Assignment #1

Name:
Roll #:
Course code: 8612
Submitted to:
Program: B.ED (1.5 YEARS)
Semester: Autumn 2021
Subject: Professionalism in teaching

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

QUESTION#1
Q.1 Define professionalism. Is teaching a profession? How?
Give arguments.
Despite differences in opinion as to whether or not teaching should be considered a
profession, it’s certain that teaching can be done with professionalism.

Here are two different definitions of professionalism:

“The skill, good judgment, and polite behavior that is expected
from a person who is trained to do a job well”
“‘Professionalism’ is commonly understood as an individual’s
adherence to a set of standards, code of conduct or collection
of qualities that characterize accepted practice within a
particular area of activity
Professionalism in the teaching discipline is diversely considered. Many people have the
viewpoint that professionals are of high status in society, an example being lawyers. We must
acknowledge the responsibility teachers hold in the profession and identify their roles as
professionals.

Teaching is a paid occupation, therefore I believe should be defined as a profession. Oxford

English Dictionary (2012) supports this by stating that a profession is a paid occupation
following extended training and formal qualifications. This definition serves the suggestion that
teaching is in fact a profession, because to graduate with a teaching degree, you are required to
be relevantly and formally qualified and to have completed the appropriate teacher training.
Saying this, many teachers are being given jobs in schools in England without having achieved
the formal qualifications. So, does this mean they are not part of this profession and
subsequent to this, not professionals, because they do not have the formal qualifications?
Profession is defined as having gone through appropriate training in the specified field of study,
so if an individual has relevant work experience, should formal qualifications be a necessity? An
article on The General Teaching Council for Wales brought to my attention the belief that
teaching is not an isolated profession. Instead, it is much more: it is working with social
workers, therapists, specialists and many more who bring support to teachers and children.
This raises the question: are teachers professionals

Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘professional’ as ‘relating to or belonging to a profession’.

Although this definition is understood as meaning, for example, professionals in healthcare
potentially belong to a Healthcare profession, there are many attributes of an individual which
make them a professional. Being a professional means meeting standards and expectations of
society, policy and those set yourself with consideration of ethics, values and beliefs. An
important element of being a successful teacher is being a professional; the way you conduct
yourself, behave and how your professional role is portrayed. To be a professional in teaching,
it is important to ensure you are a good example for young children to follow. It is also
important to consider the way you conduct yourself to your peers and to wider society, not just
to your colleagues, because teachers being known as professionals can depend highly on the
way they are viewed by society, which relies on the way the individual is portrayed to others.

I strongly think teachers’ roles being viewed as professionals is hugely dependent on the close
community and wider society. The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) sets out a
Code of Professionalism and Conduct (COPAC) in order to put in place key principles and
standards expected of registered teachers, to ensure members of society have trust in
teachers. The Code of Professionalism and Conduct is not only for registered teachers, but is
also available to members of the public, therefore supporting the suggestion that teachers
being viewed as professionals or unprofessional is dependent on society. Saying this, it may
also influence members of public to have a deep understanding of what is expected by
teachers and therefore raise issues where teachers are identified as not meeting the standards.
Therefore, this resulting in teachers not being appreciated as professionals. Although every
teacher is different and will carry differing points of view on issues, varying values and personal
beliefs, The General Teaching Council for Scotland strives to improve professional standards for
teachers.

Yes, teachers should be identified as professionals, however it is dependent on how individual

teachers conduct themselves, behave and portray their personality that defines whether they
are being a professional.
I have found that Sally’s suggestions are invaluable while mentoring others in how to be more
professional. She even inspired me to create my own list of behaviors for professional courtesy.
These reminders may spark inspiration for even the most experienced in our field. With Sally’s
permission, I have included her behaviors (the first three listed which are marked with an
asterisk*) followed by my own interpretations for pursuing excellence:

1. Be on time*. Arriving early to school or staying late is often necessary. Some people may
prefer one option over the other to complete such tasks as preparing lesson plans,
organizing the classroom, responding to messages, entering data, and so forth.
Regardless of your choice of arrival and departure time, there is no excuse for arriving
late to a class, rehearsal, or meeting. Set the example for punctuality.
2. Dress respectfully*. Dressing for success may make you feel more effective in your role
as educator and motivator. Especially with younger students, a particular accessory that
you are wearing may even be the magic to holding their attention! Dressing respectfully
should boost your confidence, helping to ensure recognition as the classroom leader.
3. Be positive*. If you do not demonstrate pride in your students, program, and school,
then do not expect others to do the same. Positivity is contagious!
4. Never complain. If you plan to share a frustration with a colleague or administrator, be
prepared to offer a solution. Complaining accomplishes nothing and may toxify your
working environment. (That said, sharing frustrations with a friend or family member
outside the walls of the school may be a necessary outlet.)
5. Blame no one. If you are making excuses for your ensemble’s performance or your
students’ behavior, then you haven’t done your best to prepare your students for
success. When an educator is consistent in his or her communication, management,
organization, and tutelage, it is evident in the performance and behavior of the
musicians. Are you teaching behaviors before content? Demonstrate it.
6. Smile. A smile offers a kind gesture when speaking may not be possible. You will be
invigorated, students will feel welcome, colleagues will feel included, and supporters will
sense appreciation.
7. Compliment. Give compliments to your students and colleagues on their
accomplishments. Your kind words could be the only empathetic attention they
experience on that day.
8. Ask for help. There is no shame in this. Find inspirational people to serve as a resource
for you. Invite them into your classroom or rehearsal space and ask them to adjudicate
your teaching or ensemble. Accept their feedback.
9. Listen with your eyes and ears. Listen carefully at meetings and read all
correspondences in a timely fashion. Mark your calendar accordingly—don’t expect
reminders of due dates to be sent by colleagues and supervisors. When a deadline is
given, prepare for it and meet it.
10. Proofread and obtain approval. Employ a new set of eyes to review the
content,grammar, formatting, and legalities of a document or e-mail. If suggestions or
changes are made, update and re-proof for errors. Particularly if you are a new teacher,
be sure to show the document to your administrator before printing and distributing.
Ask him or her to review it, offer suggestions, and approve all content.
11. Acknowledge others. If a colleague’s work interests you, kindly ask before implementing
it for your own purpose. Credit that person, program, or school if you plan to use the
exact words or ideas, regardless of the quantity. Do not plagiarize.
12. Respect the tenured. If a colleague is having difficulty learning a new technology or
procedure, this does not mean that he or she will never learn it. Are you aware of all the
ways this experienced person may have added to the value of music education for your
program, school, and community through the years?
13. Maintain your musicianship. If we want our students to practice effectively and perform
enthusiastically, then we must model this discipline in music-making. Creating ways to
showcase your own musical talent to students and the school community may end up
eliciting admiration, fundraising, and other support. Maintaining your musicianship
doesn’t only advance your cause; it can inspire and benefit others in your school and
community.
14. Show gratitude. Show appreciation for all who have supported you, your students, and
your program throughout the school year. Some people may choose to tag these people
on a social media post, but that is not truly thanking them directly. Personalize your
gratitude. Write the thank you notes.

QUESTION#2
Q.2 What is professionalization? Describe characteristics of
professionalism.
Professionalization is a process whereby occupations have become, or seek to
become, publicly recognized as professions according to the degree to which they
meet the alleged criteria.

Meanings of Professionalization
Professionalization is a process whereby occupations have become, or seek to
become, publicly recognized as professions according to the degree to which they meet
the alleged criteria. Professionalization can be seen as having two strands. One strand
is concerned with the improvement of status. The other strand is concerned with the
improvement of the capacity of members to enhance the quality of service which is
provided. It is generally assumed that these two elements proceed pari passu but this
need not be the case. The terminology in relation to this distinction is confusing,
however, recent usage distinguishes between professionalization as the pursuit of
status and professionalism as the improvement of skills and hence service. The latter
terminology will therefore be used here.
One can perhaps refer to ‘early’ professionalization as the process whereby the elite
professions established their position and ‘late’ professionalization as the period
beginning in the late nineteenth century when with ‘the rise of professional society’
(Perkin 1989) a large number of occupations, including teaching, began their quest for
professional status by taking measures to meet the alleged criteria. In these terms, it
can be said that teaching was in the process of professionalization from the mid-1870s
to the mid-1970s, increasingly so after World War II. The length of the period of teacher
education was extended. An increasingly higher proportion of teachers were
graduates. Teacher training institutions became integrated into the universities. The
knowledge base of teaching became more extensive. Teachers enjoyed a high degree
of pedagogical autonomy within a loosely-coupled school structure. Teachers'
organizations increased their influence with government. And in some systems, e.g.
Malta, teaching achieved the legal status of a profession. However within this general
process of professionalization are acute gender differences (Gitlin and Labaree

Meeting the Standards That Matter

 
Professionalism is a powerful quality. It allows you to fulfill your role to the best of your ability.
It helps you to impress and inspire others. And it gives you a deep sense of satisfaction and self-
worth.

What's more, professionalism is something that everyone can aspire to from day one of their
career.

In this article we explain what professionalism means today, and show you how to act and feel
like a professional – wherever you work.
What Is Professionalism?

As the saying goes, "Professionalism is not the job you do, it's how you do the job."
Professionalism involves consistently achieving high standards, both visibly and "behind the
scenes" – whatever your role or profession.

Some sectors, workplaces or roles have particular "rules" of professionalism. These may be
explicit, such as an agreed dress code, or a policy for using social media. Other rules and
expectations may not be written down, but they can be just as important – such as what is
regarded as professional behavior at meetings, or even how people personalize their desks.

It pays to be observant, and to ask for clarification if necessary. "Fitting in" is a big part of
professionalism, as it's a way to show respect, attention to detail, and a commitment to upholding
agreed practices and values.

However, "being true to yourself" is just as important. True professionals don't follow rules
mindlessly, and they know when and how to challenge norms. They're also flexible, and they
find their own ways to do things – while still maintaining high standards

8 Characteristics of Professionalism

What are the attributes that will mark you out as a professional? Let's look at eight key
characteristics:

1. Competence

As a professional, you get the job done – and done well. Your abilities match the
requirements of your role, and you often produce results that exceed expectations.

But you never plow on simply for the sake of appearances. Instead, your
professionalism allows you to manage your own and others' expectations, and to ask for
support when necessary.

2. Knowledge

Professionalism involves developing detailed, up-to-date knowledge, which is often

highly specialized . At every stage of your career you can strive to master your role –
and keep adding to what you know.
It's also important to put your knowledge into action. Being professional means feeling
confident to show what you know – not for self-promotion, but to help yourself and
others to succeed.
3. Conscientiousness

Professionalism involves being reliable, setting your own high standards, and showing
that you care about every aspect of your job. It's about being industrious and organized,
and holding yourself accountable for your thoughts, words and actions.

But don't confuse conscientiousness with working longer hours than everyone else, or
obsessing about details. True professionals plan and prioritize their work to keep it
under control, and they don't let perfectionism hold them back .

4. Integrity

Integrity  is what keeps professional people true to their word. It also stops them
compromising their values, even if that means taking a harder road.
Integrity is bound up with being honest – to yourself, and to the people you meet. Your
beliefs and behaviors are aligned, and everyone can see that you're genuine.

5. Respect

Professionalism means being a role model for politeness and good manners  – to

everyone, not just those you need to impress.
What's more, you show that you truly respect other people by taking their needs into
account, and by helping to uphold their rights.

6. Emotional Intelligence

To be a true professional you need to stay professional even under pressure. This takes
strategies for managing your emotions, plus a clear awareness of other people's
feelings. In short, emotional intelligence is essential .
Sometimes, professionalism means keeping your emotions in check. But at other times
it's important to express your feelings, in order to have meaningful conversations or to
stand up for what you believe in.

7. Appropriateness

A big part of being professional is knowing what's appropriate in different situations. It

avoids awkwardness or upset, boosts your credibility, and helps you to feel secure in
your role.

Appropriateness relates to outward appearances, such as dress, personal grooming

and body language.
But it also covers the way you speak and write, the topics you choose to discuss, and
how you behave with others.

8. Confidence

Well-founded confidence reassures and motivates other people, boosting your ability to

influence and lead . It also pushes you to take on new challenges, because you don't
fear damaging your professional reputation if things go wrong.
Professionalism makes you confident about what you’re doing now, but always eager to
do it better and achieve more.

How to Exhibit Professionalism

Now that we've seen the qualities that set professionals apart, let's explore ways to
improve in each of these eight areas.

Improve Your Competence

Carry out a Personal SWOT Analysis  to identify your strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats. Then set SMART goals  to plan your improvement.
Our article, 8 Ways to Prioritize Your Professional Development , shows how to lead your
own learning and growth. It also explains how to work with others to boost the
competence of your whole team.

Increase Your Knowledge

Don't let your knowledge and skills get outdated. Make a commitment to build expertise
and to stay up-to-date with your industry.

As well as carrying out research, consider on-the-job training to maintain and develop
detailed and relevant knowledge.

Use all the networking you do to stay well-informed about your industry as a whole. And
see our Bite-Sized Training session, Building Expert Power , for ways to strengthen and
apply your knowledge at every stage of your career.
Be Conscientious

Conscientiousness requires organization, so make regular use of To-Do

Lists  and Action Programs . You can also learn to be more conscientious by improving
your concentration , to complete work more efficiently and accurately.
Resolve to honor your commitments and to learn from your mistakes, in order to develop
strong personal accountability .
Our article, How to Be Conscientious , has a range of additional ideas for boosting this
key aspect of professionalism.

Role-Model Integrity

Start by defining your own values , then spot any gaps between them and the way you
actually behave. Our guide to authenticity  explains why this is a lifelong process,
involving self-knowledge, willingness to reassess your priorities, and the ability to
change your behavior.
Ensure that you're clear about the laws that apply to your work, as well as any policies
that your organization has in place to support ethical practices. These might include
guidelines for fair procurement processes, or rules about accepting gifts from clients.

Whenever possible, explain your decisions and choices carefully. And do everything
you can to make it easy for others to act with integrity, too.

Promote Mutual Respect

Make it a habit to be polite and kind to everyone you come into contact with. Notice
what respectful behavior looks like in any given situation.

Sometimes you might need to develop your cultural understanding  – and perhaps do
some specific research before an overseas trip or an international meeting online.
You should also learn 

about any differences among your own people, so that you know how to help everyone
feel safe, included and respected. A professional approach like this can help to create
a culture of mutual respect .

Develop Your Emotional Intelligence

Start by increasing your awareness of your own emotions .

Then work on your ability to sense other people's emotions and needs. Active
Listening  is crucial here. You can also practice seeing things from other people's point
of view, so that you empathize with them, and see how best to support them
Examples of professional behavior include, but are not limited to: Showing compassion
for others; responding appropriately to the emotional response of patients and family
members; demonstrating respect for others; demonstrating a calm, compassionate, and
helpful demeanor toward those in need; being supportive and ...

QUESTION#3
Q.3 Explain professional dispositions. Why are these
necessary for effective teaching?
Answer: Professional dispositions include the values, commitments, and
professional ethics that influence behaviors towards students, families, colleagues, and
communities that affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as the
educator's own professional growth

Professional dispositions include the values, commitments, and professional ethics

that influence behaviors towards students, families, colleagues, and communities
that affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as the educator’s
own professional growth. Dispositions are guided by beliefs and attitudes related to
values such as caring, fairness, honesty, responsibility, and social justice. For
example, they might include a belief that all students can learn, a vision of high and
challenging standards, or a commitment to a safe and supportive learning
environment (NCATE, 2002).

The professional dispositions expected of all teacher candidates include an

ability to

15. Demonstrate a commitment to learning and diversity.

16. Build rapport and serve as a strong role model to peers, colleagues
and learners.
17. Display effective communication skills (oral and written) in all
settings.
18. Demonstrate professional competence and conduct.
All teacher candidates are expected to demonstrate these professional
dispositions consistently, especially during course and fieldwork
opportunities. To ensure all teacher candidates demonstrate these
dispositions, the TLEL faculty members have established mandated
 checkpoints throughout the preparation program. These checkpoints provide
an opportunity to elicit feedback from course instructors, cooperating
teachers, and university supervisors on any dispositional concerns. Teacher
candidates are also provided with a number of opportunities to self-evaluate
how well they these professional dispositions.
 
Professional dispositions will be assessed by cooperating
teachers/placement coordinators (e.g., Liberty Partnership coordinators) and
university supervisors in each field experience requirement. Additionally,
course instructors will assess professional dispositions informally in courses.
 
Teacher candidates must receive a final rating of “acceptable” for admission
and advancement in teacher education programs. If a teacher candidate
receives an "unacceptable" rating in a field experience or from a course
instructor, he/she must complete another field experience successfully
before advancing in the program and/or before applying for the internship
semester.

Professional Dispositions in Education. Serving as a teacher is more than knowing your

educational content, systematic planning, and instructing students. Teachers must also
demonstrate the professional attitudes and conduct that facilitate student learning and
convey a positive image of the education profession.

I will be honest with my students and their families. We will work as a community of
learners and practice effective communication. As a teacher, I will honor all my
commitments, students, their families, and staff. Our classroom environment will be
welcoming, safe, enjoyable and embrace all learning types and styles.
Professional Dispositions for Teacher Education Candidates Policy
The Professional Education Unit is the academic unit on campus devoted to the
preparation of education professionals. Any full- or part-time student enrolled in an
education program in one of the following departments, shall be considered an
education candidate of the Professional Education Unit:

19. Education and Human Development (initial and advanced teacher preparation
programs)
20. Counselor Education (school counseling)
21. Educational Administration (school building leader and school district leader)
22. Public Health and Health Education (advanced teacher preparation programs)
23. Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education (initial and advanced teacher
preparation programs)
24. Select Departments from the School of Arts and Sciences (content areas for
initial and advanced preparation programs)

Professional dispositions are the professional attitudes, values, and beliefs

demonstrated through both verbal and non-verbal behaviors as educators interact with
students, families, colleagues and communities. These positive behaviors support
student learning and development

Professional Dispositions
The Professional Education Unit has adopted six professional dispositions to which all
candidates (both undergraduate and graduate) must adhere to.

POSITIVE OUTLOOK

1. Demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and optimism

2. Foster a positive climate for learning
3. Act on the premise that all children can learn
4. Provide positive, authentic feedback
5. Focus on possibilities rather than obstacles
6. Respond to challenges
7. Treat all forms of diversity as learning opportunities

INTEGRITY

1. Foster trust among students, colleagues, school-based teacher educators

(SBTEs), and professors 
2. Demonstrate sound moral character, honesty, fairness, and sincerity, adhering to
relevant code of ethics
3. Commit to and models academic honesty
4. Apply knowledge of how diverse backgrounds affect interactions with others
5. Act on the value of inclusiveness

RESPECT

1. Adhere to program and school expectations

2. Commit to understanding diverse cultures and communities
3. Collaborate with school staff and faculty, professors, colleagues, students, and
parents
4. Respectfully self-advocate and engage in self-care
5. Show compassion and empathy for others
SELF-AWARENESS

1. Interact and work well with people who have characteristics different from self
2. Exhibit an awareness of how their communication affects others by using
objective and inclusive language that creates a shared understanding
3. Recognize their own strengths and gaps in knowledge, skills, and experiences
4. Make an effort to understand multiple perspectives or opposing viewpoints

DEDICATION

1. Engage in ongoing learning

2. Consistently solve problems by drawing on their internal knowledge and external
resources
3. Independently develop, adopt, and use a wide range of professional resources
4. Persist with tasks through completion at a high level of competency

PROFESSIONALISM

25. Adhere to College and host school expectations and policies regarding
punctuality, attendance, dress, and proper use of electronic devices
26. Engage in positive and respectful interactions with students, colleagues, SBTEs,
and families
27. Demonstrate a high level of reliability
28. Exemplify the characteristics of a good colleague

Programs within the PEU are free to add to the PEU's list of dispositions at their
discretion and with the approval of the Professional Education Council. Candidates
should become familiar with any additional dispositions associated with their program of
study.

Definition of disposition
1a: prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination

b: temperamental makeup

c: the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given

circumstances.

QUESTION#4
Q.4 Define self-renewal. Explain Gardner’s conceptualization
of self-renewal.
Answer:
1. Self-renewing persons view life as open-ended.
“Life isn’t a mountain that has a summit. Nor is it, as some people suppose, a
riddle that has an answer, nor a game that has a final score,” Gardner says.
“Life is an endless unfolding and, if we wish it to be, an endless process of
self-discovery, an endless and unpredictable dialogue between our own
potentialities and the life situations in which we find ourselves,” he says.
2. Self-renewing persons make commitments.

“As you get a little older, you’re told you’ve earned the right to think about
yourself. But that’s a deadly prescription,” Gardner says.
Self-renewing persons are connected to the world around them. As the world
changes they interact with it, and they change too.
You have to build meaning into your life, and you build it through your
commitments. Self-renewing persons pace themselves, set priorities, and
keep pursuing their best options.
3. They develop a sense of mutual dependence.
Says Gardner: “You come to understand that most people are neither for you
nor against you; they are thinking about themselves.”
Self-renewing persons care about their families, communities, and life
everywhere. They are interested. They listen and they reach out.

4. They keep learning.

As you grow older, the things you learn are more complex: “You learn not to
burn up energy in anxiety…. You learn that self-pity and resentment are
among the most toxic of drugs. You find that the world loves talent but pays
off on character,” he says.
Self-renewing persons learn from life: their successes, disappointments,
failures and mistakes. “We learn by growing older, by suffering, by loving, by
taking risks, by bearing with the things we can’t change,” he says.
5. Self-renewing persons are future-oriented.
 They believe in the future. By way of example, Gardner offers that Cervantes,
Winston Churchill and Pope John XXIII were all tough-minded optimists who
made significant contributions past their prime.
“You don’t need to run down like an unwound clock. And if your clock is
unwound, you can wind it up again,” Gardner says. Motivation is the key to
renewal. “There is no substitute for the lift of spirit and heightened
performance that comes from strong motivation,” he says.
Source: “Self-Renewal” by John. W. Gardner, in The Futurist magazine,

Self-renewal is the process by which stem cells divide to make more stem cells,
perpetuating the stem cell pool throughout life. Self-renewal is division with
maintenance of the undifferentiated state. This requires cell cycle control and often
maintenance of multipotency or pluripotency, depending on the stem cell. Self-renewal
programs involve networks that balance proto-oncogenes (promoting self-renewal),
gate-keeping tumor suppressors (limiting self-renewal), and care-taking tumor
suppressors (maintaining genomic integrity). These cell-intrinsic mechanisms are
regulated by cell-extrinsic signals from the niche, the microenvironment that maintains
stem cells and regulates their function in tissues. In response to changing tissue
demands, stem cells undergo changes in cell cycle status and developmental potential
over time, requiring different self-renewal programs at different stages of life. Reduced
stem cell function and tissue regenerative capacity during aging are caused by changes
in self-renewal programs that augment tumor suppression. Cancer arises from
mutations that inappropriately activate self-renewal programs.

John W. Gardner was the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President
Lyndon Johnson, an activist and author, and recipient of the 1964 Presidential Medal of
Freedom. This speech was delivered to McKinsey & Company on November 10, 1990.
Speech Transcript

I'm going to talk about “Self-Renewal.” One of your most fundamental tasks is the
renewal of the organizations you serve, and that usually includes persuading the top
officers to accomplish a certain amount of self-renewal. But to help you think about
others is not my primary mission this morning. I want to help you think about
yourselves.
I take that mission very seriously, and I've written out what I have to say because I want
every sentence to hit its target. I know a good deal about the kind of work you do and
know how demanding it is. But I'm not going to talk about the special problems of your
kind of career; I'm going to talk about some basic problems of the life cycle that will
surely hit you if you're not ready for them.
I once wrote a book called “Self-Renewal” that deals with the decay and renewal of
societies, organizations and individuals. I explored the question of why civilizations die
and how they sometimes renew themselves, and the puzzle of why some men and
women go to seed while others remain vital all of their lives. It's the latter question that
I shall deal with at this time. I know that you as an individual are not going to seed. But
the person seated on your right may be in fairly serious danger.
Not long ago, I read a splendid article on barnacles. I don't want to give the wrong
impression of the focus of my reading interests. Sometimes days go by without my
reading about barnacles, much less remembering what I read. But this article had an
unforgettable opening paragraph. “The barnacle” the author explained “is confronted
with an existential decision about where it's going to live. Once it decides.. . it spends
the rest of its life with its head cemented to a rock..” End of quote. For a good many of
us, it comes to that.
We've all seen men and women, even ones in fortunate circumstances with responsible
positions who seem to run out of steam in midcareer.
One must be compassionate in assessing the reasons. Perhaps life just presented them
with tougher problems than they could solve. It happens. Perhaps something inflicted a
major wound on their confidence or their self-esteem. Perhaps they were pulled down
by the hidden resentments and grievances that grow in adult life, sometimes so
luxuriantly that, like tangled vines, they immobilize the victim. You've known such
people — feeling secretly defeated, maybe somewhat sour and cynical, or perhaps just
vaguely dispirited. Or maybe they just ran so hard for so long that somewhere along the
line they forgot what it was they were running for.
I'm not talking about people
I'm not talking about people who fail to get to the top in achievement. We can't all get
to the top, and that isn't the point of life anyway. I'm talking about people who — no
matter how busy they seem to be — have stopped learning or growing. Many of them
are just going through the motions. I don't deride that. Life is hard. Just to keep on
keeping on is sometimes an act of courage. But I do worry about men and women
functioning far below the level of their potential.
We have to face the fact that most men and women out there in the world of work are
more stale than they know, more bored than they would care to admit. Boredom is the
secret ailment of large-scale organizations. Someone said to me the other day “How can
I be so bored when I'm so busy?” And I said “Let me count the ways.” Logan Pearsall
Smith said that boredom can rise to the level of a mystical experience, and if that's true I
know some very busy middle level executives who are among the great mystics of all
time.
We can't write off the danger of complacency, growing rigidity, imprisonment by our
own comfortable habits and opinions. Look around you. How many people whom you
know well — people even younger than yourselves –are already trapped in fixed
attitudes and habits. A famous French writer said “There are people whose clocks stop
at a certain point in their lives.” I could without any trouble name a half of a dozen
national figures resident in Washington, D.C., whom you would recognize, and could tell
you roughly the year their clock stopped. I won't do it because I still have to deal with
them periodically.
I've watched a lot of mid-career people, and Yogi Berra says you can observe a lot just
by watching. I've concluded that most people enjoy learning and growing. And many are
dearly troubled by the self-assessments of mid-career.
Such self-assessments are no great problem at your age. You're young and moving up.
The drama of your own rise is enough. But when you reach middle age, when your
energies aren't what they used to be, then you'll begin to wonder what it all added up
to; you'll begin to look for the figure in the carpet of your life. I have some simple advice
for you when you begin that process. Don't be too hard on yourself. Look ahead.
Someone said that “Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” And above all don't
imagine that the story is over. Life has a lot of chapters.
If we are conscious of the danger of going to seed, we can resort to countervailing
measures. At almost any age. You don't need to run down like an unwound clock. And if
your clock is unwound, you can wind it up again. You can stay alive in every sense of the
word until you fail physically. I know some pretty successful people who feel that that
just isn't possible for them, that life has trapped them. But they don't really know that.
Life takes unexpected turns.
I said in my book, “Self-
I said in my book, “Self-Renewal,” that we build our own prisons and serve as our own
jail-keepers. I no longer completely agree with that. I still think we're our own
jailkeepers, but I've concluded that our parents and the society at large have a hand in
building our prisons. They create roles for us — and self images — that hold us captive
for a long time. The individual intent on self-renewal will have to deal with ghosts of the
past — the memory of earlier failures, the remnants of childhood dramas and
rebellions, accumulated grievances and resentments that have long outlived their cause.
Sometimes people cling to the ghosts with something almost approaching pleasure —
but the hampering effect on growth is inescapable. As Jim Whitaker, who climbed
Mount Everest, said “You never conquer the mountain, You only conquer yourself.”
The more I see of human lives, the more I believe the business of growing up is much
longer drawn out than we pretend. If we achieve it in our 30's, even our 40s, we're
doing well. To those of you who are parents of teenagers, I can only say “Sorry about
that.”
There's a myth that learning is for young people. But as the proverb says, “It's what you
learn after you know it all that counts.” The middle years are great, great learning years.
Even the years past the middle years. I took on a new job after my 77th birthday — and
I'm still learning.
Learn all your life. Learn from your failures. Learn from your successes, When you hit a
spell of trouble, ask “What is it trying to teach me?” The lessons aren't always happy
ones, but they keep coming. It isn't a bad idea to pause occasionally for an inward look.
By midlife, most of us are accomplished fugitives from ourselves.
We learn from our jobs, from our friends and families. We learn by accepting the
commitments of life, by playing the roles that life hands us (not necessarily the roles we
would have chosen). We learn by growing older, by suffering, by loving, by bearing with
the things we can't change, by taking risks.
The things you learn in maturity aren't simple things such as acquiring information and
skills. You learn not to engage in self-destructive behavior. You leant not to burn up
energy in anxiety. You discover how to manage your tensions, if you have any, which
you do. You learn that self-pity and resentment are among the most toxic of drugs. You
find that the world loves talent, but pays off on character.
You come to understand that most people are neither for you nor against you, they are
thinking about themselves. You learn that no matter how hard you try to please, some
people in this world are not going to love you, a lesson that is at first troubling and then
really quite relaxing.
Those are things that are hard to learn early in life, As a rule you have to have picked up
some mileage and some dents in your fenders before you understand. As Norman
Douglas said “There are some things you can't learn from others. You have to pass
through the fire.'
You come to terms with yourself. You finally grasp what S. N. Behrman meant when he
said “At the end of every road you meet yourself.” You may not get rid of all of your
hang-ups, but you learn to control them to the point that you can function productively
and not hurt others.
You learn the arts of mutual dependence, meeting the needs of loved ones and letting
yourself need them. You can even be unaffected — a quality that often takes years to
acquire. You can achieve the simplicity that lies beyond sophistication.
You come to understand your impact on others. It's interesting that even in the first
year of life you learn the impact that a variety of others have on you, but as late as
middle age many people have a very imperfect understanding of the impact they
themselves have on others. The hostile person keeps asking ‘Why are people so hard to
get along with?” In some measure we create our own environment. You may not yet
grasp the power of that truth to change your life.
Of course failures are a part of the story too. Everyone fails, Joe Louis said “Everyone
has to figure to get beat some time.” The question isn't did you fail but did you pick
yourself up and move ahead? And there is one other little question: ‘Did you collaborate
in your own defeat?” A lot of people do. Learn not to.
One of the enemies of sound, lifelong motivation is a rather childish conception we have
of the kind of concrete, describable goal toward which all of our efforts drive us. We
want to believe that there is a point at which we can feel that we have arrived. We want
a scoring system that tells us when we've piled up enough points to count ourselves
successful.
So you scramble and sweat and climb to reach what you thought was the goal. When
you get to the top you stand up and look around and chances are you feel a little empty.
Maybe more than a little empty.
You wonder whether you climbed the wrong mountain.
But life isn't a mountain that has a summit, Nor is it — as some suppose — a riddle that
has an answer. Nor a game that has a final score.
Life is an endless unfolding, and if we wish it to be, an endless process of self-discovery,
an endless and unpredictable dialogue between our own potentialities and the life
situations in which we find ourselves. By potentialities I mean not just intellectual gifts
but the full range
of one's capacities for learning, sensing, wondering, understanding, loving and aspiring.
Perhaps you imagine that by age 35 or 45 or even 33 you have explored those
potentialities pretty fully. Don't kid yourself!
The thing you have to understand is that the capacities you actually develop to the full
come out as the result of an interplay between you and life's challenges –and the
challenges keep changing. Life pulls things out of you.
There's something I know about you that you may or may not know about yourself. You
have within you more resources of energy than have ever been tapped, more talent
than has ever been exploited, more strength than has ever been tested, more to give
than you have ever given.
You know about some of the gifts that you have left undeveloped. Would you believe
that you have gifts and possibilities you don't even know about? It's true. We are just
beginning to recognize how even those who have had every advantage and opportunity
unconsciously put a ceiling on their own growth, underestimate their potentialities or
hide from the risk that growth involves.
Now I've discussed renewal at some length, but it isn't possible to talk about renewal
without touching on the subject of motivation. Someone defined horse sense as the
good judgment horses have that prevents them from betting on people. But we have to
bet on people — and I place my bets more often on high motivation than on any other
quality except judgment. There is no perfection of techniques that will substitute for the
lift of spirit and heightened performance that comes from strong motivation, The world
 is moved by highly motivated people, by enthusiasts, by men and women who want
something very much or believe very much.
I'm not talking about anything as narrow as ambition. After all, ambition eventually
wears out and probably should. But you can keep your zest until the day you die. If I
may offer you a simple maxim, “Be interesting,” Everyone wants to be interesting — but
the vitalizing thing is to be interested. Keep a sense of curiosity. Discover new things.
Care. Risk failure. Reach out.
The nature of one's personal commitments is a powerful element in renewal, so let me
say a word on that subject.
I once lived in a house where I could look out a window as I worked at my desk and
observe a small herd of cattle browsing in a neighboring field. And I was struck with a
thought that must have occurred to the earliest herdsmen tens of thousands of years
ago. You never get the impression that a cow is about to have a nervous breakdown. Or
is puzzling about the meaning of life.
Humans have never mastered that kind of complacency. We are worriers and puzzlers,
and 

Self-renewal is the process by which stem cells divide to make more stem cells,
perpetuating the stem cell pool throughout life. Self-renewal is division with
maintenance of the undifferentiated state. This requires cell cycle control and often
maintenance of multipotency or pluripotency, depending on the stem cell. Self-renewal
programs involve networks that balance proto-oncogenes (promoting self-renewal),
gate-keeping tumor suppressors (limiting self-renewal), and care-taking tumor
suppressors (maintaining genomic integrity). These cell-intrinsic mechanisms are
regulated by cell-extrinsic signals from the niche, the microenvironment that maintains
stem cells and regulates their function in tissues. In response to changing tissue
demands, stem cells undergo changes in cell cycle status and developmental potential
over time, requiring different self-renewal programs at different stages of life. Reduced
stem cell function and tissue regenerative capacity during aging are caused by changes
in self-renewal programs that augment tumor suppression. Cancer arises from
mutations that inappropriately activate self-renewal programs.
QUESTIONS#5
Describe traits of a professional teacher
12 Characteristics of an Effective Teacher 
1. Prepared
The most effective teachers come to class each day ready to teach that
day’s lesson. They: 

29. Jump right into the lesson with enthusiasm.

30. Avoid wasting instructional time. They start class on time, teach for
the entire class period, and time flies in their classes.

2. Positive
The most effective teachers have optimistic attitudes about teaching and
their students. They always: 

5. Look on the bright side of every situation. 

6. Communicate with students about their progress. 
7. Praise and recognize students for hard work.
8. Help students act kindly toward one another.

3. Hold High Expectations 

The most effective teachers believe every student can be successful.
They: 

9. Hold students to the highest standards. 

10. Consistently challenge their students to realize their potential. 
11. Build students’ confidence and teach them to believe in themselves

. Creative
The most effective teachers are resourceful and inventive in their teaching
methods. They: 

31. Might wear a clown suit if the class reaches its academic goal. 
32. Agree to participate in the school talent show. 
33. Use technology effectively in the classroom.

5. Fair
The most effective teachers handle students and grading fairly. They: 

12. Allow all students equal opportunities and privileges. 

13. Provide clear requirements. 
14. Recognize that “fair” means giving every student an opportunity to
succeed. 
15. Understand that not all students learn in the same way and at the
same rate. 

6. Display a Personal Touch

The most effective teachers are approachable and friendly. They: 

16. Connect with students personally. 

17. Are genuinely interested in who their students are as people. 
18. Visit the students’ world. For instance, they sit with them in the
cafeteria; they attend sporting events, plays, and other events outside
normal school hours.

7. Cultivate a Sense of Belonging

The most effective teachers have a way of making students feel welcome
and comfortable in their classrooms. 

19. Have a warm, welcoming attitude that helps students know they
belong in your classroom. 
20. Communicate how much they love teaching and prefer it to other
occupations.

8. Compassionate 
The most effective teachers are concerned about students’ personal
problems and can relate to them. Numerous stories established how the
sensitivity and compassion of caring teachers affected them in profound
and lasting ways. They:
21. Understand when students are having a difficult time and act
accordingly.
22. Remember that students are people with lives outside of the
classroom, just like teachers.

9. Have a Sense of Humor 

The most effective teachers do not take everything seriously and make
learning fun. They:

23. Use humor to break the ice in difficult situations.

24. Bring humor into the everyday classroom. 
25. Laugh with the class but never at the expense of any particular
student. 

10. Respect Students

The most effective teachers do not deliberately embarrass students.
Teachers who give the highest respect get the highest respect. They: 

1. Respect students’ privacy when returning test papers. 

2. Speak to students in private concerning grades or conduct. 
3. Always avoid situations that

11. Forgiving 
The most effective teachers do not hold grudges. They: 

34. Forgive the students. 

35. Start each day with a clean slate. 
36. Understand that disruptive or antisocial behavior can quickly turn a
teacher against a student, but that refusing to give up on a difficult
student can produce success. 

12. Admit Mistakes

The most effective teachers are quick to admit it when they’re wrong.
They: 

26. Apologize to mistakenly accused students. 

27. Make adjustments when students point out errors and oversights.