Teresa Worthy

ED 698
4/10/20

8. A teacher participates in and contributes to the teaching profession.

Candidates are aware of and reflect on their practice in light of research on teaching, professional ethics
and resources available for professional learning; they continually evaluate the effects of their
professional decisions and actions on students, families and other professionals in the learning community
and actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.

There are many aspects to being a professional educator. As a foundation, a teacher must

consult and follow the state of Alaska Code of Ethics of the Education Profession (2010).

Additionally, according to Tichenor and Tichenor (2005) there are five categories of

professionalism: character, commitment to change and continuous improvement, subject

knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and obligations and working relationships beyond the

classroom. I have selected to present the infographic that I created for the research project I

completed at the end of my graduate degree program as evidence of my pursuit of becoming a

professional educator.

During my first year of teaching, I noticed that students in my class lacked confidence in

mathematics, and I sought to change this. I developed the research questions: How do inquiry-

based math activities based on students’ lives and local knowledge impact the mathematical

confidence of 5th grade Inupiaq students, while learning multiplication and division of fractions?

Over a three-week period, I led students in a culturally responsive math activity three times a

week. I collected their daily exit tickets, conducted student surveys, and recorded field notes.

While the findings of my study were largely inconclusive as to the impact of CRT math activities

on student confidence levels, I learned a great deal about improving my teaching practices while

also increasing my pedagogical and subject knowledge, which, as stated by Tichenor and

Tichenor (2005), are characteristics of a professional educator.

Although at the end of this semester I will be done with my educational research course I

do not intend for that to be the end of my career as a teacher researcher. I concur with Hubbard
Teresa Worthy
ED 698
4/10/20

and Power (2003) that research can foster change and growth in the teacher and their students.

Furthermore, Burnaford, Fischer, and Hobson (2003) state that teachers doing research in their

own classroom and sharing what they have learned is a powerful tool for professional

development. The ability to identify a problem of practice and research possible solutions to this

problem not only benefits the practicing teacher but the entire school community.

In conclusion, a professional teacher is one who is focused on growth. They are never

stagnant, but always looking for ways to improve their teaching practices, subject knowledge,

and relationships with students, parent, and staff. Tichenor and Tichenor (2005) state “Because

the foundation of an educated society relies on the teachers who daily interact with students from

early childhood to young adult- hood, it is important to understand what it means to be a

professional teacher,” (p. 94). Teachers need to regularly reflect personally and cooperatively on

what they view as professionalism and focus on how they can achieve that status.
Teresa Worthy
ED 698
4/10/20

References

Burnaford, G., Fischer, J., & Hobson, D. (2001). Teachers doing research: The power of action

through inquiry (2nd Ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Hubbard, R.S., & Power, B.M. (2003). The art of classroom inquiry: A handbook for teacher-

researchers (Revised Ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

State of Alaska. (2010). Code of ethics of the education profession. Retrieved from

https://education.alaska.gov/ptpc/pdf/coe.pdf

Tichenor, M.S., Tichenor, J.M. (2005). Understanding teachers’ perspectives on professionalism.

The Professional Educator, 27(2), 89-95. Retrieved from

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ728484.pdf