Teaching, just like other professions, has its own code of conduct. This is a set of rules that, if followed, can yield the best results, let alone give you a smooth-sail through your career. Of course, this doesn’t mean you won’t face any challenges along the way. It means you’ll have a professional approach to these problems.
The article below contains all elements that constitute the professional teacher code of conduct
1. Lesson preparation
In order to achieve any success in teaching your learners, you have to eliminate all possibility of walking into the classroom and teaching off the top of the head. This means you have to thoroughly plan your lesson, and some crucial things include;
- schemes of work
- lesson plan
- lesson notes
- tests
If you talk to a good number of students from less strict schools, you realize they had those moments where the teacher seemed puzzled and had to look back into their reference book or postpone the topic for the next lesson.
To avoid this, a professional teacher has to prepare everything ahead of the lesson.
2. Sobriety
Besides the fact that stepping into a classroom while tipsy gives the ultimate bad impression, it’s just not the right state of mind in which to conduct a class. Below are other reasons why;
- Destabilizes your mood, which affects the way you conduct your lesson
- Gives a bad example for students to emulate
- Affects speech and/ or content delivery, making learning extremely hard for the students
- Leads to long term brain damage
- Causes addiction, which degrades a teacher’s mental health
By staying sober, you avert the possibilities of such flaws in your classroom. Also, maintaining your normal composure without the influence of alcohol, is the best way to assess your teaching and make possible improvements thereof.
3. Avoiding intimacy with students
Because of a reasonable lack of discipline in some teachers in some schools, there continues to exist a high number of intimate relationships between students and teachers. This leads to things like
- The spread of STDs
- Favoritism from teachers towards the students they love
- Early pregnancies and consequent drop-outs
- Getting fired/ losing the job
Depending on the school, some relationships are secretive, while others happen in broad day light. However, everyone that condones or engages in such doesn’t deserve to be called a professional teacher.
4. Confidence
Teachers are leaders, without any doubt. For someone feeding information to people that will enter all sorts of professional worlds, confidence is key. Here are some of the benefits of being confident;
- Helps you deliver all information clearly to the students
- Enables you to effectively control your classroom
- Students can read your confidence and decide on how and what amount of respect you deserve
Sometimes, your level of confidence is highly influenced by your society, your upbringing, and the things you had to endure to get to where you are. However, confidence is an ideal requirement for every teacher.
5. Decent dress code
For every profession where you have to get out, meet people and present all you have, your dress code really matters. This is because;
- It affects your confidence significantly
- Portrays the image of the school
- Projects part of your personality to the students
- Influences the interest of your learners
In the real world, books are first judged by their covers – whether you like it or not. Therefore, take time and make reasonable additions and subtractions to your wardrobe to fix this.
6. Teacher should be exemplary
As children grow up, they observe more than they listen, meaning they’re more likely to emulate your actions, good or bad, instead of just heeding to your advice. A teacher has to be exemplary in the following areas.
- Their physical appearance, especially hygiene
- How they communicate with their colleagues and students
- Their tolerance and obedience to their superiors
- Reactions to different kinds of situations
Of course, teachers are not only tasked with equipping students with basic knowledge, but to also shape them. Therefore, the teachers’ own exemplary conduct comes in handy to this cause.
7. Refrain from using bad language
Sometimes, students report cases of one or more teachers that used profanity to address them, especially under tense situation and negative feelings. However, this isn’t good because;
- It reduces the amount of respect that your students give you
- Sets a bad precedent, making some students feel comfortable doing the same
- It can cost you your career
No matter how many Hollywood movies or Rap music you listen to, swearing is not a normal or effective kind of communication.
8. Being respectful and approachable
As opposed to what many people think, respect is not only supposed to be given to your superiors. However, strangers, your students, family and colleagues all deserve a certain amount of respect, portrayed through;
- Addressing others politely
- Respecting other people’s tribal and religious affiliations
- Listening and honoring other people’s opinions
- Refraining from using insults to address your feelings
Being respectful and approachable is really important if you want to get anywhere in your career and beyond.
9. Teaching objectively
Even though this concept has been misunderstood by a vast majority of people, objectivity in teaching is the practice of putting all emotional, religious and cultural attachments aside.
This enables teachers to teach students based on facts, thus enabling students to fully understand what they’re taught.
Conclusion;
No one is perfect, and there’s a high possibility that you’ll make lots of mistakes along your career. However, it’s important to note that not all mistakes are equal, and same applies to their effects. Professionalism is all about trying to polish your professional attitude every single day.
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