Deck 15: What Does It Mean to Be a Professional

Question 1

If someone wanted to discount the claim that teaching is a profession, which of the following statements could he or she use?

A) The teacher's work emphasizes service, not rewards.
B) The teacher's power is limited
C) The teacher earns an impressive salary.
D) The teacher's job is not essential to the community.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Critics of the NBPTS argue that

A) teaching has no recognized common knowledge base on which to ground assessments.
B) teaching has no need for any kind of standards.
C) historically, teaching has been dominated by women.
D) these standards seek to make teaching even more elitist than it already is.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Melanie is applying for board certification from the NBPTS. What will she probably have to do?

A) She will have to take a written exam to evaluate her knowledge of her subject area.
B) She will have to have an oral interview with a group of school board members from her town.
C) She will have to send in videotapes of her classroom teaching.
D) She will probably have to do all of these.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The classrooms of teachers at the generative creative level of professionalism are characterized by

A) a variety of instructional practices and problem centers.
B) instruction focused on teaching to the test.
C) teacher proof materials and adherence to prescribed guidelines.
D) lots of art projects, drama, and music integrations.

Question 5

By saying that teaching is in the process of becoming a profession , Ryan and Cooper want to emphasize

A) the legislation that Congress is working on to make teaching a profession.
B) the continuous education of teachers, which makes them more and more effective.
C) a case before the Supreme Court that will soon decide if teaching is a profession
D) the significant changes that teaching has experienced over the years.

Question 6

List four of the elements that characterize a profession. For each one, summarize the arguments both for and against calling teaching a profession .

Question 7

A teacher who is selected to serve as a mentor may receive any of the following except

A) automatic recertification in her state.
B) specialized training.
C) reduction in teaching responsibilities.
D) monetary compensation.

Question 8

Some of public teachers' harshest critics state that teachers do not fool the public even if they fool themselves; teaching is not a profession, and it will not be until teachers

A) recognize the fallibility of man.
B) build better relations with the parent community.
C) develop more compassion for the students with whom they work.
D) can govern their own, including weeding out incompetent teachers.

Question 9

Which of these are possible effects of NBPTS certification?

A) Salary increases for certificate holders
B) Easier portability of state certification from one state to another
C) Research on characteristics of superior teaching
D) All of these

Question 10

The NEA and the AFT both represent large numbers of teachers. Each ranks its priorities in slightly different ways, emphasizing slightly different factors. Describe the similarities and differences between the organizations with respect to size, age, representation, history of issues, positions on educational reform, and collective bargaining.

Question 11

The recommendations made in the text for ensuring the place of teaching among the professions are

A) higher pay, more strikes, and better negotiations.
B) fewer workdays, higher pay, and better training.
C) more self-governance, better training, and better policing of teachers.
D) higher pay, fewer workdays, and better negotiations.

Question 12

As the authors said at the beginning of this book, of all the approaches to professional development mentioned, the most important is…

A) Group study
B) Mentoring programs
C) Take courses or to work toward an advanced degree
D) Developing the habit of reflecting on one's practice.

Question 13

The teacher at the meditative level of professionalism

A) has a broad perspective of many education systems and classrooms.
B) is reflective about his own teaching practice within his own classroom.
C) is only able to imitate teaching practices he has seen other teachers use.
D) doesn't deviate from prescribed instructional guidelines.

Question 14

The NBPTS designation will be earned by a teacher after

A) passing a national norm referenced test such as PRAXIS.
B) undergoing an extensive assessment procedure, including analysis of student work, videotaping of teaching segments, and submitting a portfolio.
C) earning a master's degree and undergoing a rigorous examination of his or her teaching abilities.
D) undergoing an extensive assessment and being nominated by fellow teachers.

Question 15

The need for continuous education seems to be even greater for teachers in today's schools due to

A) the number of poorly trained people being hired to teach.
B) the high cost of a college education.
C) the growth of new knowledge and the demand for new skills.
D) the growing class size, especially in rural areas.

Question 16

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is developing board certification assessments for teachers in order to

A) relieve the states of the responsibility of certifying teachers.
B) create a career ladder for more qualified and talented teachers.
C) identify the knowledge base of teaching.
D) raise the standards in teaching and recognize teachers who meet them.

Question 17

One drawback to teaching at the imitative maintenance level of professionalism is

A) it takes too much time to be creative and innovative.
B) it is complicated and confusing for the student.
C) the teacher has too many areas to maintain at one time.
D) it doesn't promote individualized responses to the unique needs and special circumstances of students.