What is it to be a teacher, a professional and what in teaching is socially constructed ?
The idea of what it means to be a teacher is socially constructed. Ayers (1993) describes some of the many roles of the teacher including teaching, instructing, advising, counselling, organising, assessing, guiding, showing, managing, modeling, coaching, disciplining, listening, interacting, nursing, and inspiring. With these many roles come many challenges. In particular
However there are several tools which can be used by educators to guide their decision-making when these professional and ethical dilemmas that occur in an early childhood environment.
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is a public statement of what constitutes teacher quality. The Standards define the work of teachers and make explicit the elements of high-quality, effective teaching in 21st-century schools, which result in improved educational outcomes for students. The purpose of the standards is to raise the status of the profession and contribute to the professionalisation of teaching in the pubic eye. The standards provide a framework by which teachers can reflect and recognise their current and developing capabilities, professional aspirations and achievements. They present a common understanding and language for discourse between teachers, teacher educators, teacher organisations, professional associations and the public (AITSL, 2012).
Similarly the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics is a set of statements which detail appropriate and expected behavior of Early Childhood Professionals in regards to children, families, colleagues, communities, students, employers, research and the profession itself. The Code of Ethics acts as a reflective tool and also guides and challenges Early Childhood Educators to ensure that the voices and rights of children are always considered in everyday practices, decisions and actions (Early Childhood Australia, 2006).
These documents represent and reflect current research, and the values and beliefs of those in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector additionally they support the current construct of the child as confident, capable and independent.
Advocacy is a tool which empowers the child and the profession
- Maintaining a professional stance in all situations.
- How to make ethical decisions that honor yourself and others?
- What it means to be professional and how you can portray yourself as professional and the impact that it has on those around you?
- Developing and maintaining professional partnerships with stakeholders
- Advocating for the rights of children
However there are several tools which can be used by educators to guide their decision-making when these professional and ethical dilemmas that occur in an early childhood environment.
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is a public statement of what constitutes teacher quality. The Standards define the work of teachers and make explicit the elements of high-quality, effective teaching in 21st-century schools, which result in improved educational outcomes for students. The purpose of the standards is to raise the status of the profession and contribute to the professionalisation of teaching in the pubic eye. The standards provide a framework by which teachers can reflect and recognise their current and developing capabilities, professional aspirations and achievements. They present a common understanding and language for discourse between teachers, teacher educators, teacher organisations, professional associations and the public (AITSL, 2012).
Similarly the Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics is a set of statements which detail appropriate and expected behavior of Early Childhood Professionals in regards to children, families, colleagues, communities, students, employers, research and the profession itself. The Code of Ethics acts as a reflective tool and also guides and challenges Early Childhood Educators to ensure that the voices and rights of children are always considered in everyday practices, decisions and actions (Early Childhood Australia, 2006).
These documents represent and reflect current research, and the values and beliefs of those in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector additionally they support the current construct of the child as confident, capable and independent.
Advocacy is a tool which empowers the child and the profession