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Unit 32: Teaching as a Profession, Professional Development of Teachers

(iii) Job analysis is a guide line for developing a professional norms or values. Notes
(iv) Job security of the workers in a profession does not affect the working efficiency adversity.
(v) The professional norms provide the basis for developing professional ethics.

31.5 Professional Ethics of Teachers

In order to arrive at such a professional ethics, the teachers and teacher educators must be able to
distinguish between philosophy of education and philosophy of teacher education. Also the
difference between the social and historical frameworks to the teaching profession. the teacher
has to be an example for his students and the society and therefore the value system he holds
should be clear, precise and ethical. He should cultivate 'losing honesty' to be honest not only
when he stands to gain by it but also when he has to lose when his consciences knows that he is
doing the right thing. He must exemplify the dignity of labour and professional commitment,
however tiring the circumstances may be.
The teacher must be an embodiment of eternal values that remain the same, however, much the
circumstance may change. Truth, love and goodness are values that are admired across creeds,
cultures and religions. he will be a sheet anchor to society amidst the stimulate the social change.
He is should be conscious of his accountability to his profession of teaching by being accountable
for this effective teaching and effective learning of the students. He accountable to society and
this aspect must be channeled through an appropriate hierarchy of competent professional
authority.
The profession of teaching reflects a high degree of academic excellence, repertoire of teaching
skills and practical wisdom on the one hand and well integrated values system on the other and
both oriented towards altruistic service. The personal development of a teacher is the core of
professionalization and forms the base for professional ethics. The concept of professional ethics
for a teacher can be summed up in the words of Rabindranath Tagore, "in our ideal life we must
touch all men and all times through the manifestation of a truth which is eternal and universal."
Teacher's, who consider their job as a profession, work only for pay cheque. Their work is
considered useful for their own sake. Since perchance they have occupied a professional chair
they try for their own good, at the cost of others. But our cultural heritage proves that true
teachers are those who consider their job as honorable. Their activities become honorable only
when they work with a sense of self-fulfillment and self-realization.
An ideal teacher, as a professional person, should not work with pecuniary motives, but with a
sense of child leading other children, a light kindling other lights, as awakened soul awakening
other souls." To follow professional value in its right perspective, a teacher must learn to teach,
to influence and to show to others. He must follow a code of ethics and maintain high professional
standards. Teaching is a noble procession.
Students tend to copy the behaviours and mannerisms of the teachers. The teachers entire
personality is a reflection of the minds of the students. If the teacher is honest, leads a balanced
and disciplined life, the children adopt these virtues as ideal conduct unconsciously. An ideal
teacher is one who through his thoughts, words and deeds, gives an impression of an honest
upright life which can serve as a model for the students to copy, follow and emulate. Learning by
imitation is best technique.
The teacher should take a pledge to follow the code of ethics which may bring credit to the entire
profession.
The following code many be suggested which each teacher should understand and should try to
adopt as his professional ethics.
(1) Towards Students: It shall be our primary duty to understand them, to be just, courteous, to
promote a spirit of enquiry, fellowship and joy in them, not to do are say anything that would
undermine their personality, not to exploit them for personal interests and to set before them a
high standard of character, discipline and personality.

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