Domain 4
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
4a: Reflecting on Teaching
Domain 4a is how one grows as a teacher. It is always important to apply McCown, Driscoll, and Roop’s Reflective Thinking Cycle when teaching so that the teacher can see what worked, what did not work, and what can be improved upon. Through thoughtful reflection, teachers can learn from their mistakes and grow as teachers so that they can give their students the best possible education.
4b: Maintaining Accurate Records
Maintaining accurate records is extremely important for teachers to do. Each individual student has a lot of information that must be kept track of, such as permission slips, grades, attendance, behavior, any IEPs, and medical records. These must be kept organized so that the teacher can access them at any given time. The records must also be accurate so that the teacher can better know each student, reflect on their teaching (based upon grades), and make adaptations for particular students. Through the maintenance of accurate records, the teacher can evaluate how to best serve the students on an individual level.
4c: Communicating with Families
This aspect is vital to any learning environment. To know a student well and have a positive relationship with that student, the teacher must communicate with the family. Communication shows the teacher what the child’s life looks like so that the teacher can better understand the student. Talking with parents also allows the teacher to share any concerns or questions with the parents. Overall, communicating with families helps the teacher take care of the student.
4d: Participating in the Professional Community
For any educator to teach to the best of their abilities, engaging in the professional community is vital. Not only can other teachers share lesson plans and classroom management ideas, they can function as a support group and a listening ear. Teacher conferences allow teachers to learn more about their content and profession, which helps them become better teachers. Online resources also allow teachers to connect with other educators and get ideas on how to better their teaching. This aspect of the Framework highlights the importance of being connected, staying current, and bettering oneself as a teacher.
4e: Growing and Developing Professionally:
Growing and developing professionally something that teachers must always be doing. Not only does this mean keeping up with their content and technology, but that also means forming meaningful relationships with others in the profession. To be a good teacher means that an educator is looking to give the best to the students. That means the best everything; curriculum, classroom management, class schedule, etc. The best of everything cannot come from one person, so it is important to know a network of teachers that can share ideas that will help every teacher learn and grow.
4f: Showing Professionalism
Showing professionalism is extremely important for teachers. Parent-teacher trust is important, so the teacher must be a trustworthy person and present themselves in that way by dressing professionally. A teacher also must act in a professional way whether they are in school or not so that they can be sure to have a positive image in the community. Teachers are a huge role model for students, so it is important that the teacher acts professionally at all times.
D. (n.d.). The Framework. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://www.danielsongroup.org/