Breanna Moore

What it Means to be a Professional

Dictionaries generally agree that the term professional means (a person) engaged in a
specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime, however, it appears
that a professional teacher is much more complex than the simple terminology could have one
believe. Teachers do require certification and do get paid, but being a professional extends its
meaning in the profession. According to the ATA, teachers must always exhibit professionalism.
My understanding of professionalism is that a teacher is a professional if they maintain a positive
barrier between themselves and students (ie. keep personal life out of the classroom and maintain
educator attitude outside of the classroom,) are altruistically committed to the school community,
keep social media platforms private from students and their parents, and have a high decision
making authority in the workplace, and do not risk liabilities. I gained this understanding through
our teaching seminar course and our special ATA workshop.
It is new knowledge to me that the appropriate barrier between teachers and students
must be maintained, as teachers often hung out with students outside of the classroom in my
High School. However, the ATA has taught me that not acting like an educator even outside of
the classroom is damaging and undermines the profession. I also learned that it is the era of
developing new technologies, and students as well as their parents must be left out of social
networking. In a world where there is little privacy, teachers must try to stay private in order to
ensure a positive experience for parents. There have been cases where parents have been
outraged over Facebook photos or incriminating tweets. Essentially, in my perspective, teachers
must remember that they always have an audience. Consequently, teachers will have a high
decision making authority. Teachers must be cautious about their decisions, and must make

decisions that best benefit their community (students, parents, coworkers, and the principal). In
addition, teachers must put effort into their career and ensure that they meet the curriculum.
Lastly, I feel that teachers should be aware of any liabilities. We learned in our ATA workshop
that teachers can be sued for driving students if something unfortunate happens even with
liability forms signed by guardians so it is extremely important for teachers to understand the
legal system and not assume liabilities for their students. Moreover, in this example of liabilities,
teachers should be intelligent enough to find other ways to transport students.
In conclusion, I understand that teachers need to be professionals in and out of the
classroom. Teachers must be aware of what is appropriate for their audience, and always
consider parents/guardians and legal issues. I believe that a teacher who is altruistically devoted
to their students in addition to the legalities is the best teacher there can be.