Standards of Practice

    As I sit here and contemplate the Standards of Practice, I can’t help but think about their simplicity, that they are almost a “no-brainer” to me.  Are these five principles not what everyone entering into the profession wants to embody?  

    Before entering teacher’s college, I did not know that the OCT had laid these out in writing.  However, I did know that these principles existed through teachers that lead by example.  I am extremely lucky that my mother (high school English) and my two aunts (J/K and Gr. 3) have shown me what hard-working, interactive and compassionate teachers are all about.  I can remember my mom coming home, crying, because she felt so much concern for a student that was in the hospital due to anorexia.  I have seen in my aunts’ classrooms new resources for students that struggle, or a “quiet area” for the child with autism, or even with how much attention they listen to all the little stories that the students share with them.  This is how I came to know that to be a teacher is to have a strong set of values, where care and learning take centre stage.

    It was partly through these experiences that I knew that I wanted to be a part of this.  That I wanted to learn how to help children become successful learners too.  Afterall, the whole purpose of being a teacher, in my opinion, is LEARNING.  As stated in #1, we are in the classroom with the purpose of helping children learn, not just about subject matter but about the world, one another, and about themselves.  

    Despite a rapidly changing world, I do believe the standards still hold true to what we should be achieving as educators.  We are professionals, and as such, how we conduct ourselves in terms of education should always be focused on “professionalism”.  However, there seems to be varying degrees as to what “professionalism” means to each person.  I have seen teachers looked down upon because they decided to join students in a game of dodgeball.  Is that really unprofessional?  Is going to a student’s art show because you are proud of their achievement unprofessional?  Personally, I do not think that these things are unprofessional, but rather support the ideas that we are part of their journies.

    I also think that these are the teachers (the ones willing to interact more with students) that are the most risk-taking.  These teachers are not afraid of trying new things and can be an example for other teachers who want to be more innovative.  There will always be other teachers who will criticize and want to keep things “traditional”, but as long as the professionalism is there, we need forward thinkers in the classroom.

    One last thing that I would like to reflect on is standard #1, that students always come first.  While I do believe that students are a priority, I have also seen times when giving a student what they want completely undermines the professional judgement of a teacher.  I personally have had this happen to me where a parent bullied a principal into making me take back my professional decision about a student’s plagiarized essay.  In this case, I was so upset that administration did not support me, since I did not think that letting a student get away with a fully plagiarized essay was what was in the best interest of the student.  Should the “best interest of the student” always overrule the authority and respect for the teacher?  I think that while the student is very important, so are we.  The standards are challenged by some, however, I firmly believe in these practices and values and will continue to make them a part of my daily life.