The Framework for Teaching

Domain 4
Professional Responsibilities
 Professional Responsibilities
• This Domain consists of six components:
A. Reflecting on teaching
B. Maintaining Accurate Records
C. Communication with Families
D. Participating in a Professional Community
E. Growing and Developing Professionally
F. Showing Professionalism
Each component consist of a number of elements
 4d. Participating in a Professional
Community
• Professional community is characterized by
mutual support and respect, recognition of
the responsibility of all teachers to be
constantly seeking ways to improve their
practice, and ways to contribute to the life of
the school.
 4d. Participating in a Professional
Community
Consists of 4 elements
– Relationships with colleagues
– Involvement in a culture of professional inquiry
– Service to the school
– Participation in school and district projects

Reflective question:
• Based on your reading of domain 4 why do you think
that Component 4d is important?
 Why is Component 4d Important?
• Teaching is complex, so professional colleagues are
considered rich resources in aiding the teaching process.
How?
• The challenge to run a school requires the participation and
networking with professional communities
• Participating in the professional education community is a
great way to model this lifestyle for your students.
• Most of the time participating in professional communities is
required by employer, or needed for promotional purposes.
• Schools are professional organizations for teachers, with their
full potential realized only when teachers regard themselves
as members of a professional community.
 Participating in a Professional Community
Relationships with Colleagues
• Participation in professional community starts with building
strong and positive relationship with your colleagues.
• Teachers must work with their colleagues in a cooperative
and supportive manner.
• Having strong professional relationship with colleagues help
in building coherent curriculum that better serve the
students.
• To better help students and maximize learning, schools
should promote a culture of sharing and helping.
• In such culture, when a new teachers join a school,
experienced teachers provide mentoring and coaching to
them.
 Participating in a Professional Community
Involvement in a culture of professional inquiry
• For teachers to keep their knowledge and
expertise current, they must involve in a culture
of inquiry.
• A lot of resources can be found within the walls
of the same school, so, teachers should take
advantage of that (veteran teachers with long
experience).
• The complexity of teaching requires that teachers
continue learning their entire professional lives.
 Participating in a Professional Community
Service to the school
• Teachers’ efforts move beyond classroom duties
by contributing to school initiatives and projects.
• These services may include: participating in
curriculum development committees, advising,
counseling, designing new courses or new
procedures, etc.
• When teachers assume additional
responsibilities they enhance the culture of the
entire school.
 Participating in a Professional Community

Participation in school and district projects

• Teachers contribute to and support larger
school and district projects designed to
improve the professional community.
• Participation in professional community
increases with a teacher’s level of expertise.
Explain?
• What are the projects and services in
Bahrain’s schools that teachers could be asked
to participate in?
 Demonstration and Evidence
• Teachers demonstrate their involvement in
professional communities through their actions such
as:
• Regular teacher participation with colleagues to
share and plan for student success.
• Regular teacher participation in professional courses
or communities that emphasize improving practice.
• Regular teacher participation in school initiatives.
• Regular teacher participation in and support of
community initiatives.
Element Definition Example
Enhancement of Teachers take courses, read Teachers bring their best selves to professional
Content Knowledge professional literature, and remain development sessions, including fully preparing for
and Pedagogical Skill current on the evolution of thinking and participating in sessions to increase effectiveness
regarding instruction. and student performance.
 
A Chemistry teacher attended summer courses at the
Museum of Science and Industry, and presents the new
content and instructional activities they learned at a
department meeting.

Collaboration and Teachers contribute to and participate A teacher meets regularly with their course-alike
Professional Inquiry to in a learning community that supports Biology team to share progress towards student
Advance Student and respects its members’ efforts to achievement and teacher practice goals. Teachers
Learning improve practice. bring student work samples to meetings so that they
can analyze student progress as it relates to their
practice.

Participation in School Teachers contribute to the good of the Teachers work to become leaders in their school, and
Leadership Team school by participating in teams to consistently seek feedback from administrators on how
and/or Teacher Team improve teaching and learning. to improve their leadership.
 
A 7th grade Language Arts teacher is considered a
valuable member of her content team and works to
build culture and effectiveness among that team. She
suggests at the beginning of the year that the team
creates shared goals, and incorporates discussion of
those goals into each meeting to ensure that they are
internalized.
Incorporation of Teachers utilize feedback from Teachers actively seek out feedback from colleagues
Feedback colleagues. by sharing lesson plans, seeking help with problem-
solving, and encouraging frequent peer observation.
  LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE
 ELEMENT        
UNSATISFACTORY BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED

  Teacher’s Teacher maintains Relationships with Relationships with colleagues

relationships with cordial relationships colleagues are are characterized by mutual
Relationship with colleagues are with colleagues to characterized by support and cooperation.
colleagues negative or self- fulfill the duties that mutual support and Teacher takes initiative in
serving. the school or district cooperation. assuming leadership among the
requires. faculty.
 

  Teacher avoids Teacher becomes Teacher actively Teacher takes a leadership role
Involvement in a participation in a involved in the participates in a in promoting a culture of
culture of inquiry, school’s culture of culture of professional inquiry.
culture of resisting inquiry when invited professional inquiry.
professional opportunities to to do so.
inquiry become involved.

  Teacher avoids Teacher participates Teacher volunteers to Teacher volunteers to

becoming involved in school events participate in school participate in school events,
Service to the in school events. when specifically events, making a making a substantial
school asked. substantial contribution, and assumes a
contribution. leadership role in at least one
aspect of school life.
 

  Teacher avoids Teacher participates Teacher volunteers to Teacher volunteers to

becoming involved in school and district participate in school participate in school and district
Participation in in school and projects when and district projects, projects, making a substantial
school and district projects. specifically asked. making a substantial contribution, and assumes a
district projects contribution. leadership role in a major
school or district project.
 
 Group Activity

What Is the Level?

Explain?