Chapter 15 Notes

Profession defined: is more than a group of individuals all engaged in the same line of work. Professions have a more or less recognizable set of characteristics that distinguish them from nonprofessionals. Characteristics are as follows:

1. A profession renders a unique, definite and essential service to society.
2. A profession relies on intellectual skills in the performance of its service.
3. A profession entails a long period of specialized training.
4. Both individual members of the profession and the professional group enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy and decision making authority.
5. A profession requires its members to accept personal responsibility for their actions and decisions and in general for their performance.
6. A profession emphasizes the services rendered by its practitioners more than their financial rewards.
7. A profession is self governing and responsible for policing its own ranks.
8. A profession has a code of ethics that sets out the acceptable standards of conduct for its members.
These characteristics are the major requirements of a profession.

Limited training: The teaching profession requires a short period of specialized training and entrance into the occupation is not especially competitive.

Responsibility for their profession: As professionals, teachers do very little policing of their own ranks. 1. The professional organizations are like other self serving organizations composed of teams or autoworks whose primary energy of teacher associations and unions are devoted to their own survival and growth. 2. They attempt to protect their members, increase their salaries and expand their benefits

Job security and salary: teachers are hired rather than operating as independent agents. They are on a fixed salary schedule and are protected by tenure laws rather than independently having to find a market for their services.

The case for teaching as a profession: Teaching as a profession is witnessed and proven by the nobility of the teachers work. Society has entrusted teachers with its most important responsibility: the education of its children. Services to others is the very heart of what is means to be a professional

The teachers unique skill: Teachers are specialists who pass on to the young the key skills they need to participate effectively in the culture. They aid the young in acquiring the most difficult, if not the most important skills, those that involve thinking and manipulating ideas. Teachers also provide an intellectual service to the community

One level teacher: They tend to be preoccupied with classroom discipline and keeping students busy. They are robotic in narrowly following preset patterns. Namely patterns set out by the curriculum guides and textbooks

Level two teachers: mentally reflect on what they are doing in a classroom but their reflection lies within a narrow range. They have an awareness of the uniqueness of their classroom and their students and go beyond curriculum guides.

Level three teachers: focus on their individual students and they take a wide view of knowledge. They attend to their curricular guides and the prescribed materials but those materials serves as a launching pads rather than being the sole targets of their instruction.

Professional development: Is a large term encompassing the efforts both by a school and by individual teachers to improve their skills and competences

Professional development opportunities: Most schools and districts sponsor professional developments:
In service programs: courses, workshops and short retreats often focus on some particular problem or issue such as communication with parents.
Supervision: A new teacher department head may observe the class regularly and discuss the observations with them. An elementary school teacher, the building principal or lead teacher may make regular visits and follow with a feedback session.
Mentoring: More experienced teachers are assigned to assist beginners

Characteristics of Effective Professional Development: Effective professional development does the following for teachers. Reform expert Michael Fullan suggests that teachers seeking to improve themselves are characterized by four attitudes: 1.They accept that it is possible to improve. 2. They are ready to be self critical 3. They recognize better practice than their own. 4. Most importantly they are willing to learn what they have to learn to do what needs to be done.

Chapter 15 Reflection

Teaching is a profession. Teachers are a part of an occupational group with similar goal, responsibilities and concerns. Although it requires a shorter period of training and not especially competitive, it has an intellectual and philosophical foundation.
Teachers are not independent agents who need to find certain markets for their services. They are hired with a fixed salary and are protected by tenure laws. Teaching as a profession is proven by the nature of their work. Society places their trust and confidence on teachers to educate their children. Society expects teachers to fill their children with the knowledge they need in order to succeed in the future. Teachers in turn, go above and beyond to pass on that knowledge to their students to help become successful in education, and at times they purchase necessary supplies when the school’s budget is limited.
The chapter explains that new teachers must be “learning professionals”. Professionals committed to growth as a person and as a professional. Being a part of the community of teachers and learning together as such is extremely important. The key is to give knowledge and to take knowledge. This will enable new teachers as well as veteran teachers to “survive” professionally.

Chapter 14 Notes

Chapter 14 describes some of the surprises that a new teacher may encounter:
School Milieu: the new teacher’s very familiarity with life in schools is a problem in that it lulls many into a false sense of understanding what is happening around them leading up to a sense of false security. they also have to learn their way around a new building and find out how to obtain supplies they need.

Administrator: Mixed bag and many hats: New teachers relationships with their principals are far less on-dimensional. New teachers need to view their principal a their colleague. A fellow educator who shares the same task as a new teacher, to bring civilization to students. Principals are official leaders, policymakers, crisis managers, facilitators, judges and social lambs. Supportive administrators help teachers to become reflective and solve their own problems

Mixed blessings: A new teacher’s professional peers can be even more influential in learning how to teach and how to survive in a classroom. Teachers usually work independently in their own classroom with their own students. They can help with giving ideas and tips and can help the new teacher with learning the customs of the school. They can also have a negative influence by undermining a new teacher’s idealism, lowering his or her standards and offering no help at all.

So much to learn: A teachers only problem is his or her student’s failure to learn and to develop. the degree of the child's success as learners is the best way to measure a teacher’s success or failure.

Students: Friends or Friends? and Important aspect of the relationship is based on how well the students are achieving the goal of learning. Some college student think that as teachers they should have warm relations with their students. Yet, they forget how cruel kids can be to kids. The teacher is there to teach and the students are there to learn.

Parents: Natural allies with different agendas: The parent and the teacher are natural partners. Both are working to help the child become a more fully developed person. Reasons for parent teacher problems: varied perceptions, judgments on students, differences of social class and experience, overburdened parents, the pain of change, and privilege and responsibility.

Surviving the first year of teaching: Prepare for the predictable events and problems. New teachers should study their strengths and weaknesses. Keeping a teaching journal will help new teachers to record ideas, and strategies. A journal serves two functions: a constant reminder that they are preparing to actually be in charge of their classroom. Second, a journal can be lifesaver when they struggle during the first year

Find a mentor: A first year teacher can have no greater gift than a good mentor. It can be an experienced teacher who is willing to act as a guide and confidant the first year. Some school districts have developed special arrangements to help beginning teachers with special induction programs, support mentor programs or both.

Chapter 14 also encourages a new teacher to take care of their health. Due to the stess of a new job a new teacher is prone to mild ailments.

Chapter 14 Reflection

Chapter 14 begins by saying that as a new teacher “surprise is a big part of the first year.” Not only do they have to know their way around the new school but they need to learn how to accept the judgments of their principals and view them as a source of support. Also, new teachers encounter “mixed blessings” with thier peers. Some teachers can be an everyday source of ideas and tips but they can also have a negative influence in undermining a new teacher’s idealism, lowering his or her standards and offering no help at all to the new teacher.
A new teacher’s biggest problem is the effectiveness of whether or not their students are learning. The success or failure of a new teacher is measured on the the success of his or her students. Parent-teacher problems can be another issue for new teachers. In the evaluation of the students progress some parents may not agree with the teacher’s evaluation. Issues with social distances and overburdened parents is another factor. But it is the parents who often give the new teachers the sense of privilege and responsibility in being a teacher.
The chapter advices new teachers to take care of themselves. A new teaching job can be physically, emotionally and mentally draining. The stress and strain of a new job can set them up for minor ailments but it can also cause mild depression. Mild depression can lead up to new teachers not living up to their own expectations or not having established realistic standards and not knowing if they are succeeding or failing at their new position as a teacher.
The chapter advise giving special attention to your health. To deal with stress by trying to solve key problems that are a concern and to look for ways to relieve stress indirectly.

Chapter 13 Notes

Enrollment in teacher education programs: there are 200,000 teachers prepared each year. Only 60 percent actually enter the classroom. About 30-40 percent leave within the first five years
Geographical location: Teachers tend to be more “place bound” than any other professional due to families.
Subject matter and grade levels taught: teachers are prepared for different specialities. Schools are also seeking male and minority teachers. Because most teachers are females, schools want to increase the number of males especially in the elementary level.
The job prospects for future teachers is promising. Because student enrollment is slowly increasing. which more jobs for teachers.

The severe shortage of minority teachers: The minority school age students is increasing rapidly while the number of minority teachers is decreasing. These students represent 43 percent of of all students enrolled in public schools. The shortage of minority teachers is problematic for several reasons. First: minority children deserve to have positive minority role models who can help guide them in a world still plagued with racism. Second: white children need to have minority teachers as role models to help them overcome the effects of stereotyping and racism. Third: it is important for the United States well being to have a teaching staff that reflects the diversity of racial and ethnic backgrounds in its population. Fourth: Minority teachers are needed to serve as cultural brokers who can help students navigate their school environment and culture. Jaime Escalante was used a an example.

Employers beside the public schools: U.S. Government: Department of Defense, salaries are comparable to those of the United States. Preference is given to applicants who have at least one year of successful full-time employment as a professional educator.
private Schools: These teachers usually chose to teach in private school due to their religious motives. Private school teachers a paid less than those of public schools. For many teachers the lower salaries tend to be offset by favorable working conditions, for example, fewer classroom control problems, stricter discipline and less students on drugs and parents who are more supportive.

What are teachers paid: For most teacher, satisfaction comes from being a service to others rather than the monetary side of teaching. The salary of a classroom teacher estimated $50,816 which has increased since 1990’s. Most public school salary schedules are usually determined by two factors. First: by the years of teaching and second by the amount of education, usually expressed in terms of college credit hours or advanced degree. Each school district determines what it will pay it’s teachers. Generally, large and middle sized school districts pay better than small ones and urban suburban districts pay better than rural ones.
How do you obtain a teaching position? first by being determined to campaign actively for a teaching position. Job seekers often make two common mistakes. First: they try on strategy, wait for results whether positve or negative and then try something else. Second: job seekers block themselves out at the wrong stage in the process. Prospective teachers need to get a resume ready, credentials and transcripts.
Teachers are using a teaching portfolio to display the products of their work, resume, transcripts and so forth. A credential file: includes letters of recommendation, copy of transcripts and resume.

Gain experience through substitute teaching: many education students develop valuable teaching skills through substituting. It can also offer a competitive advantage in the job market. Some schools districts are more apt to hire full time teachers from their substitute ranks.

Licensure: is the official recognition by a state governmental agency that an individual meets state requirements.
Certification: is the process by which the profession grants special recognition to an individual who has met certain qualifications specified by the profession.
Alternative licensure: Programs have been developed as a response to 1) teachers shortages and 2) the perception on the part of some lawmakers that courses in education contribute little to a teacher's effectiveness.

In addition to teaching, there are other jobs teachers can do in their school districts to include librarian, counselor, administrator and school psychologist. Employment with child day care centers are an option as well. Large businesses also conduct training programs for their employees and require services from people who can write, design and implement programs.

Chapter 13 Reflection

In reading Chapter 13 I learned that there will be a strong demand for teachers in our future. With the increase in student enrollment, comes the need for teachers. Before student enrollment was twenty-one  per class size now that number has been increasing to almost twenty-five per teacher in public secondary schools. As that number continues to creep up, our schools need more teachers to meet the demands of student enrollment. The chapter tells that an estimated two million new teachers will be needed in our country in the next ten years. Fortunately it is the returning teachers who will fill the anticipated shortages.

One of the greatest shortages is the Minority teachers. As the enrollment of minority groups increases which they represent forty-three percent,  the minority teachers decrease. The chapter explains that minority students deserve to have positive minority role models who can help steer them in the right direction , especially in our world that is still one that continues to have racism.

The chapter reflects on Jaime Escalante. As a teacher, he set high standards and made hard demands on his students. They were not allowed into his class unless they had done the homework assigned to them. He taught his students, who came from minority groups that no matter what race, they could accomplish anything. He motivated his students and in turn they learned “self pride” that came along with such accomplishments.
I strongly believe that we need more minority teachers for the fact that students from such groups can have a true model that exhibits the “I did it, you can too” attitude. This is what stood out mostly for me in this chapter. Most of our teachers our white, not that it is a bad thing. But for those of us who come from a minority background such as myself, we need that positive role model throughout our education.

Chapter 12 Notes

Excellence  has been the rallying cry and focus of educational reform. Accountability: teaching to test-what was tested becomes what is taught. Schools teach what is being tested this way students can achieve a high score on the standardized tests.

Authentic or performance assessment: Advocates claim that authentic assessment involves performance test that get closer to how a student applies the knowledge rather than how they store it in their minds. One way is through portfolios, students show off their best work. Teachers determine the learning progress through this.

Constructivism: Is a theory of knowledge acquisitions built on the idea that the learner interacts with new information to  construct meaning from it. It provides a fram of reference of organizing classroom practices so that students learn all content areas.
Active learning process: learners build and add to their understanding of concepts, rules and strategies through direct hands-on experimention.
Scaffolding: the teacher uses clues, questions and hints to extend students understanding.

Many reformers have also been concerned about excellence of character: one way they see that reform can occur is through character education: which is defined as the effort to help the young acquire a moral compass, a sense of right and wrong and the enduring habits necessary to live a good life. One major approach is to teach more directly and more vigorously the moral values that are already embedded in our culture. The teacher confronts students with ethical issues and moral lesson that are integrated in the lesson.
Service learning: knowing about justice, compassion and courage is one thing, making them a part of one’s life and practicing them diligently is another. Reformers realize schools can create opportunities for students, beginning at the early grades to help one another and the adults in the school buildings.

No Child Left Behind Act: Reactions have been mixed in how federal aid is distributed. that is has been inadequately funded by the federal government. Another concern is its provision that if any student fails the state test for 2 consecutive years, the school is rated as failing. States lack uniformity. Each state sets its own standards and designs it own assessments of the standards,and passing scores for the assessment.

State educational reform: one common theme is the call for excellence
common elements in state reform: an increase in graduation requirements, more academic learning time, standards based education, higher expectations for teachers, higher salaries for teachers

School choice: a reform that has been put in place in both state and local school district levels is to offer families more choices about where their children will attend school. School choice-an important aspect of access and educational opportunity. Parents argue that poor parents should have a choice in the schools their children attend, just as wealthy parents do. It is a parents right and it ensures access to educational opportunities