Competencies

List of Core Competencies for Educators

 

by Stacy Zeiger, Demand Media

Skilled teachers can work with nearly any student.

Being a teacher at any level requires a significant amount of knowledge and skill. Paying attention to the core competencies for educators helps to ensure that all teachers and others who work in education are prepared to make school a positive experience for students and their families.

Interacting with Students

Educators must be able to positively interact with all students. This includes difficult students, students who work below grade-level and students whose personalities just grate on a teacher. Teachers must put aside their prejudices and feelings in order to treat all students with respect, provide them with equal opportunities for learning and make them feel confident.

Create a Learning Environment

Creating a safe learning environment that is conducive to learning is essential. Educators must set high expectations for student performance and behavior. All rules must be enforced consistently and fairly. Students should not have to worry about being bullied in the classroom and should feel comfortable when speaking up.

Related Reading: Difference Between Competencies, Tasks, and Qualities

Good at Lesson Plan Design

All educators must be capable of designing lesson plans to meet student needs and cover the standards. This requires knowing how to choose and create instructional materials to accommodate students at different levels. It also requires creating a scope and sequence that provides students with enough time to master the standards.

Able to Employ Varied Teaching Strategies

Best practices and other appropriate teaching strategies allow competent educators to effectively teach the curriculum. Competent educators may lecture, but they also incorporate a variety of strategies, including non-traditional teaching strategies, to help students with multiple learning styles learn and stay engaged. Educators also attend regular professional development sessions to learn new strategies and the latest best practices.

Use Assessments Well

Educators must design or select and administer effective assessments. An assessment must accurately measure what has been taught and what students have learned. Competent educators combine informal and formal assessment techniques to monitor student performance. They also incorporate technology, portfolios and other creative methods to assess students.

Able to Identify Student Needs

Being able to identify and address student needs is a crucial component of an educator's job. This is done by partly using formal and informal assessments to help guide instruction. However, it also involves getting to know students beyond an instructional level, learning about their interests, recognizing changes in mood and making sure students are mentally and emotionally focused on learning.

Good at Communication

Communicating effectively with parents and other stakeholders in a child's education is a key component of an educator's job. A quality educator provides regular updates on a child's progress and immediately addresses any concerns that may arise. The educator also knows how to calmly discuss issues with difficult parents and how to come to decisions that have the best interests of the child in mind.

Able to Collaborate

Educators must be able to collaborate with other teachers and school staff. Teachers can learn from one another and grow into better teachers through collaboration. They can also collaborate to make the school a safe, effective learning environment for all students and to improve the overall image of the school and the instruction that takes place there.

Maintaining a Professional Appearance

Being an educator requires maintaining a professional appearance at all times. This includes dressing appropriately and acting professionally. Educators often serve as role models for students. Actions such as using foul language, gossiping about teachers and students or dressing inappropriately can cause students to lose respect for an educator.

Demonstrating a Commitment to the Profession

Educators must make a commitment to education and professional development. Subject matter knowledge fades, teaching strategies change and new research is always modifying the way students learn and teacher's teach. By furthering their education and taking part in professional development sessions, educators can continue to improve the quality of the education they provide.