim that the degree of autonomy and
responsibility we have in our work as teachers is determined by the level of control we can
exercise over our actions. In reflecting on the above kind of questions, we begin to exercise
control and open up the possibility of transforming our everyday classroom life.

The process of reflective teaching supports the development and maintenance of professional
expertise. We can conceptualise successive levels of expertise in teaching – those that
student- teachers may attain at the beginning, middle and end of their courses; those of the
new teacher after their induction to full-time school life; and those of the experienced, expert
teacher. Given the nature of teaching, professional development and learning should never
stop.
How does reflection take place?

The process of reflection is a cycle which needs to be repeated.

• Teach

• Self-assess the effect your teaching has had on learning

• Consider new ways of teaching which can improve the quality of learning

• Try these ideas in practice

• Repeat the process

Reflective practice is ‘learning through and from experience towards gaining new insights of
self and practice’ (Finlay, 2008).

Reflection is a systematic reviewing process for all teachers which allows you to make links
from one experience to the next, making sure your students make maximum progress.

Reflection is a basic part of teaching and learning. It aims to make you more aware of your
own professional knowledge and action by ‘challenging assumptions of everyday practice
and critically evaluating practitioners’ own responses to practice situations’ (Finlay, 2008).
The reflective process encourages you to work with others as you can share best practice and
draw on others for support. Ultimately, reflection makes sure all students learn more
effectively as learning can be tailored to them.

In the rest of this unit, we will look at the basics of reflective practice in more detail. We will
look at the research behind reflective practice, discuss the benefits and explore some practical
examples. Throughout the unit, we will encourage you to think about how you can include
reflective practice in your own classroom practice.

Approaches to Critical reflection:

Peer Observation – Peer observation can provide opportunities for teachers to view each
other’s teaching in order to expose them to different teaching styles and to provide
opportunities for critical reflection on their own teaching. Some suggestions for peer
observation:

1. Each participant would both observe and be observed – Teachers would work in pairs
and take turns observing each other’s classes.

2. Pre-observation orientation session – Prior to each observation, the two teachers would
meet to discuss the nature of the class to be observed, the kind of material being taught, the
teachers’ approach to teaching, the kinds of students in the class, typical patterns of
interaction and class participation, and any problems that might be expected. The teacher
being observed would also assign the observer a goal for the observation and a task to
accomplish. The task would involve collecting information about some aspect of the lesson,
but would not include any evaluation of the lesson. Observation procedures or instruments to
be used would be agreed upon during this session and a schedule for the observations
arranged.

3. The observation -The observer would then visit his or her partner’s class and complete
the observation using the procedures that both partners had agreed on.

4. Post-observation: The two teachers would meet as soon as possible after the lesson. The
observer would report on the information that had been collected and discuss it with the
teacher (Richards and Lockhart, 1991).

Benefits:

The teachers identify a variety of different aspects of their lessons for their partners to
observe and collect information on. These include organization of the lesson, teacher’s time
management, students’ performance on tasks, time-on-task, teacher questions and student
responses, student performance during pair work, classroom interaction, class performance
during a new teaching activity, and students’ use of the first language or English during group
work.

The teachers gain a number of insights about their own teaching from their colleague’s
observations and that they would like to use peer observation on a regular basis. They may
also obtain new insights into aspects of their teaching.

Written accounts of experiences

Another useful way of engaging in the reflective process is through the use of written
accounts of experiences. (Powell 1985) and their potential is increasingly being recognized in
teacher education. A number of different approaches can be used.

Self-Reports – Self-reporting involves completing an inventory or check list in which the

teacher indicates which teaching practices were used within a lesson or within a specified
time period and how often they were employed (Pak, 1985).

Self-reporting allows teachers to make a regular assessment of what they are doing in the
classroom. They can check to see to what extent their assumptions about their own teaching
are reflected in their actual teaching practices.

Journal Writing

A procedure which is becoming more widely acknowledged as a valuable tool for developing
critical reflection is the journal or diary. The goals of journal writing are:

1. To provide a record of the significant learning experiences that have taken place

2. To help the participant come into touch and keep in touch with the self-development
process that is taking place for them

3. To provide the participants with an opportunity to express, in a personal and dynamic

way, their self-development

4. To foster a creative interaction

• between the participant and the self-development process that is taking lace

• between the participant and other participants who are also in the process of self-
development

• between the participant and the facilitator whose role it is to foster such development
(Powell, 1985, Bailey, 1990)

Recording Lessons

For many aspects of teaching, audio or video recording of lessons can also provide a basis for
reflection. While there are many useful insights to be gained from diaries and self-reports,
they cannot capture the moment to moment processes of teaching. Many things happen
simultaneously in a classroom, and some aspects of a lesson cannot be recalled. It would be
of little value for example, to

attempt to recall the proportion of Yes-No Questions to WH-Questions a teacher used during
a lesson, or to estimate the degree to which teacher time was shared among higher and lower
ability students. Many significant classroom events may not have been observed by the
teacher, let alone remembered, hence the need to supplement diaries or self-reports with
recordings of actual lessons.

Conclusion:

A reflective approach to teaching involves changes in the way we usually perceive teaching
and our role in the process of teaching. Teachers who explore their own teaching through
critical reflection develop changes in attitudes and awareness which they believe can benefit
their professional growth as teachers, as well as improve the kind of support they provide
their students. Like other forms of self- inquiry, reflective teaching is not without its risks,
since journal writing, self-reporting or making recordings of lessons can be time-consuming.
However teachers engaged in reflective analysis of their own teaching report that it is a
valuable tool for self-evaluation and professional growth. Reflective teaching suggests that
experience alone is insufficient for professional growth, but that experience coupled with
reflection can be a powerful impetus for teacher development.

You might find, as you progress, that there is an area of knowledge you need to know more
about. So never be afraid to ask for help or advice. There’s nothing wrong with asking, “How
can I do it better?” Doing this is not a sign of being an underwhelming teacher; in fact it’s
quite the opposite: It shows you are brave and professional.