TASK 1 : ACADEMIC WRITING

Teachers are amongst the key guardians of education. It is vital that teachers voices
are the driving force for educational improvement and development, particularly at a time
when the education system faces so many challenges and conflicting pressures (Association
of Teachers and Lecturers, 2012). Teachers need to innovate, to be able to support children
and young peoples learning through an ever-changing society that is driven by
professionalism. Teacher professionalism is about a teachers knowledge, their autonomy
and their membership of peer networks (Katarzyna Kubacka, 2016). Based on Oxford
Advanced Learners Dictionary Eighth Edition (2010), professionalism is defined as the high
standard that you expect from a person who is well trained in a particular job while etiquette
is the formal rules of correct or polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular
profession. Teaching profession has its own etiquette to be followed by the teachers in order
to provide an effective teaching for the learners.

When it comes to polite behaviour towards your colleagues I always thought that you
should leave a classroom the way you would like to find it. This included cleaning off the
blackboard or whiteboard before you left, no matter how late you were going to be. If you
have some sort of weird desk placement or you like to have your students work on the floor,
you should put the desks back in some sort of traditional placement (Moran, 2011). This
situation was usually occurred in Malaysia where the teacher who taught the classroom
before simply left the blackboard or the whiteboard full with words or symbols used in his/her
lesson on it. Maybe for some teachers it was just a small matter, but, on the other side the
teacher did not realise that his/her attitude showed no respect at all. It was clearly when a
teacher finished his/her lesson, another teacher would replace him/her in the classroom to
teach another subject. At that time, it was completely his/her right to use any facilities in the
classroom. To be a great teacher with good etiquette, one should be responsible towards
his/her whole lesson and make sure to put all the materials used in their original places.

As to improve professional values and attributes among the teachers and to provide
a fun and meaningful working environment, they need to build positive and collaborative
relationships with colleagues. This positive environment helps the teachers to manage their
stress. I believe, it is not easy to teach and to educate the children to become reliable
people. They face many obstacles and challenges along the road, but, with the helps and
supports from the colleagues and administrators, there is nothing impossible. Based on my
observation during the School Based Experience (SBE), teachers in the staffroom would
share their concerns and problems about the pupils in school with their colleagues. For me,
this is one of the ways for the teachers to find solutions for any problems regarding the
pupils behaviours, academic levels, family backgrounds and other problems concerned.
Teachers should work cooperatively and collaboratively to fulfil their professional
responsibilities towards pupils, families and communities.

As a teacher in the community, it is important to maintain a public image as a good

role model for the students (Clearfield, 2016). Wearing dresses or clothes that are too
revealing or too tight are just not in teachers profession. Being a role model is one of the
vital etiquettes as teachers. This means, they need to make smart choices especially when
they are in community places such as grocery shop and supermarket. Everything that they
do, from the way they talk, dress, act and walk, they are all judged by the community.
Teachers must act with honesty and integrity to maintain high standards of ethics and
professional behaviour to support learners and their expectations. Everywhere they go,
everyone will recognise and greet them as teachers. The community always put high
expectations on teachers who basically teach their children in schools to be kind, generous,
independent and hardworking. Sometimes, the children learned most of the moral values in
schools rather than at home especially during the interaction between their friends. They
made mistakes and learned to improve. They started a fight and learned to forgive. They
even lied, but later, they learned to speak only the truth.

As teachers in schools teach the children with knowledge and enthusiasm, they also
need to reflect on what work best in their teaching and learning to meet the diverse needs of
the learners. That is the main reason why teachers need to think outside of the box. Be
creative and innovative in selecting and adapting strategies to help learners to learn. Apart
from teaching the students with theory, skills and knowledge, teachers must also develop
expertise to ensure the best outcomes for learners. They maintain and update knowledge of
their subject area (The Education and Training Foudation, n.d.). It is to motivate and inspire
learners to promote achievement and develop their skills to enable progression.
Responsibilities as teachers need to be fulfilled. Teachers will not only teach, but also learn
at the same time. Learn to improve teaching styles to suit the learning styles of the learners.

As a conclusion, teaching profession is a very noble and humble job as truly teachers
always concern about their students improvement in learning. They will try hard to make the
students to understand what they are teaching. To be a great teacher is not an easy task. In
fact, it is a complex process. It is not only concerned with success in short-term, but also
with appropriate values and success of long-term achievement. Teachers need to deal with
the multiple intelligences, the different behaviours and different levels of proficiency of the
students. Good etiquettes of teachers help in teaching and learning session in the classroom
and also classroom management as they cover respect towards colleagues, positive and
collaborative relationships among teachers, proper attire and responsibility towards their
subject areas.

(990 words)
 REFERENCES

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