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College of Education
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Kimberly Anne Rose

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St Albans 8013
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65104548

Course Name

The Profession of Teaching

Course Code

TEPI 101

Course Lecturer

Benita Rarere-Briggs

Assignment Number/Name

What does it mean to be a teacher

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17 April 2013

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credit for the item of work in question, to exclusion from the University.
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Assignment 1: Essay What does it mean to be a teacher?

(LOs 1, 2, 3, 6)
Consciously we teach what we know; unconsciously we teach who we are (Hamachek,
cited in Cattley, 2007, p. 341-342).

Introduction
This essay will cover my personal knowledge and dispositions that I bring to teaching,
which relates to my professional self. I will also cover ethical considerations and social
justice of what it means to be a teacher in New Zealand. Along with what it means to
myself to honour and reflect the Tiriti o Waitangi, my practice as a teacher and why it is an
important part / sector in the New Zealand Curriculum context.

Part 1: Discuss the knowledge and dispositions that you bring to teaching
as they relate to your professional selves.
As Cattley, (2007) states, Consciously we teach what we know; unconsciously we teach
who we are This is important for me to remember while identifying the principles in the
New Zealand Curriculum (2007) for when I becoming a teacher. It is a reminder to both my
professional and personal self to retain. I have also found it beneficial to analyse my
dispositions and knowledge that I bring to teaching along with relating them to my personal
and professional self.
According to the VIA survey, I already bring characteristic strengths of Bravery,
Leadership, Honesty, Curiosity, Fairness and Teamwork (Peterson & Seligman, 2009) not
only to the class but also as a person. These character strengths also make up my
dispositions and qualities of Courage, Justice, Wisdom and Knowledge (Peterson &
Seligman, 2004) as a person and a mother. They will also help me to develop my
professional self in being an excellent primary school teacher.
As a teacher, I will bring the understandings of major concepts, assumptions and debate to
teaching. Along with showing, that I can create learning experiences and environments that
will encourage the students to engage actively in learning. I take responsibility to establish
positivity in the classroom, which will, in turn, attract the students into self-motivation.

I have also acquired a large amount of my knowledge and my dispositions from being a
mother and being involved in all areas of my childrens education including their extracurricular activities. This knowledge comprises of Deweys theory of being able to
psychologize the situation (Smith, J.P. & Girod, M. 2003) and Vygotskys (1978) theory
of being able to scaffolding them from the known to the unknown, along with being able to
use these theories in an applicable and understandable way. My dispositions comprise of;
being non-judgemental, having empathy which involves being able to see and accept other
peoples point of view, and being authentic enables me to be a unique person, I use my
authenticity to get to know people and letting them know about me.
I value loyalty, integrity, sincerity, generosity and responsibility. I am dedicated to working
to the best of my ability alongside the children and their whnau for all students to achieve
to their complete potential.
I want to leave a lasting impression on the lives of my students. I will bring a challenge
along with the excitement that will keep the students' motivated, which will make a
difference in them establishing a year that has been filled with information and education.
This is what will help shape them and will have an impact on their future.

Part 2: Outline what it means to be a teacher in New Zealand and within

your discussion address the following aspects: education as a vehicle for
social justice, and legal and ethical considerations of teachers in Aotearoa
New Zealand.
In education, a vehicle for social justice includes the rights for all diverse students of colour
or race, students that have different religions and students with a disability to receive the
same education. In New Zealand being a teacher, is about seeing past the different races,
religions and disabilities (Stark, 2013) and treating students with equal rights. Social justice
is about contested and contentious issues, (Santretto el al, 2007, p30) which mean all
students are to be treated equally with autonomy. Education must give students the
opportunity to receive good quality schooling where teachers are able to teach all students
no matter what their age, background, religion or race is along with adapting to different
learning needs, settings, and environments, using a range of techniques to keep all students
engaged.

As a teacher, you must show the students respect regardless of where they have come from
or what socioeconomic status their families has. Every student in a classroom will have a
different background, culture or have been brought up with different norms, values, beliefs
and religions.
Teachers to capture their students attention with interest will use effective pedagogy. A
teacher will motivate and encourage their students' to learn and succeed which in turn will
help them to remain focused longer and learn more by taking it all in and teaching through
group and individual work, practice and procedures, giving the class a variety of activities
to work from.
Teachers will use the New Zealand Teachers Council. (2007), standard 6 Graduating
Teacher develop positive relationships with learners and the members of learning
communities. As a teacher, you need to recognise the different cultural and ethnic
backgrounds that you may have in a classroom. This could involve gathering information
from the Whnau and different local public groups about their cultures, using this
information to develop a visual presentation for the classroom that meets the students
needs. Teachers should form strong connections between the school and the community;
with the help of parent-teacher events, this will bond them together. Visiting the local
marae will help you to demonstrate the respect to the local iwi and Mori students in the
class along with developing a programme that includes the different cultures and ethnicities
in the class.
Teachers in New Zealand classrooms have a commitment to the profession New Zealand
Teachers Council (2004), code of Ethics for Registered Teachers. This involves doing
professional development courses to further the teachers development as a learner.
Teachers should always be trying to improve the education standards in their classroom.
Everything that teachers do reflects upon how professional they are. Therefore, teachers
should always maintain a high standard of professionalism and keep information that needs
be confidential.
Lastly keeping your professional development up to date with the latest ways of learning
and teaching standards in conjunction with using the prospects of the New Zealand
Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) to promote and encourage the students.
4

Part 3: Discuss what it means to you to honour and reflect the Tiriti o
Waitangi in your practice as a teacher and why this is important in the
New Zealand context.
Young people today have the rights to be an individual, treated with dignity respect and to
be valued, regardless of age, gender, culture or social standings.
After reading through Ttaiako (New Zealand Teachers Council, 2004), and The Principles
of the Treaty of Waitangi (Hayward,1999) I have found that I respect and what I honour the
most is the history and the principles when it comes to teaching in Primary Schools. The
treaty represents a fact of difference. To honour the Principles of the Tiriti o Waitangi:
Partnership, Action Protection, Participation (Hayward, 1999) means to me that I will
establish the nature of partnership, and therefore a bi-culture is not just an expression of
Maori protest it is an articulation. I will make sure that the whnau of all my Mori students
feel that they belong and are able to participate in programmes and decision-making of their
tamariki's learning.
I will also endeavour to meet local iwi and if they will oblige I can take the opportunity to
learn about their history. Once I have established a rapport with them, I will encourage
them to participate in teaching Mori culture in local schools to local mokopuna to rebuild
the local knowledge and history in a positive way. Healing our History (Consedine &
Consedine, (2001) states, History was not compulsory, and where it was taught it was
English history exclusively. The lack of this history knowledge that been taught through
generations is directly affecting the identities of the people today and how we view Maori
people and The Treaty of Waitangi (Mc Creanor, 2005). The information taught had come
from people, including teachers and the media, who had developed unintentional overt and
covert racism through their schooling and the lack of New Zealand history taught in
schools. Along with the Maori culture being repressed this has prevented Mori from
excelling in our education system (Manning, 2009). As (Consedine & Consedine, 2001
p124) illustrates, The Education Act of 1887 made primary education in New Zealand
compulsory and listed the subjects to be taught although history was not compulsory and
when it was taught it was the English history.

This is why we need to protect and honour the history. I now have an understanding of the
Mori views on child development and the role of the family as well as the understanding
of the views of other cultures in the community. As well as activities, stories and events that
have connections with Mori children lives are an essential, enriching and an important part
of the curriculum for all students.
I had lacked the understandings of how important our history is when it comes to the
present day's issues. I believed Mori were underachievers for lack of trying and lack
educated parents. I now know I was wrong and it was the fact that the Mori were not given
the opportunity to succeed to their full potential.

Conclusion
Being a teacher is about the right of every students needs, to be taught and every students
needs, to teach to learn. To always furthering your knowledge in education and always
having an open mind to learning new ways that will benefit the class.
Being a teacher means a wide and broad spectrum of things, it is about using your
knowledge and disposition to choose the right from wrong (way of doing).

References
Cattley, G. (2007). Emergence of Professional Identity for the Pre-Service Teacher.
International Education Journal, 8(2), 337-347.
Consedine. R.,& Consedine,J. (2001 )Healing Our History: The Challenge of The Treaty of
Waitangi. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books.
Consedine. R.,& Consedine,J. (2001, p.124) Healing Our History: The Challenge of The
Treaty of Waitangi. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books.
Consedine. R.,& Consedine,J. (2001) Healing Our History: The Challenge of The Treaty of
Waitangi.(pp124) Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books.
Hayward, J. (1999) The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi: Retrieved 10 April, 2013
from http://www.waitangi-tribunal.govt.nz/doclibrary/public/Appendix(99).pdf
Lalas,J. (2012) Teachers need to be exposed to relevant appropriate, critical and
provocative ideas. Retrieved 8 April, 2013 from
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Mc Creanor.T. (2005) Sticks and stones may break my bones:Talking Pakeha
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New Zealand Immigration Service. (1998-1999). Migrant case studies: Settlement kit. 6-7.

New Zealand Teachers Council. (2004). Code of Ethics for Registered Teachers NZTC.
Retrieved 27 March, 2013 from http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/required/ethics
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from http://www.wou.edu/~girodm/Smith_and_Girod.pdf
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