Roles and Responsibilities
Every child has the right to learn and as a future educator it will be my obligation to ensure that each child has an opportunity to learn (Tronc, 2004). As a teacher I will need to abide by legal and ethical standards associated with the profession. The duty of care is a policy which I will need to consider in my classrooms which aims to provide a safe learning environment for children (DETE, 2010). As a teacher I owe duty of care to my learners, therefore it is my responsibility to prevent any potential physical or emotional harm to students (DETE, 2010). Globalisation of learning has resulted in an evolution of the role and responsibilities of teachers. The responsibilities of the educator now incorporate more than simply teaching and learning as teachers play a significant role in developing future citizens which has resulted in societal expectations dictating that the economic expectations of society in the post-modern world are a result of the effectiveness of teachers (MCEETY,
2008).
In addition to the legal responsibilities of teachers, I believe that teachers need to individuals who demonstrate high ethical standards and specific personal attributes conductive to the profession. Teachers need to have a passion for helping children learn as well as expertise in the discipline that they teach. As professionals, teachers need to possess a complex body of skills in order to assist learners in achieving academic outcomes (Cruess, Johnston & Cruess, 2004). Without this complex array of knowledge and skills, teachers are not equipped with the professional knowledge required to provide effective learning experiences.