‘Finally, educators won′t have to trudge forty years through the academic desert to find the answers to their teaching problems.
The Ten Commandments of Professionalism for Teachers
is a perfect 10.’
Steve Young, Author
Avoid many of the professional pitfalls that plague beginning teachers!
All new teachers make mistakes. But if they exhibit a high level of professionalism, they will be welcomed back. If not, they may be searching for another job or even a new career.
The Ten Commandments of Professionalism for Teachers reveals the unspoken rules of conduct that help experienced teachers and educators thrive in the classroom, the district, and the community. Vickie Gill, the best-selling author of
The Eleven Commandments of Good Teaching, explains how to behave in a professional manner with students, other teachers, administrators, support staff, and parents. Using humor, stories, and personal experiences, she examines the importance of professional and personal balance, maximizing teamwork, avoiding gossip, and being a positive role model.
Offering advice in a friendly and accessible manner, this practical guide includes insider information on:
- Finding a suitable mentor
- The use and abuse of power
- After hours job duties and administrative details
- Specific ways to use documentation to protect yourself
- Continued professional growth
Daftar Isi
Foreword – Neal B. Mitchell
Preface
About the Author
1. Thou Shalt Define Your Terms
What are the characteristics of a professional teacher? Successful teachers develop a clear image of themselves at their professional best.
2. Thou Shalt Locate Your Mentor
An appropriate mentor is invaluable. New teachers need to locate someone whose style they respect and who will guide them through the pitfalls of the first few years.
3. Thou Shalt Keep Up Appearances
What is appropriate dress for a teacher? Successful educators understand that their appearance will create the first impression that students, colleagues, administrators, and parents will make of them.
4. Thou Shalt Respect Your Power
Because of the nature of the job, teachers are handed a great deal of power over their students. Professional teachers respect that power, they do not abuse it by becoming a ‘buddy’ or a ‘dictator’ in the classroom.
5. Thou Shalt Take Care of the Parents
Professional teachers work hard to open up the lines of communication between the home and school. They understand the importance of creating positive relationships with their students′ parents in the first few weeks of the school year.
6. Thou Shalt Pull Your Weight
All teachers are part of a team and must learn ways to work cooperatively with even the most difficult coworkers.
7. Thou Shalt Pay Attention to the Details
Before school begins, teachers need to establish a classroom management plan which includes a system for documenting discipline problems.
8. Thou Shalt Pick and Choose Your Battles
A professional knows the difference between a petty annoyance and a roadblock. Successful teachers learn to diffuse a negative situation before it gets out of control.
9. Thou Shalt Grow in Your Profession
As with any profession, teachers must stay aware of new advances in education and resist the temptation to teach the same curriculum in the same style year after year.
10. Thou Shalt Be Thyself
Master teachers work as productive members of their teams, but they are careful to protect those special qualities that they bring to the profession as unique individuals.
Afterword
Tentang Penulis
Vickie Gill has taught high school English, reading, and journalism for 30 years in both California and Tennessee. Gill has won several teaching and community service honors and was a finalist for Tennessee State Teacher of the Year 2000. She is currently teaching part-time and works as a consultant for a school district in central California. She has a BA in English from San Jose State University and an MEd from Vanderbilt University.