The Social Responsibility of the Educators and Education Department

Educators are the greatest resource in society due to the fact that every individual within society has received their first foundation/start-up to be successful in life due to them. Educators are the power tools in society, the better they are at doing their jobs the better perhaps society may become. Despite the great work that they do, they have a mandate and rules to follow in conducting themselves and expressing their work.

In an instance where an educator is seeking to conduct a scholarly inquiry to investigate pedagogical challenges, one would have to identify effective pedagogies, establish data support, identify educational technologies and implementation strategies that can support the issues at hand bearing in mind the rules and regulations of the institute and the department of education. In essence one must ask meaningful questions about student learning and how the teaching material is received by the student. Lastly share results of the analysis publicly and those that are of influence to the education system, to invite a review that can contribute to the body of knowledge on student learning so that there is an aim in improving student learning by strengthening the practice of teaching ('A Scholarly Approach to Teaching |', n.d.).

Critical thinking is having the ability to process information, analyse, as well as being self-conscious. Having such ability enables you to be able to solve problems (Paul & Elder, 2010). With the help of critical thinking educators can, then make an assessment, examine and collect information. Identify the problem, analyse the data or issue. Determine immediate priorities, navigate which problems need immediate attention, establish expected outcomes, determine interventions. Lastly implement their plan of action, monitor outcomes and make record. This format in critical thinking can assist on a professional level and challenges facing the relationship between student and teacher as well as issues pertaining to education at large.

Literacy skills are a set of skills that allows one to find, retrieve, analyse and use information, this is linked to critical thinking and life long learning. In addition to this a literacy model is created by a means of a literacy programme designed to pre and post test students, which includes testing if a student as received education on academic writing, reading, note taking, direct quoting, paraphrasing and referencing styles (Ranaweera, n.d.). This gives background on the type of student and what action needs to take place in assisting students move forward in learning. This programme then better equips students to be life long learners and to be critical thinkers.

Learning never ends and those that are in an educational sphere have to continuously grow their knowledge, become more critical in their thinking. For an educator to gain advanced study and professional development and to master their field is through the means of research that will be critiqued and applied to their profession. Their self-improvement will be demonstrated through a thesis or a project that is grounded in theory and research. “One must take note that professional development occurs when educators hold their practice/teachings up to the scrutiny of research and scholarly work” (Bair Ph.D. & Mader Ph.D., 2013)

Being an educator is demanding and it is imperative to increasingly make informed decisions in the context of one’s everyday practice using your professional judgement. Reflection practices is a means of one understanding themselves, their personal philosophies and the dynamics of the classroom more deeply. The process of engaging in reflection provides personal resource because it is focused thinking that supports self knowledge and understanding. Engaging in such a practice over time allows one to become more skilful in making informed professional decisions and judgements. This involves academic reflection, do you as an educator know your content? There is also social efficacy reflection, that involves implementing research work in which you as the educator would vouch for, and deem appropriate in sharing the content with your students. Thirdly developmental reflection, that involves asking yourself if you’re teaching material is valid and suitable. Lastly social reconstructionist reflection, that involves your beliefs on the material given to you to teach (Chapter 1: Reflective Practice, 2013).

Every educator has a code to live by in order for them to be in service, as part of their professionalism they are bound by professional practice principles which in include; service to public, responsiveness to the government and the needs of the public, accountability, fairness and integrity, efficiency and effectiveness. In a nutshell educators are obligated serve public interest by a means of treating students, parents and colleagues with courtesy and sensitivity to their rights, duties and aspirations also to respect the dignity, rights and opinions of others, respecting cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds as well as valuing and acknowledging contributions made by others. It is also within their duty to demonstrate high standards of professional practice by engaging students in their learning and demonstrate responsibility to oneself as an ethical professional by ensuring you know the work you must do and provide (MICHIGAN CODE OF Educational Ethics, 2019).