Explain how the Teaching Role involves working with other Professionals
Remarkably, when exploring the relationship that exists between the teaching role and other professionals, it should first be realized that there is no standard approach for teachers to develop relationships with other professionals such as management or colleagues. When I think about the relationship between the teaching roles and professionals, ‘wider professional practice’ springs to mind. For a teacher, there will be many internal and external people that they will need to develop a ‘professional’ relationship with to execute their duties. The rule of thumb for such relationships is to be polite and respectful towards other professionals.
The relationship that exists between the teaching role and other professionals is one of ‘professionalism.’ For the teacher, the onus is on them to remain respectful of other professionals and always look to develop a healthy working relationship with each other. The relationship between the teacher and management is a direct reporting relationship. However, there will be other levels of management that a teacher has to liaise with frequently. Gravells (2017: 43) remarks that the onus is on the teacher to find out who the different levels of management are and how they can be contacted by reviewing the organization chart and the representative lines of communication.
Concerning the relationship between the teaching role and colleagues, it can be a cordial or a close relationship, depending on the collaborating individuals. Teachers do not need to become ‘best friends’ with their colleagues as the focus should remain on maintaining a professional relationship. The highest level such a relationship can take is one of providing support to each other. Gravells (2017:44) highlights that it is useful for the teacher to acquaint themselves with the job roles of their colleagues so that they can understand how they can support their colleagues and how their colleagues can support them. However, Gravells (2017:44) adds a note of caution when it comes to providing support; teachers should provide an adequate level of support to their colleagues but not to the point where aspects of their role blur into their colleague’s roles. A respectful level of professional separation should be maintained between the teaching role and the colleagues’ roles.
When explaining the relationship between the teaching role and other professionals, Gravells (2017:44) provides examples of the teaching role working with other professionals as follows:
- Attending team meetings
- Communicating with administrative personnel
- Contacting companies to procure equipment and resources
- Obtaining technical support from colleagues for unfamiliar equipment
- Engaging in team-teaching sessions with other professional colleagues
Reflecting on the above points, the teaching role should always strive to uphold the values of professionalism at all times. There are professional boundaries within which the teaching role should engage with other professionals, and it is important not to overstep these boundaries by becoming too friendly or personal with them. The key is to work within the limits of the teaching role and asks for advice when necessary.
Also, the boundaries of the teaching role and developing relationships with other professionals may not always be clarified by the organization. The onus then falls on the teacher to define the boundaries through their interactions with management and colleagues to ensure that the duties of the teaching role can be performed effectively. Ultimately, establishing and maintaining relationship boundaries will help the teacher remain professional in their role.
Besides, a teacher may be required to work with other professionals such as they can work with ICT technicians. Technology has become a great deal in the market; therefore, all the people in the industry must be well suited and ready to work to ensure that students get the best education (Boyle, 2020). And this is crucial as they can set up different types of equipment that can be used in the learning of students. A perfect example is the use of projectors, which can only be fixed by ICT experts. And these are crucial in delivering lessons to students in an efficient manner. The teacher, therefore, must always be ready to work with other people parties to ensure the efficient learning of students.
Additionally, teachers are required to work with the awarding body. Mainly this is the body tasked with attaining that students are well evaluated. It is hard to ascertain that a student has fully understood a certain concept (Stronge and Tucker 2017). And therefore, it is always crucial to find other ways to ensure that they have the best knowledge possible. Therefore teachers must engage the awarding body, which in most cases should be competent and external to determine if the students have understood the concept.
Teachers must also engage in external and internal verifies. Both of these people have a huge impact on ensuring that they continuously evaluate the students ensuring they understand the concept. Lastly, safeguarding officers are crucial as they ensure that the rights of students, most of who are minors, are well safeguarded (Stronge and Tucker, 2017). And this ensures that students can enjoy their education without facing challenges that could affect their education. The welfare of students must be addressed at all times.
References
Boyle, K., 2020. Autonomy and the instrumental music teacher: negotiating culture in professional practice. PRACTICE, pp.1-18.
Gravells, A. (2017). Principles and Practices of Teaching & Training, London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Stronge, J. and Tucker, P., 2017. Handbook on Teacher Evaluation with CD-ROM. Routledge.
Bibliography
Avis, J., Fisher, R and Thompson, R (2015) Teaching in Lifelong Learning, 2nd Edition, Berkshire: Open University Press
Gravells, A. (2013) Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, London: SAGE Publications ltd
