Professional competencies

Professional competencies

Competency 1.

To act as a professional inheritor, critic and interpreter of knowledge or culture when teaching students.

Studying a language means getting acquaintance with the history, culture and traditions. An ESL teacher introduces to students all those important aspects because language takes part of them and cannot exist separately. For example, in primary schools we teach the vocabulary of Thanksgiving Day, Halloween, Christmas and others, read some fairy tales, study songs, etc.

Competency 2.

To communicate clearly in the language of instruction, both orally and in writing, using correct grammar, in various contexts related to teaching.

It is important to adjust yourself to the level of your students. You cannot speak fast and use lofty speeches in elementary school especially when you teach a second language. You mostly make an accent on the vocabulary and a little bit on grammar. Concerning high school, you pay more attention on grammar rules, on literature, on writing. You adapt to your students all the time and you help them to progress.

Competency 3. (planning)

To develop teaching/learning situations that are appropriate to the students concerned and the subject content with a view of developing the competences targeted in the programs of study.

The teacher must be well prepared for the lesson and do a lesson plan. The lesson plan helps to see what you manage with your students and what you want to cover during the lesson. Very often when I teach I don’t feel the time and the lesson plan helps me to orientate in time. After the lesson, I revise my plan and see what I need to improve, to remove or to add. Also, the lesson plans help me to note the progress of my students, sometimes I need to come back and redo some lessons if I see that students need more repetitions. That depends on groups. Before I do a lesson plan I plan whole term, I plan what I want them to learn during the term and then I plan my lessons based on what I planned for the term. I also give the term plan to the students and to their parents to keep them informed.

Competency 4 (teamwork)

To pilot teaching/learning situations that are appropriate to the students concerned and to the subject content with a view of developing the competencies targeted in the programs of study.

Helen Keller believes that alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. I also think that a good teamwork is essential today as we live in a multidisciplinary world. Thus, in a classroom students need to learn how to live together and to cooperate. When people interact, they become closer and develop emotional intelligence. A teamwork fosters friendship and loyalty. The teacher needs to guide students and help them to interact with each other, cooperate and be supportive with one another.

Competency 5

To evaluate student progress in learning the subject content and mastering the related competencies.

Assessment is a very important part of the teaching-learning process. The evaluations show how students understand the material, their progress and my teaching too. The assessment must be valid, practical and authentic and the teacher must always provide a constructive feedback. A good and explicit feedback is especially important in writing; a good feedback helps students to understand their mistakes and to improve.

Competency 6

To plan, organize and supervise the class in such a way as to promote students’ learning and social development.

Classroom routine must be established in the beginning of the year. The everyday routine helps students to feel safe and secure because they live in an organized and predictable environment. I find that the class management is the hardest thing to do because you need to know well your students, learn fast their names and their characters. Accommodation to all the individuals seems a very big task and behaviour problems in the classroom is the main source of stress and burnout. I try to create a positive emotional climate, to negotiate and establish rules and routines with my students. I try to give some positive reinforcement and appreciate good behaviour.

Competency 7

To adapt his or her teaching to the needs or characteristics of students with learning disabilities, social maladjustments or handicaps.

As a teacher, I need to be able to do differentiated teaching and realize that actually, all students are different and multilevel. Some of them do the work fast and catch the information “on the fly” but others need more explanations. All of them work in their own rhythm and the teacher must be ready to help all of them. Teachers need to make sure that all students can receive help and some additional explanations and support. For example, DD students are allowed to use the computer at all the time, some of them have extra time to accomplish a task, special conditions at the exam, adapted assessment, etc. Teacher needs to cooperate with special educators, school psychologists in order to know better his students and provide all necessary support.

Competency 8

To integrate information and communications technologies (ICT) in the preparation of delivery of teaching/learning activities and for instructional management and professional development purposes.

Nowadays, we see the traces of technological progress everywhere. We cannot live without technologies but we must be careful when we use them. Teaching became more interactive grace to technologies. I use smart board to show students some interesting video-exercises, ESL games, visual support etc. At the same time, I combine that with the traditional teaching as well, like reading, writing and discussions. Presently, I’m exploring ICT technologies and will introduce them in my teaching soon.