In the spring of 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Ministry of Education to develop a professional standard for a mathematics teacher. Now we are talking about creating an average option, regardless of the teaching discipline.
Expert work
The working group, which was created in order to develop a professional standard for a teacher, was led by E. A. Yamburg, director of the Moscow Education Center. Honored teachers of the country, known for their copyrighted methods, were connected to the work. All proposals developed by them were published on the official website of the Ministry of Education and Science. Any teacher, parent, representative of the public concerned could study the professional standard of a modern teacher and leave comments.
Concept content
Honored teachers of Russia took the task set before them seriously, made up a certain general professional standard for the teacher, filling it with new competencies, including:
- work with talented and gifted children;
- implementation of inclusive education programs;
- work with children with developmental disabilities;
- teaching discipline to students with deviant behavior, socially vulnerable and dependent children.
Standard objectives
A teacher’s professional standard should:
- match the features of the teacher’s professional activities;
- not to become a tool for regulating the work of a teacher;
- Encourage teachers to search for new pedagogical ideas and solutions;
- save the teacher from performing those functions that are unusual for him, distract him from the quality of performing immediate duties;
- comply with international regulations and standards;
- comply with the requirements of departments and ministries involved in calculating pensions, calculating teaching experience.
Key features of the standard
The teacher’s professional standard is a framework document. It defines the basic requirements for teacher qualifications. Its national framework is complemented by regional requirements, taking into account the demographic, sociocultural characteristics of the region.
In addition, the professional standards of the teacher of the Russian Federation are supplemented (if desired) within the educational institution, taking into account the direction of work implemented in the educational program: inclusive education, work with gifted children.
The professional standard of a teacher of literature takes into account the specifics of the taught subject. It has several modifications designed for the initial, main, senior level of training. Given the strategy of modern education, it is filled with psychological and pedagogical competencies that should help the teacher solve the problems of training, education, development of the younger generation of Russia.
Personal qualities
Particular attention is paid to the personality of the teacher. The professional standard of primary school teachers implies a willingness to educate all children regardless of their abilities, inclinations, level of development. The teacher himself is obliged to constantly improve himself, to study the psychological characteristics of childhood and adolescence, to prevent conflicts with pupils, their parents.
Application options
Why do I need a professional standard for a modern teacher? First of all, he will be required when hiring for the position of "teacher". This "standard" will help experts evaluate the work of a certified teacher.
Purpose of use
Using the standard, it is possible to identify teacher qualifications necessary for the quality education and training of schoolchildren.
Given the criteria contained in this document, it is possible to provide the necessary professional training for educators for high labor productivity. The standard will help the teacher to have an idea of the requirements that are imposed on him by the employer.
Standard Content
1 part. Training.
2 part. Educational work.
3 part. Development (contains professional and personal competencies that a teacher needs to carry out development activities).
4 part. Professional competencies for primary school teachers.
5 part. The competencies of the educator, which reflect the specifics of work in preschool educational institutions.
Assessment methodology
In order to identify the positive and negative aspects of the teacher’s professional standard, experts developed special methods. The final assessment of the teacher's professionalism is set taking into account the available results of education, training, and student development. Understanding that, depending on the level of development of children, their abilities, inclinations, the final results of training and education can significantly differ, the “standard” of a modern teacher provides clear parameters for different students. When evaluating the work of a teacher with talented students, one of the criteria was determined by high academic achievements, the presence of winners and prize-winners of subject Olympiads of various levels.
To work with children who have limited abilities, integrative indicators are determined as effective work, which testify to the stable development dynamics of the student. Such indicators prevail in elementary school.
When assessing the professional qualities of a modern teacher, feedback should be provided with direct consumers of services, which are parents and students.
An assessment of compliance with the requirements that are presented to the teacher can be done by conducting an internal audit. It involves the analysis of reports and work plans, attendance at lessons, events. For internal auditors of an educational institution, as conceived by the authors of the standard, the most authoritative and respected teachers of the school should enter. Before experts begin to carry out their duties directly, they undergo special training in the methods and principles of the audit procedure.
The nuances of introducing a standard
Teachers are wary of those innovations developed by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The theory of professional standard for teachers was created by Shadrikova V. D.
The author suggests under such a standard to understand a certain system of requirements for the competencies of the subject of activity, which together determine the reality of a certain position, are associated with the success of pedagogical activity. What are teachers afraid of? If one of the components of the developed assessment system does not comply, they may be deprived of the right to carry out pedagogical activities.
Immediately after the first appearance of the standard, this project underwent a detailed study and criticism from experienced teachers of EE. Upon careful consideration of all points of this project, it can be noted that some new requirements for the teacher did not appear, but the attempt to “push the teacher into the framework” itself caused a negative reaction from the pedagogical community.
The working group, faced with such a reaction from teachers, invited them to comment. For example, a criterion such as compulsory higher pedagogical education was discussed . Teachers with great work experience who could not get higher education in time will be hurt.
There is no teacher’s rights in the proposed document, and the verb “must” is repeated many times. We are talking about the responsibilities of a modern teacher to develop, educate, train. But all this is the logical result of the work of the teacher, and therefore should not be evaluated separately, but in total. Teachers say that such a document was written by people who are absolutely far from Russian education. According to GEF, skills have been developed for subject, meta-subject, and personal. Will there be a contradiction between the GEF and the professional standard? The pedagogical union is also concerned about the contradictions between the reforms and the introduced standard. They remind the authors of the draft of this document that the position “teacher” is not currently implied. The pedagogical community also notes the fact that inclusive activities require special education, not all teachers have the opportunity to get it. Could this be a reason for dismissal with the wording “non-compliance with the requirements of a professional standard”? In addition, teachers say that the project presents an insufficient conceptual framework, the requirements for the teacher are clearly overestimated. The regulation of numerous duties demonstrates a certain distrust of the teaching elite on the part of experts.
A contrast is a document adopted in England to evaluate the activities of educators. The teacher must set goals that will inspire students. The duties of the teacher include assistance in the achievement of good educational results by the children. There are other requirements that are stated in an accessible and understandable language that does not imply the use of an additional glossary of terms.
Conclusion
The pedagogical community continues to actively discuss professional standards. Concerned educators make their suggestions for changing the content of PS. In order for the teacher, a representative of the creative profession, not to become, in order to please officials, a typical “knowledge sales manager”, significant changes are required in the proposed document. Otherwise, there is a high risk of losing teachers - masters of their craft, replacing them with those personnel who will formally fulfill the requirements of PS, while forgetting about the development of the personality of the child. But it is precisely on the professionals that the Russian education system currently holds.