Thursday, February 18, 2010
Week 4 - Professionalism in teaching
Now that you have read chapter 2 about the professionalization of teaching and we discussed a few of the issues in class, I would like for you to reflect upon your 13+ years of schooling and the examples your teachers have set for you. You need to think of a time, experience, or memory of a teacher doing or saying something that exemplified that he/she was truly a well-respected professional. OR you can write about a time, experience, or memory of a teacher doing or saying something that was not professional. Do not use names when you are talking about this teacher. It can be a simple issue like "One of my high school teachers always wore shorts to school." Or it can be a complex issue such as "One of the high school teachers used to go to student parties on the weekend and drink alcohol in front of the students." After you state the issue, type a few sentences about why you thought it was professional or unprofessional and how it affected your learning. Please be sensitive to the fact that this topic is very subjective. Something you might think is unprofessional another person might think is not a big deal. Let's be aware of people's differing opinions. We need to make sure we keep this post PROFESSIONAL:-)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My idea of professionalism is being on time for class, dressing appropriately, speaking clearly and correctly, follows school rules, and listening and responding to students with feedback. There was a teacher in my high school who was all of this. He wanted everyone to take something from his classes. He was a media teacher and a dean for upperclassmen. He was not afraid to tell students they were disobeying the rules of the school such as: shirt untucked, cell phones out, chewing gum, and being loud in the hall way, etc. His intentions were not to get students in trouble, but to make them learn from there mistakes.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn,
ReplyDeleteYour school seems to have some pretty strcit rules. In my high school the only thing out of those you would get in trouble for would be cell phones but teachers weren't very strict about that. I do agree with many of our ideas about being professional though.
I had a very unprofessional teacher one year. At my high school there was an optinal hour to start that day called zero hour. On more than one occassion my teacher did not show up to class leaving us sitting in the hallwall.Also there was a morning announcement at a different time each morning. This teacher told us as long as we were there before this announcement we werent late. As good as this might have been for us it actaully meant on certain days we could totally skip class and get counted for being there.It was clear that he did not want to be there and quit the year after I had him as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteStacy,
ReplyDeleteYeah I didn't go to a real strict school it was just private and had to wear a uniform and all. He was the worst person to get in trouble with. Most teachers did not care but if you saw him coming your way, you would go in the other direction.
That teacher you had must have not cared at all. Teachers who cannot be on time to class must be really lazy. If a teacher blames it on traffic, he or she should have left earlier. There should be no reason for a teacher not to show up unless they are ill, then get a sub!!!!
I had a teacher in high school who was very professional. His students had a great amount of respect for him. Until, one day, he came to school after Halloween, and shared with us what himself and his wife dressed up as......without saying too much, they were very inappropriate! Although it was in his personal time, outside of school, because he shared with his students, he was immediately terminated.
ReplyDeleteStacy,
ReplyDeleteI had a couple teachers like yours in high school. Although we didn't have zero hour, sometimes students would ask to come to school a little early to get extra help, or speak with a teacher. When we got their, that teacher wouldn't be their, therefore we didn't get the extra help that we needed.
We had a new 24 year old male teacher my senior year of highschool who ended up being very unprofessional! He taught a few classes and was the assisstant coach of the girls volleyball team. Rumors started going around school that him and one of his students were having a relationship, and after an investigation it was determined they were. He was fired, his teaching certificate was taken away, and she finished out her last year of highschool in embarassment. I felt this act was extremely unprofessional. I lost 100% complete respect for him, being one of his students and member of the volleyball team. I also felt uncomfortable any time I was around him after I started hearing the rumors.
ReplyDeleteCourtney,
ReplyDeleteFrom sharing your story, the thing to remember most is when we teach we must be very careful of our actions and the personal information that we divulge to our students. Typically, students have a professional image of their teachers and it is important to maintain this image in order to keep their respect.
I remember back to my teacher in 2nd grade. I always wore a ponytail and I had long hair. When I left class everyday he would mess with my ponytail. Now I was young and didn't know any better, but found out in my first year of high school that this teacher was fired for having inappropriate relationships with his female students. A teacher should respect your boundaries and should never put their hands on you in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteCourtney,
ReplyDeleteI just think your teacher overshared and he should have thought about what he was saying. Teachers want to show some aspects of their personal life so the sudents feel connected and like their teacher is human and easy to talk to. I agree that your teacher should never have shared that story with his students. I remember my 4th grade teacher, who invited all her students to her house for some fried ice cream. Is that unprofessional or is that just trying to get to know your students?
I had a teacher my freshman year of high school. He was your definition of unprofessional by far. He was the gym teacher, so it is understandable that gym teachers do not need to be in tuxedos, but he looked like he just rolled out of bed. (Keep in mind he taught at an all girl private school). We would walk up to his office, because he would not show for class half of the time and would find him sitting on the couch "talking" to a student. He would creepily flirt with the girls in gym class and was very inappropriate. He also thought that it would be funny to have his friend come to school, while he was teaching, and arrest him? He did not inform the principal or any other staff members. He definately did not take his occupation very seriously at all. Thankfully, he was "let go" after my freshman year. He was shockingly unprofessional.
ReplyDeleteRebecca,
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a fine line between students and teachers. It is definately necessary for the teachers to at least share some personal aspects with the class, for example stories about their children, their dog's name, what their husband does, whatever...but inviting the class to their home?? I do not think that is very professional. If she had wanted to get to know the class she could have organized a social at the school, not in her kitchen.
I had two teachers in highschool who would definately be considered unprofessional. My scince teacher freshman year ended up getting fired because of inappropriate behavior. Rumors started going around that drugs were involved as well as "escorts". His reputation was ruined. Also one of the gym teachers at my high school was taken off of his coaching position because there were complaints that he made suggestive comments to a girl. He is still the gym teacher there because nothing was ever done by the family but they did ask that he stop coaching the basketball team, but now everyone has heard all about him.
ReplyDeleteJulia,
ReplyDeleteI had a gym teacher just like that in highschool, although he wasn't fired for it. I can't believe that he had his friend come and arrest him during class, did he think the school would find it funny? When teachers do things like that stories always get around and they end up with a bad reputation, if not fired.
I have had two really unprofessional teachers in my past. In middle school, my science teacher had a relationship with an 8th grader. Our class went on a trip each summer to Costa Rica and I found out that my teacher and the 8th grader would go on walks together alone at night. I just recently found out that they are now engaged and he never got in trouble for any of it. I also had a teacher in high school who slept with one of his students and got her pregnant. Luckily he got fired and his reputation is ruined. Some people should just not be teachers.
ReplyDeleteJulia,
ReplyDeleteThe story about your gym teacher is terrible. Why would anyone want to act like they are being arrested? That is so crazy. I feel like he treats life like it is one big joke. I'm glad that he was "let go" because there should definitely not be any people like that in schools. If he thinks learning is a joke, then so will his students.
I know of a teacher who had more of a friend relationship with his students. He would talk about parties and things of thats sort during class with students. He also would call and text students during school and on weekend. Some of his conversations were very inapporiate. He was also would try to get the student to hang out with him. Rumors began and some of the other teachers were hearing stories about him. He was asked not to come back the following semester.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn,
ReplyDeleteI also had a teacher similiar to that in high school. He never was wearing apporiate clothing. He would wear gym shorts to class and he wasnt the gym teacher. He also was never prepared for class and was very unorganized.
I had a teacher my freshman year of high school that was very unprofesional. She was young, and would constantly tell our class about how she would go out drinking on the weekends, and things of that nature. As a result, no one respected her and she had a lot of problems keeping control of her classes. She left the school after my freshman year, but I'm not sure if it was her decision or pressure from the school.
ReplyDeleteErin,
ReplyDeleteYour teacher seems very similar to the teacher I had! Having conversations with students about partying on the weekends is compeltely unprofessional. It's no wonder your teacher and mine did not come back the following year. Some teachers need to take a class on professionalism!
My freshmen biology teacher was a very unprofessional teacher. There were several incidents that he had with students. If you were caught reading a paperback book in his class, he would either tear it in half in front of you or throw it out the window. He also kicked a kids desk and broke the top of it in half while the kid was in the chair. These are very unprofessional behaviors in my opinion. He endangered the student and destroyed some of the students personal property. On top of all of this he was a very ineffective teacher.
ReplyDeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteThere was a teacher similar to that at my school as well. He would talk about partying all the time and things he would do with his girlfriend during class. It amazes me that some teachers still do this despite the risk of losing their job.
My senior year of high school I had a economical and social studies teacher who was very professional. He is actually one of the most effective teacher I ever had. He respected us and we knew we could ask him for help anytime we needed to. He was teaching us one of the major and most complicate subject of the year. He always found the best way to teach us the most complicate economical problems and we all loved him as a teacher. BUT at the same time we all knew that this awesome teacher had alcoholic issues...and sometimes, maybe once every 2months or so, he used to come to class being totaly drunk...On those day, we knew we were not going to learn anything about economie, but everything about his private life...his very very private life...or he could also try to teach us a lesson we studied few weeks earlier. He could not stand up in front of the classroom, he even used to fall down sometimes, he was acting very funny, and it was hard for us to not laught about it, even though it was very sad. Everyone at the school knew about it, everyone knew he was carring 2 wine bottles in his bag pack every day, everyone knew he was going to the store next door to the school to buy alcohol at lunch time, but not anyone ever said anything to him, because at the same time he was just the best teacher of the school.
ReplyDeleteWOW Nick!!! What a crazy story, I have never heard of a teacher doing something like that! How can you be a teacher if you act like that?!! Aren't you suppose to be kind of a model for your student?!!
ReplyDeleteI had a unproffesional teacher one time.I guess he kinda had a relationship with a senior girl in my high school. The details are not subjected so I dont know very much about the event. I do know his marriage was ruined and he lost his job. However the man was young and pretty cool. I have a hard time saying to much bad about the guy.He is an awesome person and he made a mistake. He had a good influence on my life. I think the worst thing he did was not set boundaries with his students and that is something all future teachers should be aware of.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn,
ReplyDeleteI would like to know about the popularity of this teacher? What did the students think of him? If i had to guess if he was enforcing every rule that he was probably not well liked. I want to run a classroom where kids aren't afraid to speak outloud. I think that teachers who have this hard outershell prevent alot of kids form learning things they might be interested in. As for the people that mentioned ruining people reputations or whatever you want to call it. I think that it should be mentioned if a students creates a false story or rumor, that can damage your whole career it might sound crazy but i'm not sure we should be rooting for the loss of integrity after all if you want them to lose their integrity. You probably didn't think that highly of them in the first place.
I know of a teacher who was not a very effective teacher. He was always unorganized and would come in on mondays telling his students about his weekend of partying and drinking. He had a part time job as a bar tender. Rumors spread that he was invited girls to come drink under age at the bar.
ReplyDeletederald
ReplyDeletei like how you spoke of the teacher you are talking about. just because he made a mistake does ntomean he should be labled as a bad person. every body makes mistakes.
There was a teacher my senior year of high school who was very unprofessional. He had been suspected of having a relationship with one of his students. A parent had seen something suspicious on Facebook and wanted to bring it to the school's attention. The following day he did not show up for work. He did not contact the school to let them know that he would not be coming in that day. The principal did not know that the students did not have a teacher for about 15 minutes. The students went to a teacher nearby and told the teacher that he did not show up. The principal then had to send down a teacher who did not have a class at the time and the principal had to call in a sub for the rest of the day. The teacher finally called the school about a month later saying that he would like to quit.
ReplyDeleteThis incident was a major shock to our school because he was a recently new teacher who the school thought was going to be around for awhile. The principal thought he was bringing a new things and ideas to the subject he taught and the students really loved him.
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI have a similar story but it is about a sub I had for my government class. She was right out of college and wasn't really sure of how to treat seniors in high school. She had been to a concert the night before and decided to share her pictures with the class ans talk about how much fun she had the night before. She was talking about inappropriate topics with the males in the classes. Then the following day we found that she had been asked not to return.
One of the best teacher I ever had was my senior year of high school. He was great with us. He wasn't too strick about some things such as being a few minutes late to class or if we would cut homeroom to go out to lunch. But he was always kind to his students. But he did have limits. After so many tardies he would mark us down as being late, and if he knew we were at school but, didn't go to homeroom he would mark us absent. It may not seem that he was professional but, he was. He had the respect for everyone. He didn't like you to turn in your work late. He always had deadlines; which had to be meet. That was one thing he never gave in on. He was always willing to help a student out if they needed help in any matter. It's sad that same year he got cancer and he died the next. He was a great teacher and it's really sad that new students to that school won't get to experience him in his class.
ReplyDeleteElise, That's sad that he had that big of a problem. People forget that teacher are human too. Even the best of teacher can have a personal issue and they still can be the best teacher of the school. As long as you have the respect of your students and other staff members you can teach your students the best way to teach them.
ReplyDeleteAt my high school there was a teacher who would ask his students why they had to use the restroom, if they were going in there to use their phone, and he would ask the girls to put down the week of their menstrual cycle. He said his reasoning behind that was make sure no one was going to the restroom to get out of class. This to me is very unprofessional, he invaded the privacy of the students and asked for information that he should not know. Even with complaints from other staff memembers, parents,and students he still remains in the class room.
ReplyDeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing that as a teacher some try to be at the same level as the students talking about their parties and weekends. I have had teachers in my years that would tell us of the crazy things they did in high school, but only told so much to keep respect and control of their class. Even though we would hear the stories; deadlines, rules, being on time, and paying attention in class were inforced. This teacher knew the boundary lines and kept them,this teacher is one that actually got me involved in history class and had me loving it junior year of high school.
One of my High School band directors, was very short fused. Why he was working with high school students, I have no clue. He would often lose his temper in class and throw fits, as wells as object. I saw him knock a girls music off her stand so that she would have to get down on her hands and knees and pick it up. I saw him throw a music stand toward a student in the back of the room. And I saw him throw dry erasers at students.
ReplyDeleteHe was extremely unprofessional, and was eventually removed from his position after he threw his conducting baton at a student, which cut her eye and had to have stitches.
Ironically, he now works with jr high students in the same school district. From what I hear, he still loses his temper often. I can't figure out how in the world he keeps his job.
He is extremely unprofessional and I personally found him to be uninspiring and demoralizing. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was my instructor my last year of high school, I would have quit band just to get away from him.
In response to Emily Goevert's post about a young male teacher....
ReplyDeleteI had a male band director in jr. high. He lived just a couple of blocks from my home. I often walked to and from school with him and spent extra time in his office doing errands and filing.
It was suspected at one point that he was having a relationship with a student, and many automatically thought it was me. I ended up in the principal's office for questions. Thank goodness it was not me.
But the suspicions were true and he had, infact, been having relations with another girl in the 8th grade band who was newly adopted and new to America.
It broke my heart that the rumor was true. And it shattered my trust for this great teacher! He successfully started 1000's of band students, but ultimately lost his job because he was definitely having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
It is sad really, for him, for the girl involved, for all the students who lost their faith in him, and for the parents who felt betrayed and scared for their children.
Hello, one of my high school teachers was very unprofessional in my mind. In one instance he took a girls cell phone during class, then continued to read the girls text messages to her boyfriend to the class. I embarrassed for that girl. The text were all about how much she loved him an stuff that shouldn’t be discussed in the classroom let alone by the teacher.
ReplyDeleteI think being professional starts with you dressing professionally, acting professionally, and talking correctly. There was a schhol I attended before Lindenwood where the students that were in the Education major did not dress appropriately. Our education teacher asked them how would they feel if their teacher came to school dress the way they did, it was something to think about. Do you think dressing and talking the way they talked was appropriate for the class room. It starts now they need to fix them types of details now before the enter the class room.
ReplyDeletehi casey.. that was very unprofessional. how do the teacher except better from the students when they are acting just like the students.
ReplyDeleteOne of my teachers in gradeschool was always well prepared and taught the lesson very clearly. But, her respect to us as students was horrible! We were in gradeschool so of course we made alot more decisions without thinking them fully through. i remember her poitning them out to the whole class embarrassing that person. I would get so nervous to go to her class and did not enjoy learning at all. She made the classroom environment very harsh.
ReplyDeleteIn middle school a the volleyball coach/ substitute teacher used to make comments to the middle school girls that they had a JLo butt and to the volleyball players he would tell them that their place was on their knees. To sum his career up, he didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteCasey Lewis, i agree that is very unprofessional. That was something like what i said about my comment; a teacher embarrassing their students. Because she embarrassed me once, i think it was over a word that i couldnt say correctly and that experience still sticks with me today. It is a horrible feeling
ReplyDeleteNina,
ReplyDeleteI can relate to having a teacher very similar to that. It makes for a poor learning environment. Causing students to not answer questions or not ask question for fear of embarrassment. No matter how prepared the teachers lessons the teacher acted in a very unprofessional way.
When i was a freshman One of my teachers was very unprofessional and used to go out parting and he would get in trouble with the cops all
ReplyDeleteof the time. He had a bunch of dwi and lost his job. I learned that
drinking and partying is not the way to go. You will present a bad
example to your kids and ultimately lose your job.
Casey
ReplyDeleteCasey that is crazy!!!! I would be so livid if my teacher did that to
me or one of my friends. I couldn't imagine what that girl was going
through :(. I wonder if he is still teaching
When I was a junior, I had a teacher that was extremely disrespectful to a student. A student asked for help and the teacher wouldn't give any help. The teacher embarrassed him in front of the whole class. The teacher was telling the class that the material that we were learning was simple enough to grasp and their shouldn't be any problems. I definitely though this was unprofessional and he lost a lot of respect from the students in his class.
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteThat is crazy that your teacher was getting in trouble with the cops. I can't believe a teacher would even think about drinking and driving. Teachers should have a positive influence on their students.
I remember in second grade there was a little girl in my class who was always talking and she had a very loud and present voice. Well one day when our teacher was talking the little girl was also talking and our teacher yelled "shut up" to the little girl. I feel that waht my teacher did was unprofessional because we were only in second grade and to use such language to a student was unheard of. The fact that she also yelled was very innapropriate.
ReplyDeleteTiffany Morre
ReplyDeleteI feel that what that volleyball coach/substitue was saying to his female students was very wrong and unprofessional. You should never comment on a girls body no matter how old she is but especially in middle schol hich is a rough time in a girls life. Little girls are insecure about the way their body looks and to give them a comment like that could take them over the edge! His other comment about his players and how their place was on their knees was inapropriate as well. If those are his personal views then he should keep them to himself.
I had a male teacher for my senior year who was a good person. He was funny, great listener, liked to help out whenever he could. However, he wasnt a good teacher. There would be many time where we wouldnt have the class because he would just sit down and talk about his weekend, or what he was planning on doing for next weekend. I believe this was not professional at all because it is not correct for him to tell us everyday of his private, daily life.
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteIn my school we also had someone like your teacher. He would always come up with comments that were not appropriate. He is still in my school though. Apparently he has been there for so long that they just dont want to do anything about him.
I had a teacher in high school who was, for lack of better words, a jerk. He was a health teacher and maybe taught a few other subjects. Also, he was my track coach. One thing that made him such a jerk was that he was clearly racist. A good portion of my school back in Kansas was Hispanic and he showed some definite characteristics that were unacceptable in his line of work. I participated in three sports a year all the way up until my senior year in HS when me and him had a disagreement. I found out a year later that he was fired for saying racist things in his class! I'm so glad he cant teach students anymore!
ReplyDeleteHey Ana,
ReplyDeleteI have had teachers just like that. They're everyone's friend and everybody enjoys going to their class but nobody learns anything. You feel like you could be doing better things with your time than going to class because you could. You could be reading or learning instead of listening to what so and so did over his or her weekend. I personally believe if you're ganna make me go to class, please make me learn. Don't waste my time!
In my high school, there was a teacher who had relations with a student that definitely went over the teacher/student line.
ReplyDeleteThis is very unproffessional, for obvious reasons. Luckily, this was caught and the teacher was fired. He was very young and I think temptation got the best of him. It's just sad to hear about things like this because it gives the younger generation a negative stereotype that we don't deserve.
I agree with what you have to say Matt! There are teachers that get jobs right out of college which is great but with almost no feild expeirience and age range between studnts and teachers being so close temptation is definitly a factor and some times over welms the teacher. How ever i had a teacher in middle school who, whenever he held detention would clip is toenails on his desk and let them just go whereever they pleased hitting the students. It was distgusting!
ReplyDelete