EDF5855 The teaching profession and the professional teacher

Becoming a teacher requires an understanding of what it means to be a professional, including the elements of self-regulation of the profession and each professional. As a member of a profession, this includes understanding the basis of your employment (the industrial agreements under which teachers operate); behaving in a professional manner with parents/carers, other teachers, other professionals and community members more broadly; and operating within a legislative, administrative and organisational policy and procedures regime designed to meet community expectations of what it means to be a teacher. An important element of this is the legislated obligations teachers have under Child Safe Standards and the development of strategies to support student wellbeing and safety.

Professional teachers pay attention to: involving parents and carers in the educative process in effective and sensitive ways that ensure confidentiality when necessary; continuous development through career planning; engaging in learning that meets personal professional needs as well as those of the teaching context; and consideration of work/life balance including the building of resilience as well as mental and physical health.