There are several different competencies that I feel are essential to the teaching profession.
Communication
- One key curricular competency is communication. In teaching we have to communicate with many different people through many different methods.
- As teachers we need to communicate with co-workers, with admin, with students, and with parents almost everyday. We need to be able to adapt the way that we communicate with each of these groups so that it is effective.
- Another important part of communication is what kind of information we are communicating and through what method. I have found in practicum that we cannot communicate in only one way, and have that information be understood by all. Because each individual student may not understand. So, we need to be adaptable so that our communication is effective. We may need to communicate verbally, through text by notes and examples, through pictures etc. However, we need to include all these different methods so that the information that we are trying to communicate can be understood by all.
Collaboration and Teamwork
- I think that one important curricular competency for educators is collaboration and teamwork.
- Being a teacher can be a real time intensive career. We have to unit plan, lesson plan, create resources, create tests, mark, and all of it outside of class time. I think that it is important for all of us to support each other through collaboration and teamwork. I know, as teacher candidates throughout this practicum we have been trying to create a supportive work environment we share resources, lessons, ect.
Creativity and Innovation
- I think that when we support ourselves through teamwork and collaboration, we have more time and mental space to be creative and innovative. We can also have a person to bounce ideas off of each other. I really think creativity and innovation is essential to continue working on changing and improving our assessment practices for the better but also in a sustainable way.
- I also think that innovation is key. If we take things that work or don’t quite work, we can modify and innovate those ideas until they become something that works.