Professional Portrait of a Modern Teacher as an Educator

Abstract

The educational policy of modern Russia demands a teacher as an educator. The purpose of this research is to determine the components of the personal and professional position of a modern teacher as an educator, to reveal significant professional qualities of his/her personality, the main characteristics of educational activity which are values, goals, priorities, content and functions. The analysis of the data is based on the theoretical foundations of pedagogical and psychological studies devoted to the teacher’s professional activity which is determined by personal and professional position of a teacher as an educator. Sixty students (2nd-4th-year bachelor’s majoring in Teacher Education) and twenty school teachers took part in the empirical research. We established that the starting point of modern education is the values of the professional activity of a teacher as an educator. The main value is the personality of a pupil and its development. It means that an educator is able to work with meanings, values, emotional and reflexive spheres of a pupil’s personality, to cooperate with children in achieving common goals. At the same time teachers as educators improve their knowledge of children and youth subcultures and conduct self-analysis of the educational activity. They have individual responsibility and interest in colleagues’ work. Interaction with social communities and institutions which stimulate the manifestation of their educational potential is also necessary.

Keywords

• teacher as an educator
• personal and professional