Hi Phyllis,
It is always great when we can have someone in our background to whom we can look for inspiration. Your biology teacher is inspiring and guiding you even those high school has been some time ago. This is a legacy that all of us instructors should inspire to leave with our students.
Thanks for sharing your model with us.
Gary
Hi Laura,
You are so fortunate to have had such a person in your background. She gives you a model from which you can measure your own professionalism and educational approach. I am always inspired when I hear about dynamic instructors and how they impact not only students but other instructors as well.
Gary
Hi Allen,
This is a great legacy that you are creating. You have to feel good as an instructor when you see good things happening to your graduates. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I would have to say that my High School Biology teacher was a great model of the profession and of teaching. He was never opposed to the idea of allowing a topic to go “off-track†(providing that it supported the topic to some degree) but was also an expert at redirecting the class back to the main topic of discussion. In addition, his manner and dress was always professional and he was able to address any questions that we had. He was also honest, if he made a mistake or didn’t know the answer, he would admit it. If he didn’t know the answer, he would find out what it was and get back to us, and therefore, keep his promise.
Phyllis
For me, it was Amy Timmer. She was always on time for class and always well prepared. She delivered the subject content clearly and guided meaningful discussion and personal experiences into her delivery. Her expectations for the class were clearly defined.
In addition, she modeled impeccable professional appearance and demeanor to her students.
Instructional Professionalism means maintaining integrity and ethics in all that you do. In your relations with students, administrators, and stakeholders. It also means abiding by all federal laws and school policies related to EOE, Disibility rights, and Copyright laws.
I have stndents i have trained and now have there own company in the electrial trade and are doing well at it.
Hi All,
Question--Can you share with us an example of an instructor that you had that to you was a model of the profession and of teaching?
Gary
Hi Linsey,
Good point about professionalism and modeling behavior. You are setting the standard for what a person looks like in this professional setting. This is key for students to see and understand so they have an idea of how they should conduct themselves once they are out in the workplace.
Gary
My definition of "instructional professionalism" focuses on three components (in no particular order):
1. my knowledge of the material presented and my ability to communicate that knowledge to my students. In regard to this factor, it is important for me to balance my language and delivery to their learning needs; in other words, I don't want to speak so intelligently that I lose their interest in the subject matter.
2. my personal presentation. I'm a professional, and as such, I will not show up for class looking disheveled and unkempt. Also, my demeanor is important; they may not be interested in the day's subject matter, but with a little luck, my enthusiasm will infect them.
3. minding the goals and objectives of the class, the program, and the school. Never lose sight of the reason our students are enrolled. There is a higher purpose to the day's instruction; that is, to produce the best skilled, most knowledgable, and professional candidate for the job as a graduate of our school. The student is the key.
Present the material in a clear, organized, and timely manner. Knowing the material presented and answers to potential questions that may arise.
Do not answer questions that you don't know the answer to.
How you dress, act in class ,the way you you teach with book and hands on and willing to work with each student in class. The more you learn the better you are.
In the way you dress, language used, and how you present yourself to your students as well as the general pubic.
I look at instructional professionalism as everything I do before, during and after class. I need to make sure that everything is ready for me to teach the subject matter before class. During class, I need to articulate the material to the class in such a way that it is interesting and in a way they want to learn. After the class, I need to reflect on what I did, have the students understood it, and how can I improve.
But at the same time, my behavior and actions both in and out of classroom need to reflect how to act professionally. I not only need to be teaching them the subject matter but also the soft skills they need to deal with people each day and organizational skills they need for their respective field. By modeling this behavior in class, I will be providing the students with an example they can use and learn from.
Portraying by setting a good example appropriate professional behavior and appearance
My definition would be to come prepared for clinical instruction, have the previous week papers graded and to address problem students in private.
Instructional professionalism, in my view, is instruction that accommodates a wide array of learning styles and individual personalities with the overarching goal of leading students to mastery of concept and practice. There is no one shell that can encapsulate instructional professionalism because by definition the concept must shift and change to accommodate the "human factor." Rather, instructional professionalism is by and large the ability of the facilitator to shift and adapt technique while at the same time keeping intact course objectives to shepherd students of all ages and cultures to a shared set of outcomes. I think of it rather like the NFL running back who must shift his body, accelerate, and decelerate, quickly in order to respond to an always evolving set of roadblocks. The professional instructor of experience quickly learns to take nothing for granted but, almost always, is challenged and intrigued by the new set of challenges in his or her path. That is how I see Instructional Professionalism.
I would define it as be the best possibly prepared that you can be and imparting your knowledge to your students in such a way that they can assimilate it in a form that they can use. I have been a computer programmer for more than 35 years now and for the last 3 three years I have been an adjunct instructor in several programming languages. I endeavor to give them as many practical examples and tips as I can in order for them to receive the full benefit of my many years of experience. That is what I would define as professionalism.
You lead by example. Your students will respect you more if you follow the rules.You if you come to class on time and dressed properly, they are more likely to follow your example.
I define instructional professionalism as how I present myself to my students. My instructional professionalism includes things such as proper class preparation, timeliness, an ability to demonstrate skills and ideas in such a way that enhances my student's understanding.
