Instructional professionalism is a combination of living up to the standards of professionalism as indicated in the faculty handbook and using your ownd personal knowledge and sense of professionalism in the classroom. As an instructor, there are certain levels expectations for instructional professionalism including how truancy, absences, and grievances, etc. are handled with your students and peers. In addition, instructional professionalism comes from personal experience and trials of learning professionalism in a classroom setting.
For example, the contribution of personal intstructional professionalism can come from your teachers in grade school all the way through to your instructors in college. In your mind, you can think back and recall professional aspects of the teacher's you admired and considered role models.
This all adds up to how you display instructional professionalism in throughout your course.
I don't have a ready defination of 'instructional professionalism'. I'm new to this profession (instructing), but I do have a defination of 'profesionalism' or at least some thoughts on its components, including:
- Compentency in the subject;
- Seriousness of purpose;
- respect for all participants in the process;
- respect for laws, rules, and ethics; and
- serving the needs of the client.
My 'challange' is, in part, to learn to apply my ideas on profesionalism from my former career (as a land development consultant) to my new career of teaching.
When working with students of various ages and backgrounds you need to be prepared for the course you will be instructing. Professionalism is how who present yourself and your course. When you have done all of your work to prepare for the course and are well prepared to instruct the materials your students will be better informed on the materials you presented and they then understand it clearly and are ready to apply what they have learned to their course materials. Working with students on a level where they learn and understand the materials presented informs the student that you are a professional in your field.
Maintaining the highest standards in the field while simultaneously connecting on a level that all can relate to and understand. This includes modeling technical competence and professional behavior and learning to meet students on their level and having the patience to work with them.
Dressing professinally, arriving to class early, being prepared and excited about topic, staying abreast with changes in subject matter
I define instructional professionalism as being experienced and knowledgeable in the subject matter and able to provide solutions or point out possible pit falls of the subject before they happen and quite possibly how to avoid them.
Hi Mokii,
Good way to show the students that you are a professional educator ready to help them make progress with their career goals by learning the content of the current course.
Gary
Hi Cristina,
Well said and so important. All of the items you listed blend together to create a supportive and exciting learning environment.
Gary
Instructional Professionalism means presenting yourself as a professional in reference to character traits as well as hygiene and dress. It also means knowing your subject content at a very high level making you more equipped to teach others. Being a professional example to others, leaves others desiring to "own your level of knowledge" and adopt the character traits that you radiate to your class.
I love the quote from ???? "education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."
Being knowledgable about subject matter, content and delivery. Always going above and beyond to insure all information and technique is understood by all students.
Making it early to class, Be organized, Be prepared, know your material, be excited about the material.
Hi Jeannine,
Good definition and one that sets the stage for a successful course. By showing your students that you are a professional educator dedicated to their success you are modeling where they themselves can be if they put forth the effort.
Gary
To me this means while being an instructor you must remain professional at all times in everything that you do. The way you cary yourself as an instructor and the way that you handle your class.
Instructional Professionalism is the manner in which the instructor presents herself and the expertise demonstrated in delivering the subject content.
Hi Curtis,
Right on. This is the key to student engagement and retention. They need to see the value of what they are being taught.
Gary
Hi Robert,
Well said and such an important part of being a successful instructor. We need to be a model for our students.
Gary
Instructional Professionalism is defined as professional appearance, early arrival and prepared to teach the subject matter with proper materials ready to teach.
It is the integration of an instructor's technical skills and soft skills in instructional delivery, classroom management and student interaction. The professional instructor must certainly transmit his/her subject matter effectively, but it must also be transmitted in a manner that students can relate to, respond to and react to.
Insructional professionalism is defined by several components. It is they way you present yourself (the way you dress), Your content knowledge, the way you present your subject (engaging students in learning), and the way you interact with your students.
