Professionalism For

New Teachers

By: Tasha Taylor of National University

What is
Professionalism?
In Webster’s Dictionary they define the word
Professionalism as:

● “ The conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a

profession or a professional person.”

Professionalism pertaining to a new teacher is

defined by Kim L. Creasy as:

● “... elements preparing aspiring educators to possess and

demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed
to be an effective instructor.”
1. Aspects of Professionalism
As An Educator
In order to maintain professional integrity as
a new teacher one must focus on each one
of these elements:.

➔ Teacher Performance
Expectations
Learning, understanding, and
implementing the 6 main TPEs.
➔ Neat Appearance
Maintaing a professional
appearance
➔ Positive Interactions
Providing positive interactions
with students, families, and
coworkers
➔ Professional Development
Consistently developing oneself
professionally
Teacher
Performance
Expectations (TPE) Tip

What are they and We will talk about the

six main teacher
performance
expectations and how

why are they they will better help new

teachers to have a
better grasp of in
classroom

important? management..
The 6 Main TPEs
According to the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing
1. Making Subject Matter Comprehensible to Students Tip
2. Assessing Student Learning Remember that each
3. Engaging and Supporting Students in Learning teacher is different and
some TPEs may be easier
4. Planning instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for some or harder to
develop.
for Students
However each one will
5. Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for help a teacher create a
Student Learning foundation and layout for
how they want to
6. Developing as a Professional Educator structuure and develop
their classroom teaching.
Focusing on Teacher
Performance
Expectations
Neat Appearance
How to keep a
professional Tip

appearance and why It is always important to

keep a neat and clean
appearance, in order to
keep oneself in a

it is important professional manner.

However, appearance is
not the most important
factor.
Appearance
According to the article Signs of
Professionalism in a Teacher, it states:

● “A teacher's appearance plays a role in

conveying professionalism.”

One can do this by:

● Dressing professionally- business casual

○ Men: dress pants, button down shirt,
and neat grooming
○ Females: Avoid short or revealing
clothing and neat grooming.
● Avoid drinking, smoking, and use of foul
language
Positive Interactions
Creating an
environment of Tip

positivity and Teachers will interact

with not just their
students, but also with

collaborative
friends, families, and
coworkers.
Having professional
interactions is important

interactions to a teacher to maintain

a good rapport.
 Interactions Include
Students: Probably the most important because a
teacher spends the most time with their students. Students, Families,
Remembering to:
and Coworkers: Tip
● Be respectful to receive respect
Maintaining a
○ Implements rules
professional
● Being positive relationship with
● Shows no favoritism or discrimination students, families, and
● Creates equal opportunity for each student coworkers is vital to a
through lessons teacher to maintain
respect and good
relationships.
Families: Maintaining open contact between students
families and being respectful

Coworkers:
● Collaborate and discuss strategies in teaching.
● Discuss issues and or problems
● “Do not gossip or share confidential information.”
Professional
Development
Continuously developing
and growing as a Tip
Just like their students,
teachers will constantly

professional educator be learning and

developing new tools to
implement within their
classroom.
● Participating in Professionalism As A
Whole And How It Affects
professional development Everyone Around Us
● Learning new strategies
● Read information like
magazines and articles
● Learn new technologies
● Collaborate with others
in their field
Conclusion of
Professionalism
● As a professional educator, a
Tip
teacher must display a Jeremy Anderson, “If

strength of knowledge, depth, you really want to

change this country, you
and I, are going to keep
skills, and dispositions within going to the NEXT
LEVEL.”

and outside the classroom

Source: theguardian.com
 References
Anderson, J. (2016, August 31). POWERFUL Motivation for
Teachers | Professional Development | Jeremy
Anderson. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCBqI24zgDg

California Teaching Performance Expectations. (n.d.).

Retrieved from
https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-source/educator-p
rep/tpa-files/tpes-full-version.pdf

Monte, L. (2016, May 19). CSUSM TPE's. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ky5vLcqFXI

Zeiger, S. (2018, July 01). Signs of Professionalism in a Teacher.

Retrieved from
https://work.chron.com/signs-professionalism-teacher-9324.h
tml