Source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teacher-regulation/standards-for-educators/edu_standards.pdf
The outline of Professional Standards for BC Educators outlines the necessities of the practice for teachers in BC. It states that the children in our care are the first and foremost priority within our profession and that we are held to the growth and development within the school system. Within that system, we need to focus on inclusivity and mutual respect for a broad understanding of an intercultural atmosphere in our classrooms. In addition, teachers are seen as a critical piece of the community and the community support network. This integration enables teachers to become part of the students’ support network which consists of family and community members with the students’ best interests in mind. Another consistent piece to the description is the obligation to give back to the teaching profession. The role of education is to be borderless and collective and each and every teacher has a duty to contribute to the system that benefits all students.
Our Curriculum
The revised BC Curriculum has been touted as a broader guide that offers teachers more flexibility when compared to previous iterations. I have found this to be very helpful because I have grown up in a family with a teacher and I can appreciate the departure from a PLO based approach. I think that this curriculum is fantastic because it is very broad but still retains the resources to identify the key learning elements within planning. I also recognize how easy it is for parents to understand the learning strategies and goals that are gathered. A word I would use is transparent. Using this curriculum for unit and lesson planning is fantastic because it is a “spiral” curriculum that weaves learning methods and subjects continuously throughout the grades. A great way to view this feature is the “continuous views” portion of the website that makes the connection very easy to follow.