Professional Knowledge and Skills, Essay Example

Importance of developing professional knowledge and abilities on one’s career success

Professional knowledge is very important in any career path that one chooses to follow. Professional knowledge enables one to know how to handle the daily challenges that people who are in that career often face. One becomes knowledgeable in how educational skills can be applied in order for one to progress in the career. Every career has some professional ethics that have to be followed. These ethics are learned in the process of acquiring specialized skills.

Association of American Educators

The Association of American Educators (AAE) is a professional body that caters for the interests of its members, who are in the teaching profession. The association brings about advancement among teachers through professional development, promoting educational excellence, teacher protection and advocacy so as for the members to be always accorded the recognition, reward and respect that they deserve.

AAE is the fastest growing non-union, non-profit teachers’ association with memberships from all the 50 states, giving it a national outlook. The association is always non-committal on partisan issues that are not related to education and therefore, never spends members’ dues in political issues of such kind. One of the top priority areas for AAE is commitment to provision of the best possible environment where children can receive quality education.

AAE always supports the view that no professional educator should be forced into any forms of involuntary endorsement or membership. Moreover, the association opposes walkouts and strikes which negatively affect the education of students as well as the reputation of teachers. Towards this end, the association strives to improve education through cooperation and not confrontation. AAE endorses the control of education at the local level and high standards of excellence among all stakeholders including administrators, parents and teachers.

The future of education that AAE envisions is one whereby every teacher will exercise complete control over one’s career. This entails ability to provide individual input into benefit and pay packages as well as ability to make individual decisions on use of resources, teaching methodologies and time. Any employee who works for an educational entity can join the Association of American Educators. Additionally, business leaders, parents and legislators can offer support to AAE by becoming Associate or Support members.

How can the Association of American Educators (AAE) contribute towards increasing professional knowledge and abilities?

The AAE can contribute towards professional advancement of educators in very many ways. First of all, it can provide them with opportunities of adapting teaching methodologies to different situations. Rigidity in the teaching methodologies that one can use lowers the morale of teachers. When teachers are given freedom to choose the teaching methods that the prevailing circumstances demand, the teaching profession becomes interesting.

When educators from different backgrounds come together under the banner of AAE, it is easy for advocacy efforts relating to professional advancement to be initiated and pursued to successful ends. When experienced educators meet and discuss the challenges they face every day in the profession, it becomes easier for solutions to these problems to be sought for the benefit of children as well as younger educators who are new in the teaching profession.

Additionally, through AAE membership, teachers acquire leadership skills that are very useful in the bringing about advancement in the teaching career. A more harmonized ethical framework for teaching professionals can be conceptualized through this membership. This enables committed teachers have a sense of pride their day-to-day professional activities, something that makes the career more rewarding.

How does the knowledge and abilities impact teachers’ career success?

Accumulation of knowledge and skills among teacher makes them remain focused on the mission and vision of their teaching careers. Whenever they acquire more professional knowledge, they feel that they are better equipped to get to the next career challenge. When the professional skills are received in an environment of freedom, teachers feel empowered to determine the course of their careers, something that makes them feel immensely motivated. Additional skills and knowledge, for teaching professionals, is an extremely important resource that enables them to diversify on the teaching methodologies that they can use in different learning situations. In most cases, these skills are not confined to classroom activities per se. They are also useful in co-curriculum and extra-curriculum activities. Teachers with little or no interest in these areas may suddenly feel motivated to engage in the activities, thereby becoming role models to students and developing their teaching careers along the way.

Membership in AAE benefits teachers who have little experience in the needs of students mainly due to lack of proper training in education. Such teachers can easily identify the different aspects of their professions that they need to improve on. As the teachers become more aware of their own professional shortcomings, they understand the needs of learners better. This is very important since it motivates them to seek further education for them to be well grounded in the profession.