Excerpted from "Setting the Standard", TC: The Official Magazine of the BC College of Teachers, Summer/Fall 2008, pp. 6-11.

“One of the most important tasks undertaken by Council over the past few years has been our commitment
to revising the College’s standards,” says Council chair Richard Walker.

The original standards were developed in 2003/2004 to meet the requirements of the Teaching Profession Act.
In 2005, the College embarked on a review of the Standards by consulting with other stakeholder groups about
the Standards. The College then hosted a forum in April 2006 that brought together more than 100 people from
nine educational partner groups. Participants discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each standard and
offered suggestions on how they should be revised.

A sub-committee of the Council analyzed this input along with its own research into the standards used by
educators in other jurisdictions. Throughout the review process, educational partner groups attended meetings
to offer their perspective. “Each partner group helped the Standards Review Committee in its work,” says Kit
Krieger, a former Council member who served as chair of the Committee. “We heard many important messages
at these meetings, including the significance of reflective practice, inclusiveness and process.”

How do the new standards differ from the old?
“ One of our main goals was to simplify the Standards – to reduce them in number and make them more elegant
– without reducing their scope,” says Krieger.
Feedback on the original Standards revealed that many educators found them unwieldy and repetitive. The
Committee responded by reducing the number of Standards from 13 to 8, and then created a more succinct
general explanation to accompany each standard.

Paring down the Standards was a difficult undertaking. “As educators, we draw from a knowledge base that
is informed by research,” says Krieger. “Yet there are variations within our practice and many different ways to
do what we do. The challenge in developing standards is to distil something so complex into understandable
statements that reflect the standards’ moral obligation.”

In addition to ensuring that each standard was clear and easily understandable by the public and the pro-
fession, the Committee also wanted to create standards that would be broadly accepted and applicable in
practice. The difficulty was to strike the right balance: standards that are too general are meaningless and
standards that are too specific do not honour the complex and varied nature of educators’ work.

How standards are used
Standards are a hallmark of professionalism. As the introductory text to the new standards states,
“ Standards are a profession’s way of communicating to its members and the public the description of the
work of professionals – what they know, what they are able to do, and how they comport themselves as they
serve the public.”

The new Standards serve many purposes and are used by a variety of audiences. Faculties of education use
them to design programs and assess their graduates, and the College uses the Standards to determine the
suitability of candidates for certificates of qualification.

Disciplinary issues are also understood through the Standards. “When the
College must judge or discipline a member,” explains Walker, “the Standards
provide the lens through which Council decisions regarding misconduct or
incompetence are made.”

The Standards are an important tool for practising educators because they
define both a reasonable set of expectations and an ideal to which we can
aspire. The College is currently in the process of developing a set of reflective
questions to accompany each standard. These questions will assist College
members when reflecting on their own practice and engaging in the career-
long process of professional growth and development.

The Standards are also important for the public, who require assurance that
educators have the requisite knowledge, skills, attributes and conduct to
create safe and high quality learning environments. “Cultivating the public’s
trust is crucial,” explains Krieger. “Parents entrust us with their children and
educators often spend more time with kids than their parents do. It’s so
important that we create a respectful and caring environment.”

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Developing the new Standards was not an easy task. It required significant effort
and commitment on the part of the College and educational partner groups.
The end result represents an important achievement in defining our profes-
sional practice as educators. But the process of developing the new Standards
has been equally significant.

“ Education in BC has historically been a contentious playing field,” says
Krieger. “Working on the Standards brought people together to think about our
responsibilities and our commonalities. It offered opportunities for constructive
discussion and created some common ground.”

Educators value and care for all students and act in their best interests.
Educators are responsible for fostering the emotional, esthetic, intellectual, physical, social and
vocational development of students. They are responsible for the emotional and physical safety of
students.

Educators treat students with respect and dignity. Educators respect the diversity in
their classrooms, schools and communities. Educators have a privileged position of power and
trust. They respect confidentiality unless disclosure is required by law. Educators do not abuse or
exploit students or minors for personal, sexual, ideological, material or other advantage.

Educators are role models who act ethically and honestly.
Educators act with integrity, maintaining the dignity and credibility of the profession. They under-
stand that their individual conduct contributes to the perception of the profession as a whole.
Educators are accountable for their conduct while on duty, as well as off duty, where that conduct
has an effect on the education system. Educators have an understanding of the education system
in BC and the law as it relates to their duties.

Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development.
Educators are knowledgeable about how children develop as learners and as social beings, and
demonstrate an understanding of individual learning differences and special needs. This knowledge
is used to assist educators in making decisions about curriculum, instruction, assessment and
classroom management.

Educators value the involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools.
Educators understand, respect and support the role of parents and the community in the education
of students. Educators communicate effectively and in a timely manner with parents and consider
their advice on matters pertaining to their children.

Educators implement effective practices in areas of planning, instruction, assessment, evaluation and reporting.
Educators have the knowledge and skills to facilitate learning for all students and know when to
seek additional support for their practice. Educators thoughtfully consider all aspects of teaching,
from planning through reporting, and understand the relationships among them. Educators employ
a variety of instructional and assessment strategies.

Educators have a broad knowledge base and understand the subject areas they teach.
Educators understand the curricular, conceptual and methodological foundations of education and
of the subject areas they teach. Educators must be able to communicate effectively in English or
French. Educators teach students to understand relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal and
global context. Educators convey the values, beliefs and knowledge of our democratic society.

Educators engage in career-long learning.
Educators engage in professional development and reflective practice, understanding that a hall-
mark of professionalism is the concept of professional growth over time. Educators develop and
refine personal philosophies of education, teaching and learning that are informed by theory and
practice. Educators identify their professional needs and work to meet those needs individually
and collaboratively.

Educators contribute to the profession.
Educators support, mentor or encourage other educators and those preparing to enter the
profession. Educators contribute their expertise to activities offered by their schools, districts,
professional organizations, post-secondary institutions or contribute in other ways.