URDANETA CITY COLLEGE OF TEACHER

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Teaching Profession
community. They are beacons of light to all people whom they encounter.
Third, it is already a fact that the schools they attended are also
contributory to the development of their expertise, talents, knowledge,
Lesson 1: The Teacher as Person in the skills, and educational philosophy.

Society A. The Teacher as an Individual Person

Understanding the Teaching Profession requires deeper

The particular focus of this chapter is to explore significant appreciation of the lives of teachers as individuals in society. Teachers are
literatures and theories in understanding the personal traits and values as given high regard in society for the multiple roles they perform aside from
well as important needs, rights, and roles of teachers in the society. The teaching. As society becomes more complex and its values become more
chapter includes activities that will provide good insights and pluralistic, the areas of responsibility for teachers become wider (Pelletier,
perspectives about the human side of the teaching profession. It allows us 2004). Hence, teacher education institutions (TEIs) should embrace the
to critically reflect on relevant practices and issues of teachers. These will challenge of preparing teachers who will soon carry the task of preparing
help us gain better understanding and embrace our calling as teachers. the young generation to meet the different challenges brought by an
The objectives of this chapter are the following: ever-changing world. This will prepare them to become effective
professionals in all tasks in various communities where they will be
 Identify several roles performed by teachers in the society assigned to serve.
 Discuss the values of teachers as community leaders Cohen, Manion, and Morrison (1996) pointed out that teaching is
 Appreciate the role of teachers in the society more than just a simple job. Some people, especially those who choose it
to be their profession, regard teaching as a higher calling and a
The key to understanding the teaching profession is to know the commitment to make positive changes in society and in the lives of all
personal and professional lives of teachers. First, it is important for us to people they teach. Teachers are modern heroes and heroines. They are
understand that teachers are products of the family where they belong. servant leaders, knowledge providers, and community organizers. It is
The family values and the home environment that shaped their beliefs, then important to understand the life of a teacher as an individual person.
character, and personal values are reflected in their personality, values,
and personal philosophy. Second, we need to recognize that teachers are 1. Teachers Have Different Talents and Skills
also shaped by the society where they live. The society's culture, values,
It is always desirable for teachers to possess various skills and
norms, religion, and environment are influential in shaping their life as an
talents that they can use and share as they perform their teaching tasks.
individual and a professional. Teachers are servant leaders in their own

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For example, teachers with musical talents are great assets. They can g. Feet --- to walk with students, explore the surroundings, and
organize a school choral group and integrate musical experiences in the discover new knowledge and information
classroom instruction. Some teachers are also good in various types of
performing arts. They organize theater groups, teach different dance h. Nose -- to breathe deeply and relax when feeling tired or pressured
forms and other performing arts. Those who possess talents in visual arts 2. Teachers Have Different Needs
are also valuable in making visual aids and in integrating art-driven
activities in the classroom. Teachers have needs to be fulfilled every day. They have emotional,
social, spiritual physical, and economic needs, but many times, their call
In terms of skills, many teachers are very creative in designing to duty make them set aside their individual needs.
classroom environments and in organizing school activities. They master
the art of selecting instructional methods and strategies appropriate for During the night and weekends, teachers are still obliged to make
their students. They are skillful in improvising different types of teaching their lesson plans, check papers, and accomplish other school forms and
devices and other instructional materials. reports, among other things. Hence, they end up sacrificing their own
needs in order to serve. It must be known, however, that teachers need
These special talents and skills that teachers are blessed with are time to relax, rest, and enjoy with their families,
useful in fulfilling their noble task of molding the minds and character of
future generations of leaders, professionals, and responsible citizens. A Teachers have economic needs. In television and newspapers, we
creative way to describe the talents and skills of a teacher is a simple hear about teachers joining rallies to increase their salaries and to fight for
written piece about "The Body Parts of a Teacher." their rights. This is because the salary they receive is not tantamount to
the enormous tasks they have to do inside and outside school. While
a. Brain —to always think critically and creatively teaching is not a profession that will make someone rich, teachers also
b. Eyes - to see the individual needs, strength, and nature of each need money to sustain their, daily needs and to feed their own families.
student Teachers need security and justice. Some teachers suffer from the
c. Ears — to listen to students' ideas and concerns perils of injustice. Some are victims of kidnapping by lawless groups while
some are victims of school officials, too. At times, they are forced to buy
d. Hands - to guide students and show the right direction products sold by their superiors or buy gifts for them during Christmas
and birthdays. Their promotions are sometimes tainted by giving lavish
e. Heart — to love all students regardless Of who and what they are gifts and other favors to their superiors rather than by the merit of their
f. Mouth — to speak the truth, discuss knowledge, and speak wisdom performance. Teachers need to be free from all the stress of school
to students politics.

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Teachers need to be recognized and appreciated to boost their Teachers need to cope with various challenges and changes. The
morale and self-esteem. This does not mean they want appreciation for teaching profession requires teachers to respond to different challenges
the services they render it only means that people must be more and changes brought by information technology, changing social values
understanding of the life and duty of a teacher. The school should provide system, economic challenges, and cultural diversity. Changes can provide
them with a nurturing environment that allows individual and professional opportunities to innovate and can act as an important catalyst for a
growth. The school should also recognize the outstanding works and critical reflection of established practices. However, changes may also
commitments of teachers. Given these, the best reward for a teacher, cause unprecedented stress to teachers. They need to have better
however, is to see his/her former students succeed in their profession. understanding of the diversity of learners in terms of learning styles,
thinking preferences, needs, interests, socio-economic status, 'and other
Teachers need spiritual support. The tasks of a teacher are heavy to diversity factors related to learners. These will require teachers to develop
bear considering the entire demands of their job and all the unnecessary new leadership, pedagogical, and social skills.
stress they experience. Every day, they are molding the minds of the next
generation's leaders and citizens, in doing these tasks; teachers need 3. Teachers Have Individual Rights
some form of spiritual guidance and inspiration regardless of their religion.
All human beings are entitled to enjoy specific rights. These human
Teachers need role clarity. Another recurring need of teachers has rights are enshrined in the United Nation Universal Declaration of Human
been to identify the various roles he/she has to perform, to explore how Rights and in Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. As an individual,
clear the expectations for each role are (role clarity), and to understand every teacher is entitled to enjoy all human rights identified by the state.
possible tensions between different roles (role conflict). Often times,
many teachers are surprised about the roles' duties, and expectations In their work, labor laws ensure that their employers give their
they have to perform inside and outside the classroom ' These tasks range privileges and fair treatment in doing their duties. Their status as
from teaching, serving as role models, and dealing with various individuals employees is protected by a system granting them permanency status or
and social institutions. tenure. The Manual of Regulations for Private School Teachers and the
Magna Carta for Public School Teachers also guarantee that all teachers
Teachers have social needs. They need to socialize in society to enjoy their rights and ensure justice in the conduct of their duties as
know people and understand the social realities experienced by students professionals. They are free to organize or join any Professional
every day. As an agent of society, teachers need to have good relationship organizations that will help them grow professionally. They enjoy freedom
with other social agencies and groups. They need to build good of expression that guarantees their voices and opinions to be heard and
relationship with families, community leaders, and other professionals. respected. For tertiary faculty members, they enjoy academic freedom
that enables them to do research and publish their scholarly works and
opinions. The rights of professional teachers specified by R.A. 232, R.A.

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7836, and the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers are further The following are the 7 R's that professional teachers need to do
discussed in the last chapter of this book. and to learn as professionals.

Often times, teachers are also among the most common victims of  Remember to perform your duties with high degree of
human rights violations. It is unfortunate that some teachers are victims professionalism. A teacher should not allow his or her integrity to
of unfair labor practices and abuse of authority by some school officials. be destroyed due to personal greed and bad politics. Teachers
Teachers from conflict areas are also victims of kidnapping and other should avoid cheating their students' grades and practice favoritism
forms of abuses. in their classes.

As individuals, teachers have the right to enjoy a dignified life. A life  Respond to the needs of each student with utmost level of concern
that is free from any forms of threat and danger. They are entitled to be to the welfare and well-being of each student.
protected by the state from any form of lawlessness. Article Xlll Section 1
to Section 3 of the Philippine Constitution enshrines the commitment of  Recognize that as professionals, you must continuously seek
professional career advancements through joining professional
the state to ensure social justice, human rights, and labor rights of each
individual that includes teachers. associations, attending continuing education activities for teachers,
and doing graduate studies.
B. The Teacher as a Professional
 Reawaken your passion and sense of mission to serve all types of
By virtue of Republic Act 7836, amended by Republic Act 9293, learners regardless of their religion, socio-economic status, gender,
teaching was professionalized and thereby requiring teachers to take the race, intellectual ability, and learning modalities.
Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET). As professionals, teachers are bound
to perform specific duties to the society especially to schools and  Renew your commitment to help each learner to learn in order to
students guided by a professional code of ethics. have a better future. A teacher must believe that each learner can
have a good future if he/she equips each learner with the right
Teaching is always regarded as a vocation by many people. knowledge and skills that each learner may use in the future.
However, the government deemed it necessary to recognize teaching as a
 Re-evaluate your attitudes towards students and your work ethics.
profession giving the highest regard to teachers as professionals. This
does not in any way make teaching a profession or a job to earn money  Relearn, learn, and unlearn many things to keep you updated with
but it enables us to regard teaching in a grand manner, a noble profession new knowledge and information. A teacher must be always active
for individuals who are willing to dedicate their lives and services in the in the business of life-long learning.
development of future citizens and leaders of the country.

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 URDANETA CITY COLLEGE OF TEACHER
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
Currently, there are also few teachers who are not behaving through effective programs developed and implemented by teachers. The
professionally. There are teachers who are facing legal cases for sexual life of a teacher is neither confined in the four corners of the classroom
harassment and other forms of abuses against students. There are also nor is limited inside the school campus for a teacher an active leader in
some who receive money in order to give honors and other awards to the community.
undeserving students. There is news of teachers trying to buy their tenure
and promotions by giving gifts and other forms of favors to education Teachers always take leadership roles in their communities
officials. We witness some news of teachers who are involved in extra- especially in activities and projects related to the education and welfare of
marital relationships. There is also a general observation that some young children. They also provide leadership roles in various cultural
teachers have very low content knowledge in the subjects they are development programs in their communities. Finally, teachers provide
teaching. These acts deconsecrate teaching as a noble profession. technical and professional assistance in the local communities where they
belong.
Amidst these frustrating facts, still there are many Filipino teachers
To illustrate these, know that in many local government units
who doing their best to live as outstanding professionals and citizens. A
number of teachers in various levels are recipients of various awards and especially in the barangay, teachers are part of the local community's
recognitions such as the Metro Bank Award for Outstanding Teachers, the Committee on Child Protection, Education and Welfare. They help the
Central Bank Guro ng Award, and other awards from various institutions community in implementing certain provisions of Republic Act 7610
of the society. known as the "Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation,
and Discrimination Act." They represent the local schools in their area to
There are also many unsung heroes and heroines among the teaching develop an education plan and welfare programs for young children
population especially those who are assigned to teach in local and protected under this law.
indigenous communities. These teachers are the volunteer and mobile
teachers who have dedicated their lives in order to help students learn Furthermore, teachers give advice on education matters and they
and develop. Many of them are dedicated and committed in performing serve as leaders and organizers of community activities for children,
women, and youth. PE teachers serve as coaches to sports events and
their sacred duty to help students become functionally literate and be
responsible citizens. teaching cultural presentations like songs and dances. Some teachers
serve as judges to competitions while others are elected as officers to
C. The Teacher as a Community Leader and Social Advocate community-based organizations. Teachers are always active in
performing many leadership roles in the community where they belong.
Educators play an important role in the development of people and
communities. Jan and Ed Philpot (1994) concretized this idea by Teachers also serve as advocates for quality education, protection
encouraging a stronger link between home, school, and community and welfare of children and youth, promotion of literacy, human rights,

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wellness and health, justice, and many other concerns. They support free 2. Pedagogical content knowledge — it represents a perfect blend of
and honest elections, they help people understand the effects of content and pedagogy into a framework for understanding how
irresponsible use of resources, and they advocate values formation in the subjects, topics, and lessons are organized into instruction. It
community. In many places, we see teachers as freedom fighters simply means teachers should master the subject they are teaching
organizing various members of the community to sustain the dignity of and they should know how to teach it effectively.
life.
3. Knowledge about learners — this is the idea of the different learning
D. The Teacher as an Expert styles, thinking styles, and educational needs of the learners.

Since ancient times, teachers are recognized as sources of wisdom 4. General pedagogical knowledge — this includes general theories
and information in every society. Aside from teaching, they serve as and principles of teaching. In addition, these are general
guides, counselors, judges, and spiritual leaders in the society. Through pedagogical principles that are applicable to any classroom
the knowledge they share, they attract attention from many students and situation and in any teaching and learning context.
individuals. They are given prominent positions in royal courts, giving
expert opinions and advice to kings and other community leaders. They 5. Knowledge of educational contexts — Educational context may
enjoy political influence in every community where they belong in the focus on the cultural, economic, political, and education context
history of mankind. that shape and influence education.

Though teachers no longer hold any political power today, still, 6. Curriculum knowledge — this is about the knowledge of innovations,
there are many teachers who are known experts in many fields and curriculum designs, curriculum materials, assessment, and the
disciplines. Their ideas penetrated all aspects of life through the wisdom, curriculum process.
knowledge, values, and skills they shared to their students who became 7. Knowledge of educational ends, purposes, and values — This is the
leaders and citizens in all generations. understanding of the principles, theories, and purposes of
The need for teachers to be experts in various fields in the academe education to have deep appreciation of the enduring values of
education.
serves the purpose to prepare students to respond to myriad of
challenges brought by the 21st Century. Shulman (1987) tried to organize Teachers play an important role in the total educational system of any
important domains of knowledge that are important for teachers: country. The expertise of teachers in content and in pedagogy is
1. Knowledge in content — Teachers should know the subject matter contributory to their immense task molding the mind and character of
they teach: every individual person who become their student, The knowledge they
instilled in the minds of their students will always be useful relevant in

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 URDANETA CITY COLLEGE OF TEACHER
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
everyday life. As experts in different areas, teachers need to possess the 4  Teachers are social advocates in the community where they belong.
C,
 Teachers are community leaders.
 Creativity - a cognitive ability to think outside the box, to develop
new ideas to possess outstanding talent, and to lead effectively. It  Teachers need to possess professional and personal integrity.
is also a capacity innovate.

 Critical Thinking — a cognitive ability and capacity to think critically

in solving problems, making decisions, and in processing ideas.

 Commitment —a passion to make a difference in the lives of each

learner.

 Character — an exemplar of positive values.

Remember this: Teacher's Reflection

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. -
Henry Adams

 Teaching is a mission that requires creativity, commitment, and

great passion.

 Teaching will remain to be the noblest profession in the history of

humankind.

 Great men and women whose names are written in history are
products of great teachers.

 Teachers are models of positive values and professionalism.

 Teachers need to develop content and pedagogical expertise in

order to perform effectively in various tasks assigned to them.

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