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Chapter 1. Becoming a Professional Social Studies Teacher. Looking Ahead. What does it mean to be a professional social studies teacher and what is required? Did you know there is an entire field dedicated to promoting the content and pedagogy of social studies?
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Chapter 1 Becoming a Professional Social Studies Teacher
Looking Ahead • What does it mean to be a professional social studies teacher and what is required? • Did you know there is an entire field dedicated to promoting the content and pedagogy of social studies? • What resources are available to social studies teachers through this field? • Are you dedicated and committed to becoming a professional social studies teacher?
Can You? • Name at least two professional journals for social studies teachers? • Describe the principles of your states professional code of ethics? • List at least two types of professional development?
Do You? • Know the principles of your states professional code of conduct for educators? • Know the qualifications of a highly qualified teacher? • Know the name of two professional organizations for social studies teachers?
Focus Activity • Becoming a professional social studies teacher takes years of dedication and professional training. At this point, most of you have decided that you want to teach middle and/or high school social studies. • Write down the reasons why you decided to become a secondary social studies teacher. • Remember there are no wrong answers. • Share and discuss your reasons with classmates. • Do you share similar reasons with peers?
Influences and Experiences • There are many influences that have and will continue to shape your approach to teach social studies. • It is ideal to keep an open-mind and continue to try new strategies to improve your teaching and ultimately the students’ learning. • Reflect for a moment about all your teachers you had as a middle and secondary student. • Pick the three best and three worst teachers you ever had. • Compare qualities of the good and bad teachers. • Are there any similarities? Differences? Are there common themes among the good teachers and among the bad teachers? What are they?
Professional Certification, Conduct, and Ethics • Certification (Highly Qualified?) • College Degree (4 year) • Teaching Certificate • Competent in the Subject • Measuring competency varies from state to state
Professional Certification, Conduct, and Ethics • Professional Conduct • Every teacher must adhere to a professional code of conduct though it may vary from state to state. • A professional code of conduct is a list of principals/rules that a teacher must abide by. • Failure to adhere to the code may often result in suspension/termination and/or loss of one’s professional teaching certificate.
Professional Certification, Conduct, and Ethics • Ethics • There is a large variety of professional codes of ethics for teachers developed by state departments of educations, unions, professional organizations, and other non-profits. • Most professional codes of ethics incorporate the same core principles; this includes • the educator’s relationship with the students, • with colleagues, and • with the community.
Professional Organizations • Actively participating in professional social studies organizations allows you to • network with other teachers; • obtain valuable teaching ideas and content knowledge via publications and conferences; and • promote social studies education and its importance to students, teachers, parents, principals, superintendents, politicians, etc.
Professional Organizations • There are National/International Organizations such as: • Association for Middle Level Education (www.amle.org) • Council for Economic Education (www.concilforeconed.org) • International Society for the Social Studies (www.TheISSS.org) • National Council for Geographic Education (www.ncge.org) • National Council for History Education (www.nche.net) • National Council for the Social Studies (www.ncss.org) • There are state/local organizations as well
Professional Development • Professional development is a requirement by most certification boards and it can come in many forms, such as: • college/university classes, • online seminars and training, • in-service training, • Professional journals, and • professional conferences.
Professional Development • Professional Journals • The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues, and Ideas • The Geography Teacher • The History Teacher • The Journal of Social Studies Research • Middle Level Learning • Middle Ground • Middle School Journal • Social Education • The Social Studies • Social Studies Research and Practice • Theory and Research in Social Education
Professional Development • Professional Conferences • The Association for Middle Level Education Annual Conference • The Council for Economic Education National Conference • The International Society for the Social Studies Annual Conference • The National Conference for Geographic Education Annual Conference • The National Council for History Education National Conference • The National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference
Looking Back • Becoming a professional social studies teacher takes commitment and dedication. • Always remember and reflect on why you became a teacher. • Follow a professional code of conduct and ethics for the state in which you inhabit. • Be an active member of a professional organization/s. • Read professional journals and attend professional conferences to stay current with trends and effective teaching strategies.
Extension • You are in the process of applying for a few social studies teaching positions in your hometown school district. As you examine the various job openings, you notice that all of the applications require a personal goals statement. As you begin to draft your personal goals statement, you realize that your letter could be the difference between getting an interview or not. • Draft a personal goals statement. Be sure to detail what it means to be a professional social studies teacher and your professional goals.
Self-Test • What is a highly qualified teacher? • What are the names of two professional journals for social studies teachers? • What are the names of two professional organizations for social studies teachers? • List at least two types of professional development?
Resources • American Federation of Teachers http://www.aft.org • National Education Association http://www.nea.org • Strike, K.A. & Soltis, J.F. (2009). The Ethics of Teaching (5th Edition). New York: Teachers College Press. • Wong, H.K. & Wong, T.R. (2005). The First Days of School. Mount View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.