CHAPTER 2: The Demands of Society from the Teacher as Professional and as a Person

Learning Outcome

At the end of this chapter, I can:

• Identify the demands of society from the teacher as a professional and person; and
• Explain the professional competencies that a teacher should possess.

Motivate

Explain briefly the quotation below:

“Professionalism:
It’s NOT the job you do, it’s how you do your job.”

Engage

As a pre-service teacher, what do you think does society expect of teachers as professionals and as a
person?

DIRECTIONS: Answer the questions by beginning with the letters of the word.

T –

E–

A–

C–

H–

E–

R–

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Discuss

The Teacher as a Professional

In Chapter 1, we discussed the elements of a profession then we examined teaching against

these elements. Teaching fulfills the elements of a profession and so a teacher is truly a
professional.

A professional is one who went through long years of preparation to earn a teacher
education degree recognized by the Commission on Higher Education, after which he/she
hurdled a Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) administered by the Board for
Professional Teachers with the supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission. By
passing the LET, he/she obtains a license which he/she is obliged to renew every three years
on condition that he/she can show proof of Continuing Professional Development.

As a professional teacher he/she is expected to abide by the Code of Ethics for

Professional Teachers. Violation of the Code of Ethics can be a ground for the
revocation of license. These ensure that as a professional teacher, he/she practices his/her
profession with technical and ethical and moral competence.

This is exactly how the Code of Ethics of Professional Teachers define the professional
teacher. The teacher is a "licensed professional who possesses dignity and reputation with
high moral values as well as technical and professional competence ...he/ she adheres
to, observes and practices a set of ethical and moral principles, standards and values."

The Demands from the Teacher as a Professional

The Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers spells out the demands of the state,
community, higher authorities and school officials and parents from teachers. You will
discuss them in detail in the Chapter solely devoted to the Code of Ethics. In this lesson, we
shall focus on society's demand of good teaching from the professional teacher. In the first
place, the word "teacher" suggests that the main responsibility of the professional teachers
is to teach. The teacher's primary customer is the learner. So, let us concentrate on effective
teaching, the professional teacher's primary responsibility.

There are a number of models/frameworks of effective teaching. In the country, we have

the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST). These PPST are standards of
good teaching, which will also be discussed in the succeeding lessons. In addition, we shall
present four (4) evaluation models of effective teaching here.

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 Comparison of the 4 Models on Teacher Effectiveness
Danielson Stronge McREL Marzano
Planning and Instruction Planning Teachers facilitate Planning and Preparing
Preparation learning for their
Assessment of/for students.
Learning
Teachers know the
content they teach.
Instruction Professional Teachers know the Classroom strategies
Knowledge content they teach. and behaviors

Instructional Delivery Teach facilitate

learning for their
Communication students.
The Classroom The Learning Teachers establish a Teachers facilitate
Environment Environment respectful environment learning for their
for a diverse students.
Student Progress population of students.
Professional Professionalism Teachers demonstrate Collegiality and
Responsibilities leadership. Professionalism

Teachers reflect on
their practices

Since the main task of the professional teacher is to teach, society demands from him/her
teaching competence. Teaching competence is spelled out in the PPST and in four models
of effective teaching. This means that if s/he has to teach effectively s/he has to:
1. Prepare and plan very well for instructions;
2. Execute or deliver that instruction plan very well because s/he has knowledge
(mastery of the subject matter);
3. Create a conducive or favorable learning environment for diverse groups of
learners;
4. Assess and report learner’ progress; and
5. Demonstrate professionalism as s/he deals with superiors, colleagues, students
and parents.

The first step of competent teaching is instructional preparation. This entails clarifying
learning outcomes and choice of appropriate teaching-learning activities and use of
assessment tasks aligned to the learning outcomes to check on learners' progress. The
professional teacher possesses pedagogical content knowledge. He/ She is fully aware that
pedagogical content knowledge (how to teach particular subject matter content) is central
to teacher effectiveness.

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The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST)

The PPST, the revised National Competency-Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS), give the
teacher professional competencies in seven domains, 37 strands and 148 performance
indicators for four career stages. According to the PPST, quality teachers in the
Philippines need to possess the following characteristics:
1. Recognize the importance of mastery of content knowledge and its
interconnectedness within and across curriculum areas, coupled with a sound and
critical understanding of the application of theories and principles of teaching and
learning.
2. Provide learning environments that are safe, secure, fair and supportive in order to
promote learner responsibility and achievement.
3. Establish learning environments that are responsive to learner diversity.
4. Interact with the national and local curriculum requirements.
5. Apply variety of assessment tools and strategies in monitoring, evaluating,
documenting and reporting learners’ needs, progress and achievement.
6. Establish school-community partnership aimed at enriching the learning
environment
7. Value personal growth and professional development and exhibit high personal
regard for the profession by maintaining qualities that uphold the dignity of
teaching such as caring attitude, respect and integrity.

The Teacher as a Person

The qualities of your favorite teachers may not be very far from one another. Let's compare
them with the twelve of an effective teacher gathered from a fifteen-year longitudinal,
qualitative study on more than one thousand essays of teacher education students. (Walker,
Robert, J. Twelve Characteristics of an Effective Teacher: A Longitudinal, Qualitative, Quasi-
Research Study of In-Service and Pre-Service Teachers':
1. Prepared
2. Positive
3. Hold high expectations
4. Creative
5. Fair
6. Display personal touch
7. Cultivate a sense of belonging
8. Compassionate
9. Have a sense of humor
10. Respect students
11. Forgiving
12. Admit mistakes

To be effective in the teaching profession, teachers must possess personal traits such as
caring, forgiving, fair and compassionate, and so display a personal touch for all students.
Caring teachers make everyone feels he/she belongs. They are humble enough to admit
mistakes. All of these personal traits emanate from teachers' genuine respect for others. The
trait professionalism catches all the personal qualities expected of teachers.

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Innovate

DIRECTIONS: Add 5th column to the table of Comparison of the 4 models on Teacher Effectiveness.
Review the 7 domains of the PPST and place each domain in the appropriate boxes.
Fell free to extend the Table if you feel the need to do so.

Danielson Stronge McREL Marzano

Planning and Instruction Planning Teachers facilitate Planning and
Preparation learning for their Preparing
Assessment of/for students.
Learning
Teachers know the
content they teach.

Instruction Professional Teachers know the Classroom

Knowledge content they teach. strategies and
behaviors
Instructional Teach facilitate
Delivery learning for their
students.
Communication

The Classroom The Learning Teachers establish a Teachers facilitate

Environment Environment respectful learning for their
environment for a students.
Student Progress diverse population of
students.

Professional Professionalism Teachers Collegiality and

Responsibilities demonstrate Professionalism
leadership.
Teachers reflect on
their practices

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Assess

DIRECTIONS: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which is/are TRUE of a professional?

a. Completed of college/university degree
b. Required of NC IV from TESDA
c. Demonstrate solely ethical competence
d. Abides by his personal Code of Ethics

2. Which statement is TRUE of society’s demand from the personal teacher?

a. The professional teacher is concerned only with classroom teaching,
b. Effective teaching is the primary duty of the professional teacher.
c. The professional teacher is not expected to lead in community affairs in order not
to jeopardize her teaching.
d. Because the professional teacher is expected to be highly enlightened, he is
expected to campaign for the good candidate during election time.

3. The Filipino teacher is a professional. What is/are expected of her/him?

I. Technically competent
II. Highly ethical and moral
III. Has superior IQ
IV. Popular among learners

a. I, II and III
b. I and II
c. I, II and IV
d. I and IV

4. Which teacher’s personal trait is demonstrated if he is gender-sensitive and inclusive in his

ways?
a. Fairness
b. Sense of Humor
c. Passion
d. Motivation

5. Teacher A claims she cares for students/ Which is/are a manifestation of genuine care?
I. Knows students
II. Creates a favorable learning atmosphere
III. Maintains professional distance with students

a. I and II
b. II and III
c. I and II
d. I, II and III

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