What are the most significant professional responsibilities for teachers?

Competency 6 explains some of the many responsibilities held by teachers, and some of the ways to best achieve and maintain these responsibilities. This competency also includes InTASC standards 9 & 10 as shown below in the InTASC teaching standards book.

intasc_model_core_teaching_standards_2011(2)(1)

Responsibilities that are held by teachers include forming positive student-teacher relationships and colleague relationships, and continuously evaluating and improving their skills and tools needed in the classroom. We will take a look at examples of all these expectations and responsibilities of teachers.

First, forming positive student-teacher relationships is beneficial for both the teacher and student. It will foster growth in academic areas and beyond for students. In an article titled “Improving Students’ Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning” by Sara Rimm-Kaufman and Lia Sandilos, we learn that “positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and promote their desire to learn.” The article goes on to say that it’s important to attentively listen to students and make connections so they can have a relationship in the classroom that fosters growth in multiple areas. In this video example, you can see a teacher that goes above and beyond to make connections with his students and promote deeper learning.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teacher-student-relationship#

Next, it’s just as important to form strong relationships with colleagues as it is with students. There are many ideas on different ways to collaborate well with colleagues, but one of the most effective ways comes from a professor at Southern Arkansas University:

I have found that a professional learning community (PLC) works best for moving toward a culture of collaboration. The first step in creating an effective learning community is to develop a shared vision, mission, and goal. If all teachers buy in, the collaboration will be meaningful, providing more effective learning experiences for students without any need to include performance incentives. Many resources exist to assist in developing such communities—including websites, books, blogs, and videos that provide sample materials and information. In addition, there are conferences dedicated to establishing an effective school PLC, such as the Arkansas ASCD Annual Conference that will be held in June 2011. Developing a learning community is an ongoing process, but every step in that process is a step toward meaningful teacher collaboration.

—Misty M. LaCour, Assistant Professor of Education
Southern Arkansas University
Magnolia, Arkansas

Another method to form beneficial relationships among colleagues is a give-and-take feedback system. Video recordings and critical analysis done in groups of those lessons can help teachers to become more aware of their own teaching styles and what they find to be most effective in the classroom.

Lastly, it is a teachers responsibility to constantly hone his/her skills and teaching methods to be the most effective teacher. To do this, one of the most important aspects to keep up on and constantly refresh is the educational jargon used amongst educators. A helpful website that provides links to dozens of educational terms is:

https://wwndtd.wordpress.com/education-jargon/

As shown below, there are many terms that change titles frequently, and it is important to always stay up to date with the latest verbiage being used with colleagues and within the school system. For example, the term ELL (English Language Learners) is now preferred over the term ESL (English as a Second Language), and it is the responsibility of a teacher to understand an issue such as this that will affect many of their students.

These three crucial responsibilities held by teachers will be a priority in my educational career. Besides reading up on the latest educational terms that are being used, I have specific plans to be effective in forming relationships with my own students and colleagues in order to be the most effective teacher I can be.

4 steps that I can take to achieve relationships with my students:

• Get to know my students
  • Figuring out what a student is interested in/what their background is can help me to connect with them on a deeper level
• Give meaningful feedback
  • Pay attention to all students in the classroom, give them feedback that shows that I care about what they’re learning about and how well they are understanding the material
  • Show attentive body language as seen in this video- https://youtu.be/hu7RUuJHhIg
• Create a positive classroom climate
  • Create a sense of community within the classroom
  • Set high expectations but build in enough time to help them reach those expectations
• Be respectful and sensitive to adolescents
  • Avoid showing irritability to ages that are prone to more difficult behavior, and acknowledge the importance of peers at this age

4 steps that I can take to achieve relationships with my colleagues:

• Collaborate on lesson plans
  • Work together to create lesson plans so I can get to know my colleagues and create the best lesson plan possible
• Give and get feedback
  • Sit in on other classes and give meaningful feedback and have others do the same for me so I know what’s working in my class and what isn’t
• Create a personal learning community (PLC)
  • This will connect me to more than just one other educator, and we will all share a common goal
• Share what works
  • Draw on others’ experiences and provide insight when I find success