Submitted to: Dr.

Prima
C. Mamala
 Teacher as a Professional
Professional educators are value-driven, guided by principles, passion,
and a purpose bigger than themselves. Professional educators are need
analysts – competent to diagnose and prescribe options for educational
success and significance. Professional educators believe their work is a
vocation and calling rather than an occupation where one merely
occupies space. Professional educators recognize that change is the
norm. They are growth-oriented and consider themselves life-long
learners and contributors. Professional educators are climate creators,
recognizing that the conditions that surround learning contribute to
learning. Professional educators are catalysts in promoting calculated
risks that advance their profession and enable everyone access to
success. Professional educators promote cohesiveness, collaboration,
and team-building. They promote a “we are better together” philosophy.
Professional educators create a climate of ownership by ensuring that
everyone involved in the educational process is invited to participate.
Professional educators are accountable to their clients, community,
parents and students, providing a quality educational program for all
children. Professional educators belong to an organization that promotes
their profession above personal gain. Professional educators are value-
driven, guided by principles, passion, and a purpose bigger than
themselves.
 Tips to be a Certified Professional
Teacher
 Looking and acting like a true Professional

1.Project a neat and clean look with your clothes and styling. You may have more
flexibility in your attire than previous generations of teachers—a male teacher may
not be expected to wear a jacket and tie, for instance. No matter the dress code (or
lack thereof) at your school, though, focus on maintaining a professional look. Come
to work looking the part of a teacher, not trying to dress like your students.
 Your clothing doesn’t have to be stuffy and buttoned-up, but aim for modest,
clean, wrinkle- and damage-free clothes.
 You might pair a skirt or slacks with a blouse or sweater, for instance, or wear
slacks and a collared shirt with either a sweater or a jacket and perhaps a tie.
 When it comes to personal grooming, try not to look like you just rolled out of
bed or like you’re heading out to a club.

2.Behave professionally in public. Students and the community at large will see you
as a teacher even when you’re not working, so make sure you represent your school
and profession well in your daily life. Be someone who others can respect no matter
the situation.
 To name an extreme example, getting into drunken brawls on your free time will
cause community members to lose respect not only for you, but perhaps also for the
profession at large.
 Don’t bad-mouth the school or gossip about school employees or students.

3. Maintain professionalism on social media. Social media can be a great way for you
to connect with students, parents, and colleagues, but it can also be a gateway to
unprofessional or even inappropriate behavior. You should keep your personal and
professional social media profiles separate, and keep stringent privacy settings for
each.
 As a general rule of thumb, don’t say anything on social media that you wouldn’t
say in the classroom.
 Resist the temptation to get overly chatty or to over share on social media.
Retain a degree of professional distance in your dealings with students and others in
your capacity as a teacher.
 Don't post photos of your students on social media without their consent and
their parent or guardian's consent.
 Check if your school has social media guidelines or policies in place.

4.Prepare thoroughly for each day of teaching. Check your planner the evening before
and get ready for the following day. Professional teachers plan thoroughly for every
lesson and class. Then, they stick to their work program and assessment schedule.
 This ensures that syllabus content is covered, and also the necessary skills for
their students' longer-term success in their specific subject or learning area.
 A professional teacher’s workday doesn’t end with the school bell at the end of
the day, and it always starts before the morning bell the next day.

5.Come to work on time every day. A professional teacher understands the need to
start the day well, every day. The first impression you make each morning sets the
tone for the rest of the day.
 Arrive early enough that you have time to get all your papers and lesson plans in
order, and so you can get yourself mentally prepared to start the day right.

6.Follow the procedures and the protocols expected at your school. True
professionals, in any field, embrace the corporate identity and values, and model
these for the clients. In the case of a teacher, that means being a “team player” with
your fellow teachers and the school administration, and projecting this shared focus
to your students.

 Even if you have doubts or differences of opinion with the corporate identity or
procedures at your school, don’t let this bleed into your teaching.

7.Don’t miss deadlines or fall behind on your grading. Professionals keep their work
up to date and plan ahead. If you’re always pushing deadlines back or making
promises you can’t keep, you’ll lose respect in the eyes of your students and peers.
 When it comes to grading, a 3-day rule of thumb is a good starting point for
shorter assignments and non-essay tests. For longer assignments, stick to a 2-week
turnaround. If you take too long to hand back tests and so on, the students may lose
interest in the task and their results by the time you return their work.

8. Embrace change and give new methods a chance. Don’t be a doomsayer and throw
cold water on new ideas or suggestions for positive change. Instead of vocalizing
 negative thoughts like "That will never work at this school," respectfully note any
concerns you may have but show your willingness to try out something different.
 Don’t immediately discount suggestions or new ideas from students as well. Let
them know that their opinions and perspectives are valued.

9.Seek new subject knowledge to share with your students. Take continuing
education courses to keep yourself mentally stimulated. Your renewed enthusiasm for
your subject will be rewarded by increased student interest and enthusiasm for the
subject itself.
 A true professional--as a teacher or in any other career--never stops learning.
 Also make sure you keep abreast of education policy and legislation.

10.Be passionate, positive, and enthusiastic about your work. Never act like it’s a
chore to be in the classroom, even if it feels that way from time to time. Instead,
project positivity and enthusiasm for your students.

 If you need a positivity boost yourself, take some time each morning or between
classes to remind yourself why you got into teaching and what you get out of it.
 Retain this positive enthusiasm beyond the classroom as well. For instance, a
professional teacher will not create negativity in a staff room or engage in mindless
gossip.
  Running a classroom like a pro

1. Take charge of your classroom. Respect your students, and demand the same
respect from them. Clearly lay out your rules for classroom behavior, and enforce
them consistently. Don’t shout or lose your cool—remain calm and collected, and be
clear on what needs to happen. When necessary, involve the school administration
for serious discipline issues.
 Your job isn’t to be your students’ friend or the most-liked teacher. You are a
mentor who is there to impart knowledge and model professional behavior.

2.Put safety first. Remember that, as a professional teacher, you are offering a
service to the students and the school community. You are duty-bound to take your
"in loco parentis" role seriously. Explain why certain rules are in place and follow all
institutional risk management procedures.
 Whether you’re teaching a gym class or in the chemistry lab, clearly lay out the
safety rules and hold everyone to them at all times. Don’t waver in a misguided
attempt to appear more likeable or “cool.”

3.Make excellence your goal. Constantly provide benchmarks for improvement for
your students. Give praise when it is due, and compassionate yet constructive
feedback when it’s needed. Encourage and support those who are in need of help,
and find creative ways to assist them to improve their grades.
 Create an environment in which everyone (including you) is expected to do their
best, is praised when they do so, and is supported when they fall short of excellence.

4.Take pride in the process and products of your teaching. Make sure your lessons,
notes, and handouts are professionally presented—that is, neat, clear, easy-to-follow,
and without simple errors or typos. Take a moment to consider how you’d grade your
own efforts—if they’d be anything other than passing with flying colors, increase your
effort.
 A professional teacher should never feel like they ought to re-do a piece of work
because its presentation is shoddy.
 5.Take responsibility for your student's results. In the end, it’s up to your students to
put in the work and effort to get their best grades. As a professional teacher, though,
you should accept that the grades your students achieve are, at least in part, a
reflection on you. Accept that there is room for improvement on both sides—the
students’ and yours.
 Don’t just throw up your hands and say that a student’s poor grades are
because they’re lazy or don’t care about the material. Take it as a personal challenge
to find ways to engage them in the subject.

6.Simplify your lessons to focus on the key components. Good teachers make it easy
to understand complicated things. Use examples, models, pictures, hands-on
activities, real-life connections, and so on. Find ways for your students to relate to
the material.
 However, “simple” doesn’t mean “too easy” or “created without care.” Whittling
down complex topics into simpler lessons is a challenge that takes time and effort to
master.
 Pick the brains of fellow teachers who you respect for their ability to bring
focus and simplicity to their teaching.

7.Keep your students’ attention through enthusiasm and self-awareness. You

shouldn’t expect your students to be excited about learning something if you don’t
seem excited to be teaching it. Let your passion shine through in the classroom, and
some of it will rub off on your students.
 With this enthusiasm, explain to your students why the knowledge you convey is
important, and how they can apply what they learn in their daily lives. Then they are
more likely to remember what you teach.
  Connecting with students ,parents and Colleagues

1.Inspire others’ trust right from the start. Create a good first impression from day
one of the academic year. Be prepared, enthusiastic, and serious about success.
 Be someone who students, parents, colleagues, and administrators can believe
in.
 If you’ve made a poor impression on someone for some reason, work hard to
change it.

2.Treat your students with respect. Never publicly humiliate or belittle your students.
Do not discuss their results or grades in front of others. Don't personalize issues with
students.
 Never yell at your students or shame them in front of their peers. Instead,
encourage them to take part in setting your classroom norms, which include respect
for all.
 Leave their family, background, religion, behavior, and personal circumstances
out of public disciplinary processes and discussions.

3.Model respectful behavior for your students. Your students can learn a lot about
what you expect from them by watching you. Always show a respectful attitude
toward students, fellow staff members, your school, your subject, and yourself. They
will pick up on your respectful attitude, making it easy to gain their respect.
 Use a calm, respectful tone when addressing students and staff.
 If you teach multiple classes, don't complain about one class to another. Your
students talk to each other, so students in the other class will find out.

4.Take an interest in every child. The better you get to know your students, the more
influence you will have on their attitude towards learning, and on their lives in
general. Don’t play favorites or deem anyone beyond helping—your job as a
professional is to teach everyone in the class.
o Make sure you don’t forget about the students in the middle—that is, the
ones who don’t wow you with their successes or frustrate you with their lack of
interest.
o Remember that your job is to connect with each student as a mentor,
though. You don’t need to, and shouldn’t try to, become their friend.
 5.Maintain confidentiality. A professional teacher will use students' personal
information to help them achieve their potential. Confidential information will not be
disclosed as gossip, or used as a weapon against a student. Likewise, non-classroom
information, like the content of staff meetings, should be treated in the strictest of
confidence.
 You could end up in legal trouble or lose your teaching license for disclosing
confidential information.
 However, also make sure you know when you are mandated by law to disclose
confidential information. For instance, if you are told or suspect that a child is being
abused, you may be legally required to report this to the authorities.

6.Consult parents and welcome their involvement. Include parents in the educational
process and encourage their support of the school's disciplinary processes and
procedures. Be polite and calm when dealing with parents. Remind them that every
discussion about the child needs to be undertaken with the child's best interests at
heart.
 You can’t force parents to get involved in their child’s education, but you can be
as welcoming as possible. At the same time, be patient with parents who are perhaps
too involved, and try to nudge them in the right direction.

7.Support your colleagues and school management. Show that you’re a “team player”
by prioritizing the needs of the institution as a whole. Remember that you are one
person in a group of professionals who should, ideally, share a common goal and
vision.
 There will inevitably be differences of opinion, of course, and relations between
teachers and administrators can get particularly frosty during contract negotiations.
 However, don’t lose sight of the fact that your focus should be on the well-being
of the school and its students.