Being a teacher in Scotland
1.1 Professional Values
Social justice
Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities now and in the future.
- Promoting health and wellbeing of self, colleagues and the children and young people in my care.
- Building and fostering positive relationships in the learning community which are respectful of individuals.
- Embracing global educational and social values of sustainability, equality, equity, and justice and recognising children’s rights.
- Respecting the rights of all learners as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and their entitlement to be included in decisions regarding their learning experiences and have all aspects of their wellbeing developed and supported.
- Demonstrating a commitment to engaging learners in real world issues to enhance learning experiences and outcomes, and to encourage learning our way to a better future.
- Committing to social justice through fair, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable policies and practices in relation to protected characteristics, (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation) and intersectionality.
- Valuing, as well as respecting, social, ecological, cultural, religious, and racial diversity and promoting the principles and practices of sustainable development and local and global citizenship for all learners.
- Demonstrating a commitment to motivating, and including all learners, understanding the influence of gender, social, cultural, racial, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds on experiences of learning, taking account of specific learning needs and seeking to reduce barriers to learning.
- Demonstrating a commitment to supporting learners who are experiencing or who have experienced trauma, children and young people from a care experienced background and understanding responsibilities as a corporate parent.
- Understanding and challenging discrimination in all its forms, particularly that which is defined by the Equality Act 2010.
Trust and respect
Trust and respect are expectations of positive actions that support authentic relationship building and show care for the needs and feelings of the people involved and respect for our natural world and its limited resources.
- Promoting and engendering a rights respecting culture and the ethical use of authority associated with one’s professional roles.
- Acting and behaving in ways that develop a culture of trust and respect for self, others and the natural world.
- Understanding, acknowledging, and respecting the contribution of others in positively influencing the lives of learners.
- Understanding health and wellbeing and the importance of positive and purposeful relationships to provide and ensure a safe and secure environment for all learners and colleagues within a caring and compassionate ethos.
- Respecting individual difference and supporting learners’ understanding of themselves, others and their contribution to the development and sustainability of a diverse and inclusive society.
Integrity
Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values.
- Demonstrating kindness, honesty, courage, and wisdom.
- Being truthful and trustworthy.
- Critically examining professional beliefs, values and attitudes of self and others in the context of collegiate working.
- Challenging assumptions, biases and professional practice, where appropriate.
1.2 Professional Commitment
Making a professional commitment to learning and learners that is compatible with the aspiration of achieving a sustainable and equitable world embodies what it is to be a teacher in Scotland. This means teachers commit to living the professional values and engage in lifelong learning, reflection, enquiry, leadership of learning and collaborative practice as key aspects of their professionalism. This commitment to professional learning and growth, to the growth of learners, and to helping support that of colleagues, is demonstrated through engagement with all aspects of professional practice. It is demonstrated by working collegially, in English or Gaelic medium with all members of our learning communities with enthusiasm, adaptability, critical thinking and associated constructive, professional dialogue.
A core component of teachers’ professional commitment is understanding the needs of all learners. Some children and young people may have a barrier to wellbeing and learning associated with a range of circumstances such as the learning environment, family circumstances, disability or health need, and social and emotional factors. This includes learners with additional support needs such as: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD); Autism; Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia) (DCD); Dyslexia; and Tourette syndrome. Teachers recognise, see and acknowledge the value in everyone and have a deep awareness of the need for culturally responsive pedagogies. They promote equality and diversity, paying careful attention to the needs of learners from diverse groups and in upholding children’s rights.
Upholding the professional values of social justice, trust and respect and integrity requires a commitment to leadership that inspires confidence and encourages aspiration. This commitment underpins leadership of learning in all contexts and change for improvement. It values the contribution of others, challenges biases and assumptions and applies critical thinking to make effective decisions, in the interests of maintaining and improving the quality of education and leading to improved outcomes for all children and young people in Scotland.
The professional commitment of teachers in Scotland is to lead learning through:
- developing deep knowledge of learning and teaching
- critically examining how our teaching impacts on learners
- using evidence collaboratively to inform teacher judgement and next steps for learners.
1.3 Standard for Provisional Registration
Professional Values and Professional Commitment are at the core of the Standard for Provisional Registration. They are integral to, and demonstrated through, all our professional relationships and practices. They are about doing well by ourselves, others and the world in which we live. The personal and professional qualities of sustainability and social justice, integrity, trust and respect and professional commitment are crucial if we are to inspire and prepare learners for success in our complex, interdependent and rapidly changing world.
‘Learning for Sustainability’ is a whole-school commitment that helps the school and its wider community develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and practices needed to take decisions which are compatible with a sustainable future in a just and equitable world. Learning for Sustainability has been embedded within the suite of Professional Standards to support teachers in actively embracing and promoting principles and practices of sustainability in all aspects of their work.
All teachers should have opportunities to be leaders. They lead learning for, and with, all learners with whom they engage. They also work with and support the development of colleagues and other partners. The Standards for Registration include a focus on leadership of and for learning.
The Standard for Provisional Registration specifies what is expected of a student teacher at the end of Initial Teacher Education who is seeking provisional registration with GTC Scotland. It also acts as one of the sets of subject benchmark statements for professional qualifications in Scotland developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Having gained this Professional Standard, all provisionally registered teachers continue their professional learning journey by moving towards the attainment of the Standard for Full Registration.
The scope of this document is limited to defining expectations of student teachers and does not address in detail how judgements will or should be made. It is not intended that the Professional actions should be used as a checklist. In broad terms, the person reviewing the work of a teacher needs to be reassured that the capabilities described by the Professional Standard are achieved. Where it is thought that further development is needed, the Professional actions provide a focus for what needs to be done.
The Professional Standards are organised into interrelated categories with Professional Values and Professional Commitment at the heart. These categories are inherently linked to each other in the development of teachers, and one aspect does not exist independently of the others. It is this inter-relationship among all of the categories which develops a teacher’s understanding, practice and professionalism. During the early phase of a teacher’s career, there should be clear evidence of the development and consolidation of knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities.
1.1 Professional Values
Social justice
Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities now and in the future.
- Promoting health and wellbeing of self, colleagues and the children and young people in my care.
- Building and fostering positive relationships in the learning community which are respectful of individuals.
- Embracing global educational and social values of sustainability, equality, equity, and justice and recognising children’s rights.
- Respecting the rights of all learners as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and their entitlement to be included in decisions regarding their learning experiences and have all aspects of their wellbeing developed and supported.
- Demonstrating a commitment to engaging learners in real world issues to enhance learning experiences and outcomes, and to encourage learning our way to a better future.
- Committing to social justice through fair, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable policies and practices in relation to protected characteristics, (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation) and intersectionality.
- Valuing, as well as respecting, social, ecological, cultural, religious, and racial diversity and promoting the principles and practices of sustainable development and local and global citizenship for all learners.
- Demonstrating a commitment to motivating, and including all learners, understanding the influence of gender, social, cultural, racial, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds on experiences of learning, taking account of specific learning needs and seeking to reduce barriers to learning.
- Demonstrating a commitment to supporting learners who are experiencing or who have experienced trauma, children and young people from a care experienced background and understanding responsibilities as a corporate parent.
- Understanding and challenging discrimination in all its forms, particularly that which is defined by the Equality Act 2010.
Trust and respect
Trust and respect are expectations of positive actions that support authentic relationship building and show care for the needs and feelings of the people involved and respect for our natural world and its limited resources.
- Promoting and engendering a rights respecting culture and the ethical use of authority associated with one’s professional roles.
- Acting and behaving in ways that develop a culture of trust and respect for self, others and the natural world.
- Understanding, acknowledging, and respecting the contribution of others in positively influencing the lives of learners.
- Understanding health and wellbeing and the importance of positive and purposeful relationships to provide and ensure a safe and secure environment for all learners and colleagues within a caring and compassionate ethos.
- Respecting individual difference and supporting learners’ understanding of themselves, others and their contribution to the development and sustainability of a diverse and inclusive society.
Integrity
Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values.
- Demonstrating kindness, honesty, courage, and wisdom.
- Being truthful and trustworthy.
- Critically examining professional beliefs, values and attitudes of self and others in the context of collegiate working.
- Challenging assumptions, biases and professional practice, where appropriate.
1.2 Professional Commitment
Making a professional commitment to learning and learners that is compatible with the aspiration of achieving a sustainable and equitable world embodies what it is to be a teacher in Scotland. This means teachers commit to living the professional values and engage in lifelong learning, reflection, enquiry, leadership of learning and collaborative practice as key aspects of their professionalism. This commitment to professional learning and growth, to the growth of learners, and to helping support that of colleagues, is demonstrated through engagement with all aspects of professional practice. It is demonstrated by working collegially, in English or Gaelic medium with all members of our learning communities with enthusiasm, adaptability, critical thinking and associated constructive, professional dialogue.
A core component of teachers’ professional commitment is understanding the needs of all learners. Some children and young people may have a barrier to wellbeing and learning associated with a range of circumstances such as the learning environment, family circumstances, disability or health need, and social and emotional factors. This includes learners with additional support needs such as: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD); Autism; Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia) (DCD); Dyslexia; and Tourette syndrome. Teachers recognise, see and acknowledge the value in everyone and have a deep awareness of the need for culturally responsive pedagogies. They promote equality and diversity, paying careful attention to the needs of learners from diverse groups and in upholding children’s rights.
Upholding the professional values of social justice, trust and respect and integrity requires a commitment to leadership that inspires confidence and encourages aspiration. This commitment underpins leadership of learning in all contexts and change for improvement. It values the contribution of others, challenges biases and assumptions and applies critical thinking to make effective decisions, in the interests of maintaining and improving the quality of education and leading to improved outcomes for all children and young people in Scotland.
The professional commitment of teachers in Scotland is to lead learning through:
- developing deep knowledge of learning and teaching
- critically examining how our teaching impacts on learners
- using evidence collaboratively to inform teacher judgement and next steps for learners.
1.3 Standard for Provisional Registration
Professional Values and Professional Commitment are at the core of the Standard for Provisional Registration. They are integral to, and demonstrated through, all our professional relationships and practices. They are about doing well by ourselves, others and the world in which we live. The personal and professional qualities of sustainability and social justice, integrity, trust and respect and professional commitment are crucial if we are to inspire and prepare learners for success in our complex, interdependent and rapidly changing world.
‘Learning for Sustainability’ is a whole-school commitment that helps the school and its wider community develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and practices needed to take decisions which are compatible with a sustainable future in a just and equitable world. Learning for Sustainability has been embedded within the suite of Professional Standards to support teachers in actively embracing and promoting principles and practices of sustainability in all aspects of their work.
All teachers should have opportunities to be leaders. They lead learning for, and with, all learners with whom they engage. They also work with and support the development of colleagues and other partners. The Standards for Registration include a focus on leadership of and for learning.
The Standard for Provisional Registration specifies what is expected of a student teacher at the end of Initial Teacher Education who is seeking provisional registration with GTC Scotland. It also acts as one of the sets of subject benchmark statements for professional qualifications in Scotland developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Having gained this Professional Standard, all provisionally registered teachers continue their professional learning journey by moving towards the attainment of the Standard for Full Registration.
The scope of this document is limited to defining expectations of student teachers and does not address in detail how judgements will or should be made. It is not intended that the Professional actions should be used as a checklist. In broad terms, the person reviewing the work of a teacher needs to be reassured that the capabilities described by the Professional Standard are achieved. Where it is thought that further development is needed, the Professional actions provide a focus for what needs to be done.
The Professional Standards are organised into interrelated categories with Professional Values and Professional Commitment at the heart. These categories are inherently linked to each other in the development of teachers, and one aspect does not exist independently of the others. It is this inter-relationship among all of the categories which develops a teacher’s understanding, practice and professionalism. During the early phase of a teacher’s career, there should be clear evidence of the development and consolidation of knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities.
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