Educational Practices

Educators in this society come in all shapes and sizes but are also individuals, whether it is on a personal or professional level. A competent educator is an individual that has the support of their administrators, peers, and in many cases, parents and other responsible adults. Many educators that I consider as competent Educators are individuals that understand the following:

• Teachers are professionals at all times.
• Reflective thinking is essential to student and teacher learning.
• Learning guides teaching.
• Teaching is a moral activity based on an ethic of care.
• A deep knowledge of subject matter is required for effective teaching.
• Collaboration and collegiality are essential to learning, teaching, and life in a democracy.
• And that teachers are aware of themselves as members of a world community.
• Will keep abreast of changes and continue efforts in revising, planning, and seeking assistant from all types of sources that can enhance opportunities of personal and student learning.

As a competent educator, developing a genuine focus on treating students as individuals rather than as homogeneous groups is more important more than ever nowadays. Educators must realize that instead of maintaining a fixed view of what all students want or what all students need, flexibility is a tool that can assist these individuals in their efforts to create environments that enable greater choices in learning styles for individual learners.

In looking at the various types of learners in various types of Educational communities, individuals may interact, respond, or perform in many different ways than their peers, so, catering to the many diverse learning styles and ability of each learner is definitely needed. And in looking at various types of instructional modules, making this and other determinations of how many types of learning styles should be considered, an effective teacher would more than often feel competent enough to employ these and other skills in selecting the best possible material available.

The Education environments nationwide, especially K-12, has developed a need for more quality skills and knowledge in teachers. Many policy makers and Educators believe that by improving teacher quality students' level of learning will increase. This may be true for some learners, but there are several types of learners that possess different approaches to obtaining knowledge and building skills. Competency is not only a quality that teachers need in order to cater to a much broader audience of learners, but it is something that has to be improved by administrators and other stakeholders.

In an article, “Can Teacher Qualifying Exams Improve Education,” written by author Joseph Watras for the Journal of Education Foundation, the author included interesting information based on researcher Anne Reynolds and the ETS Praxis III standards. Watras (2003) Information in this article was based on recommendations on what is a competent beginning teacher?

Watras stated in the article that after Reynolds reviewed research literature on learning to teach and on the act of teaching itself, Reynolds concludes that beginning teachers must possess a thorough knowledge of what will be taught, a desire to find out about their students and their school, a solid grasp of instructional methodology, and a firm intention to reflect on their teaching actions and the behavior of their students. Reynolds (1992) A scenario such as this would definitely sound promising for new teachers entering the Education arena for the first time, but realistically, it all depends on the types of learners, administrator, school environment, and school district's guidelines.

Reynolds continued on by stating that after a specific amount of time has passed, new teachers should be able to plan and teach lessons that help students relate new learning to prior understanding and experience, develop rapport with students, arrange the physical and social conditions of the classroom in ways conducive to learning, assess student learning using a variety of measurement tools and then adapt instruction accordingly, and show improvement in their ability to reflect on teaching. Reynolds (1992)

Watras also provided the information based upon details stemming from The Praxis III™ standards, or criteria set up for beginning teachers. According to the standards, beginning teachers are required to become familiar with students' background, knowledge, and experience; articulate clear and appropriate learning goals; understand the connections among the content to be learned, content learned previously, and future content; beginning teachers should be able to select teaching methods, activities, and materials appropriate to lesson goals and students; be able to create or select proper evaluation strategies; create a class climate that promotes fairness; establish and maintain rapport with students; communicate challenging learning expectations; establish and maintain consistent standards of student behavior; ensure a safe environment conducive to learning; make instructional goals and procedures clear; make content clear to students; encourage students to extend their thinking; monitor student understanding and provide corrective feedback; use time effectively; reflect on how well instructional goals have been met; demonstrate a sense of efficacy; build relationships with others; and communicate with parents and caregivers. Reynolds (1992)

According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), as stated by Watras' article, the following information is in regards to what is expected of a competent experienced teacher: The standards for teachers of middle childhood (7 to 12 year-olds) expect teachers to know and/or be able to do the following: understand their students' abilities, interests, and aspirations; make sound decisions about what is important for students to learn; establish a caring, inclusive, stimulating, and safe community of learners; help learners respect differences; develop and use a rich, varied collection of learning materials; help learners integrate knowledge across subject fields and understand how what they study relates to the world around them; know and be able to use a range of generic instructional alternatives so that students are provided with multiple paths to learn; understand the strengths and weaknesses of different assessment methods; create positive relationships with caregivers; regularly reflect on the quality and effectiveness of their practice; and work to improve schools and to advance education knowledge and practice. Watras (2003)

According to Pearson, administrators must carefully define what competency is before instituting minimum standards of competency or assessing teaching staff. Pearson (1980) Pearson also stated that three judgments must be made to identify a person as a competent teacher:

• What standards must a teacher meet to teach satisfactorily rather than minimally?
• What skills are required in general for a person to perform at this level?
• Does the person in question have these requisite skills?

Pearson wrote that An essential attribute of good teaching is therefore sound judgment and good sense which are qualities that cannot be reduced to finite, measurable skills, and that criteria that is established for teacher competency can at best delineate what is necessary, but not sufficient, for effective teaching.

Pearson (1980) Other qualities that are commonly associated with effective teaching include positive expectations, inspirational leadership, and a wide repertoire of teaching skills and motivational techniques, especially since the school environments throughout our nation are comprised of all types of learners.