The Professional

M ODULE
I
Teachers are
Socially Responsible
Chapter 2: Socially Responsible Teachers: Active Members of Social Institutions
Time Table: 1 hour
Topic Learning Outcomes:

a. Develop a web of teachers’ role and responsibility in society

Deepen!

The teachers' role in society is both essential and significant. Having the greatest influence over
the students and the community, they are expected to play the lead roles in the building of an intelligent
and responsible citizenry. They perform various roles and responsibilities in a society as the architect of the
future generation.

Introduction
Teachers of the 21" century will witness the evolution of their professional roles. Their roles will be
more complex and challenging. They will no longer be transmitter of knowledge. They will be facilitators of
learning. They will set the goals and organize the learning process accordingly towards the realization of
these goals.

Teachers will develop among the students the ability to gain information and to use and select
them. Technology will be their partner in the process. Hence, teachers should be information and
technology experts. They should also be prepared to act as technicians and troubleshooters when the need
arises.

Society expects much from teachers. Since they are regarded as architects of the future generation,
teachers are expected to perform their roles not only within the walls of the classroom but beyond... into the
community. They are expected to possess state-of-the-art knowledge, skills, values and competences that
would make them effective teachers for the 21" century learners.

In this chapter, the personal and professional attributes of teachers as well as their roles and
responsibilities shall be presented to you. You are expected to prepare a web of the roles and
responsibilities of a teacher at the end of this chapter.
 What is a professional teacher? Let us use the metaphor of the mountain and the teacher to
identify the salient qualities of a professional teacher.
The mountain is a huge creation that stands towering over all other structures in
viewed from the land. It stands majestic and impressive providing a soothing effect when
viewed from a distance. Its stature is a symbol of strength and stability.
Because of its elevated position, the mountain receives the first rays of the sun at
dawn. The radiance of the sun's rays on the summit creates a beautiful panorama to behold. It
is a spectacular scene to lay the eyes on.
The mountain provides shelter to animals and other creatures living in it. At times
when the rain comes, the soil in the mountain is eroded and water flows freely to the land and
rivers below. The rainwater from the mountain fertilizes the land at the foot of the mountain.
The plants grow and produce abundant harvest for the people living in the area.

The grandeur of the mountain denotes strength and stability. So do teachers. Teachers must be
healthy and physically fit to perform their job efficiently and effectively. Healthy teachers have the
enthusiasm and vitality to guide the students in the learning process. They are patient and can control their
emotions when stressful and unexpected incidents happen.

As teachers, they must possess certain personal qualities and attitudes in order to succeed in their
profession.

Personal Qualities
• Good Personality
Personality refers to the character and appeal the teachers exude as the y walk and relate with
others. Good personality serves as inspiration to the students. They are motivated to learn and get
involved in the learning process under teachers, who have pleasing personality.

• Honest
Honest teachers possess good sense of value. They are trustworthy and viable to manifest
integrity as professionals.

• Enthusiastic
Enthusiastic teachers have pleasant outlook, optimism and sense of humor.

• Caring
Includes being compassionate and interested in others. It is expressed through understanding how
other people feel and react.

• Role Model
Models good behavior and sets a good example for others to emulate.

• Fair
Fairness denotes impartiality, open-mindedness and objective judgment and decision-making.
 • Friendly
Friendly teachers demonstrate pleasant, warm-hearted, and loving relation with their students.

• Respectful
Being respectful means being well-behaved. Teachers show politeness and courtesy in dealing
with their students and the public.

• Dedicated
The teachers are devoted, loyal and committed to the profession.

• Creative
Creative teachers do things in their own way. They have the ability to create new and original ideas.
They are able to influence their students to be creative themselves.

• Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability of teachers to adapt to situations. They do not easily get disturbed or upset
when unexpected situations and problem arise.

Attitude of Professional Teachers are Manifested in Terms of:

• Empathy towards students
• Commitment and dedication to the profession
• Reflective practitioner
• Passion for teaching

Successful teachers take care of their wellness. Wellness refers to the combination of physical health,
good attitude and increased productivity.

Going back to our metaphor of the mountain, we imagine beautiful scenery as the rays of the early
morning sun kiss the peak of the mountain. It creates a beautiful view, which is amazing and inspiring for
the spectators.

Teachers are amazing and inspiring too. Students and parents look up to them as their inspiration and
ideal. Students imitate their teachers' mode of dressing, their conversational style, etiquette and even their
mannerisms. Society considers teachers their role model. They put so much trust in them that they accept,
conform and imitate their way of living. They are the paragon that exemplifies the characteristics and
virtues that make teachers stand above the rest.

The Teacher as a Professional

Teachers are professionals. They belong to a profession which society regard as a noble
profession.

What is profession?
A profession is an occupation that claims exclusive technical competence, service, ideals, and
ethics of professional conduct.
 A profession is the application of intellectual technique to the ordinary business of life acquired as
a result of prolonged and specialized training.

From the two definitions presented to you, you can discern that there are certain criteria for
professional teachers.

Criteria of Professional Teachers

• Professional Academic Preparation
Teachers have finished a four-year degree course in education.

• Licensure and Commitment to the Service

Teachers are licensed professional as certified by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
They possess extensive knowledge in their own field and are committed to the service of the youth.

• Public Service and Altruism

Teachers are aware that teaching is service. They entered the profession in the hope that they
could help influence the students to become better persons and live more meaningful life.
• Legal Practice of the Profession
The teaching profession is recognized by the government as its partner in educating the youth.
Society views the teachers as the second parents of their children.

• Adherence to Professional Ethics

Teachers are governed by the Code of Ethics of Professional Teachers. The code Provides for
ethical behavior expected of the teachers for discipline purposes.

• Membership to Professional Organizations

Professional organizations have been organized for teachers to take care of their welfare.
(Examples: National Organization of Professional Teachers Inc. (NOPTI), Manila Public School
Teachers Association (MPSTA), Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP))

Another focus of comparison between the mountain and teachers is the benefits we gain from them.
The mountain provides shelter for animals and other creatures living in it. The teachers provide love and
nurturing assistance to their students. At times, when the rain comes water flowing freely down from the
mountain symbolizes what teachers can offer to the students. It signifies their commitment and dedication
in the teaching profession. Their principal role as teachers is to inspire the students to reach their potentials
and be functioning members of society. In view of this, teachers provide opportunities for students to
cultivate analytical and critical thinking as well as creative problem-solving skills to meet the demands of
the future. They also develop among the students’ knowledge, habits, skills, and values that would prepare
them for the competitive world.

Teachers are active members of social institutions

What are social institutions? Social institutions are special structures which are organized to meet the
basic needs of society. Social institutions include the family, education, religion, and government.
 1. Family
It is a group of people who are related by marriage, blood, or adoption and who often live
together sharing a common residence and common economic resources.

The family is the most universal social institution. Its primary function is to provide for the
physical and emotional needs of its members. Those who are deprived of the family's affection and
attention oftentimes grow with personality problems.

It is with the family where the development of socialization starts. Children learn who they
are and what they can do from the family. They learn valuing, the sense of right or wrong, proper
behavior and religious practice at home. Children learn from their parents the habit and skills that
they will need in preparation for adulthood. So parents are regarded as their first teachers.

Reflect
What skills did you learn from your mother/father which you now practice as an adult?
What habits have you developed which started at home?

2. Education
Refers to the in which knowledge, skills, values, and pattern of behavior are transmitted
from an individual or group to another.

Schooling is formal education which involves instruction based on a curriculum by

professional teachers. Schools and teachers are responsible for formal education. They are tasked
to transmit knowledge and technical skills for survival, transmit shared values and beliefs and
prepare the students for their role in society.

School acts as agent of socialization. The lessons that children learned from the home are
fully and intelligently discussed in school. Students are trained how to get along well with others,
through various activities they engage in during the learning process. Activities like field trips, group
work, and school programs and celebrations develop the social skills and values of the students.
Social ethics is also discussed in schools to cultivate moral and ethical behavior.

Teachers of the 21st century are expected to prepare the students to be lifelong learners. Here are
some expectations of society from them.

a. Help the students succeed in the knowledge society

• Academic achievement
• Communication skills
• Creative and critical thinking
• Social problem-solving
• Workplace skills

The teacher is expected to create a community of learners who will become independent thinkers
and problem-solvers.
 b. Prepare students to be functioning members of society.
c. Teach virtues such as punctually, truth, hard work, honesty, hygiene, patriotism, love an sincerity,
obedience etc. Society needs these values to be propagated.

As Theodore Roosevelt, President of the U.S. stated - "To educate a person in mind and
not in morals is to educate a menace to society."

d. Act as the bridge between the school and the community.

e. Identify pressing issues and provide enlightenment to society.

The 21" century education demands opportunities for the students to develop intellectually, ethically,
and aesthetically. They also expect the school to develop skills to prepare the students to meet the
challenges of the new era - such skills as creative problem-solving skills, self-awareness and self-
dependency to enable them to be better persons and contribute to a better society.

• Academic
The school provides for the development of a brand array of knowledge and intellectual
skills. The school develops problem-solving and critical thinking skills among the students.
• Vocational
The school prepares the individual for the-world of work and his economic responsibilities.
The school develops skills and work habits that will enable them to work in teams. It also
provides opportunities for developing survival skills of the students that they may be able to
function in society.

• Social and civic

The school acts as an agent of socialization. Students learn how to get along well with
others through the various activities they engage in. The school prepares the students to
become worthy members of society and models behavior that would prepare the students to
participate in a complex democratic society. Social ethics are discussed in schools to make
students aware of their moral and ethical obligation as a person and as a member of society.

• Personal
This pertains to the development of individual talent and self-expression. The school provides
the total development of the individual including creativity and authenticity.

3. Religion (Church)
Religion is a system of roles and norms that involves faith which binds people together in
social groups.

The church is an institutionalized organization of religious believers following a body of

doctrine or dogma.

• Function of religion
• Social cohesion
Religious beliefs encourage strengthening of bonds among people and cultivate social
solidarity and collective conscience among the believers.
 • Social control
Religion guides people to conform to the norms and values of society. Specific religious
norms of conduct and values control the behavior of the members. They become the
standards to follow. The church has an intense influence over the beliefs, principles, and
practices of its believers.

• Emotional support
Religion provides meaning for life. It fosters closeness, love, cooperation, and helpfulness
among its members. In times of crisis and calamities, the church lends to the victims. It makes
suffering more bearable because of their faith.

Reflect
How do the norms of the church affect your behavior in society? What religious values
does your family practice?

4. Government
It is an institution that holds the power to make and enforce the rules and laws of the
society. The ruling body must be recognized by its people to enforce laws or rules and govern them.

In democratic type of government, the citizens elect their official periodically to govern
them for the period.

Reflect
What type of government do we have in the Philippines? What kind of leaders should
we elect to govern us?