The Teaching Profession

2.1 What are the essential characteristics of professionalism?

• A specialized body of knowledge
• For teachers, this includes knowledge of content, pedagogical content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, and knowledge of learners and learning.
• Pedagogy: I The function or work of a teacher; teaching. II The art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.
• Teachers are also required to receive extended training for licensure by individual state standards and laws. It must be periodically renewed to confirm continuing education and current knowledge.
• Autonomy
• Teachers have autonomy over the specific content they teach, how they teach it, and how they will assess their student's learning.
• Complete autonomy is impeded by state and district standards, prescribed curricula, and mandatory standardized testing.
• Emphasis on decision making and reflection
• Teachers work in dynamic environments and must make on-the-spot decisions constantly throughout the day. This type of environment makes it essentially impossible to function without professional knowledge and continuous reflection. Teachers receive little formal feedback, so self-assessment is a necessity in order to continue to develop as a professional.
• Ethical standards and codes of conduct
• Teachers are held to high standards of ethical conduct. The largest professional organization in education is the National Education Association (NEA) which addresses the issues of teachers' ethics and interactions. Ethics are an important part of professional decision making.