International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Ed.docx

International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive
Education and Development
January 2013, Vol. 2, No. 1
ISSN: 2226-6348
437
A Passionate Teacher: Teacher Commitment and
Dedication to Student Learning
Çağrı Tuğrul Mart
Ishik University, Erbil, IRAQ
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Passionate teachers are distinguished by their commitment to
achievement of their students.
Commitment is an essential element of successful teaching.
Committed teachers are concerned
with the development of their students and they profoundly
struggle how to keep students’
learning. They cultivate students’ curiosity and interest in
learning. Showing commitment to
student learning can be an important factor in motivating
students. Committed teachers
recognize and endeavor to fulfill their responsibilities to their
students. The degree of loyalty of

committed teachers have, toward their profession is one of their
distinguished characters.
Teachers, who are engaged in their profession and committed to
students and their learning,
play a crucial role in development of students.
Keywords: Passionate, Dedication, Commitment, Student
Learning
Introduction
Passion matters in that it motivates and inspires the teachers.
Passion is a motivational factor
that affects teacher performance. It drives the teachers for a
better student accomplishment.
Passionate teachers create an effective learning environment
and increase learning potential of
students. Passion leads to creativity; therefore, passionate
teachers have the ability to think
and produce new notions in an easy way. Passionate teachers
are committed and dedicated to
their schools and a good education achievement is an outcome
of this commitment and
dedication.
Teacher Commitment and Dedication to Student Learning
“Those who feel the call to teach, who sense teaching is a
profoundly meaningful past of their
life, have a passion for teaching” (Garrison, Liston, 2004, p.1).
Passion simply is defined as: “a
strong inclination or desire towards an activity that one likes
and finds important and in which
one invests time and energy” (Carbonneau, Vallerand, Fernet &
Guay, 2008, p.978). Fried
defines a passionate teacher as: “someone in love with a field of

knowledge, deeply stirred by
issues and ideas that change our world, drawn to the dilemmas
and potentials of the young
people who come into class every day” (2001, p.44). For a high
quality student learning passion
is indispensable. Olson states that “when we discover and
explore our passions about teaching
and learning, and begin to share them with others, doors are
opened, and the possibilities are
ISSN: 2226-6348
438
endless” (2003, p.305). One of the most important factors in the
development of passion for
teaching is teachers’ ongoing commitment and dedication to
students and learning. Passionate
teachers are fiercely devoted to their work and greatly inspire
their students. “The strength of
any profession depends upon the degree of commitment of its
members. Teaching is no
exception” (Fox, 1964, p.18). It is widely accepted that a
distinguishing feature that teachers
have is, their dedication and commitment to the development of
student achievement.
Kushman (1992) and Rosenholtz (1989) in their studies put
forward the relationship between

teacher commitment and student achievement. Fried (2001)
supporting this idea states that
there is a strong connection between passionate teaching and the
quality of student learning
and explains the reasons as:
1. If students know that teachers get immersed in their subjects
and sets high standards for
students, they take their studies more seriously. At this point,
teaching ceases to be a job done
by force, and turns into an inspiration for students.
2. There is little chance of building a relationship based on
respect and trust between teacher
and student unless a collaborative learning environment and
willingness to take risks are not
created.
3. Students will not have motivation to learn as long as they do
not have a clear idea of how to
apply things they have learnt to their own lives.
Passionate teachers know that it is their role to encourage
students for an active learning and
concern themselves with promoting students’ intellectual and
moral development. Teachers
with passionate, work with enthusiasm, their dedication and
commitment increase, and they
believe in the importance of their job. “There are strong
empirical grounds for believing that
teachers can and do make a difference and that consistent high
quality teaching, supported by
strategic professional development, can and does deliver
dramatic improvements in student
learning” (Rowe, 2003, P.27). Commitment to teaching
contributes to teachers’ behaviors,

attitudes, perceptions and performances (Thapan, 1986).
Committed teachers have a tendency to perform the roles
effectively that their job requires
and to establish a good teacher-student relationship in
accordance with the professional
values. This approach facilitates student learning and
development of terminal behaviors.
However, in the clash of the career goals and values, and the
goals and values of school, the
importance of dedication and commitment increases. The basic
goals and values of teaching
profession effectively shape student behavior change in
accordance with the principles of
education sciences.
Fried (1995) states that teacher passionate can be seen in three
different areas.
1. Teachers may be passionate about their own subject
knowledge.
2. Teachers may be passionate towards events developing in the
world.
3. Teachers may have a passion for children.
ISSN: 2226-6348

439
Commitment to the institution in education manifests itself in
identifying with the school,
feeling like a part of the school, and being loyal to school. In
successful schools teachers have
commitment to school as well as their professions. Commitment
form a basis, propulsive force,
and resource in restructuring.
Education researchers list some characteristics of committed
teachers and principals for their
organizations as (Balcı,1993, p.56):
1. Teachers constantly should talk about developing teaching
approaches
2. Teachers and principals should continuously observe each
other’s performance, and evaluate
their own performances through these observations.
3. Teachers and principals should together supply education
materials
4. Teachers and principals should help each other with
development of teaching approaches.
Another factor that contributes to teachers’ commitment and
dedication is administrative
implementation. Compatible administrative implementation
strengthens teachers’
commitment. The desire of teachers spending more time at
school, making more effort for
school achievement, approving compatibility of administration
are among contributing causes
of commitment and dedication to school.

Among the factors that decide teachers’ commitment and
dedication degree are: interaction
between teachers, teacher-student relationship, the quality of
the work teachers do at school,
the compatibility of school administration. Teachers who have
commitment to school display
such attitudes as: being proud of the school he works for,
evoking a desire to work harder,
being interested in the future of the school.
Fried (2001) lists ten basic characteristics of a passionate
teacher as:
1. likes working with young people, and takes an interest in
knowledge and ideas
2. that students lack knowledge and skills cannot be an excuse
to decrease his feeling of
compassion for them.
3. cares about students
4. is aware of world issues, and current events in the classroom
and effectively reflects them in
his works at school
5. is serious and has sense of humor.
6. tolerates absurd and meaningless things that students exhibit
in their behaviors but at the
same time critical and very attentive to manners that students
must have.
7. avoids condemning ideas of unpopular and young people and
attempts to create a culture of
mutual respect.
8. takes risks; therefore, as much as any person makes mistakes
but derives lessons from
mistakes rather than ignore them.
9. endeavors to establish and maintain a learning environment
where students can learn from
their mistakes.
10. takes his missions seriously and reflects his ideas and

beliefs clearly.
ISSN: 2226-6348
440
Croswell and Eliot (2001, p.2) state that teacher commitment is
multidimensional and some
external factors may influence commitment degree:
1) the school or organization
2) students
3) career continuance
4) professional knowledge base
5) the teaching profession
What makes a teacher great?
Fried points out what makes a teacher great is(2001, p.54):
“This caring about ideas and values,
this fascination with the potential for growth within people, this
fervor about doing things well
and striving for excellence”.
Some important features of a great teacher:
1) Passion for teaching and learning: teaching with passion will
enable students to understand

effectively. Hargreaves writes: “ Pedagogical changes fail,
when they do not engage the
passions of the classroom” (Hargreaves, 1997, p.18). Passionate
teachers observe the quality of
learning achievement of students carefully and feeling that
efficiency in learning is not
accomplished, endeavor to teach using different approaches.
2) Respect for students: To build a better relationship respect
for students as individuals and
learners is essential in teaching profession. If students see the
teacher as caring, their
willingness to learn enhances.
3) Love of his profession: In the rapidly developing world,
without love of his profession
improvement in his field for the teacher does not occur. Passion
stems from teacher’s love of
his profession. Passionate teachers have a profound love for
teaching. “Perhaps they are in
love with every aspect of teaching” (Garrison and Liston, 2004,
p.1). A great teacher is informed
about new developments in his field and tries to keep abreast of
them to advance his skills and
knowledge base. Exhibiting enthusiasm for the subject matter
that he is teaching will feed
students’ excitement and interest. Teacher’s primary goal is to
cultivate students’ curiosity for
efficiency in learning. One of the most significant requirement
to teach effectively is good
knowledge of subject matter the teacher is teaching. Ferguson
and Womackl (1993) write:
“effective communication of content knowledge is a hallmark of
good teachers”
4) Being aware of the worth of schools in students’ lives: A
school is a place where students not
only learn but also gain real life experiences. Therefore,
passionate teachers do leadership in

every corner of the school in every field of learning.
5) Teacher cannot make any concessions to occupational ethics:
Great teachers have some
occupational ethics that they never divert from. They educate
students in accordance with this
approach.
6) Willingness for changes: Great teachers always search for
continuous professional
development. They always desire to be a good teacher and seek
to enhance the effectiveness
of teaching. Hansen writes: “A teacher who really ‘knows and
believes’ that teaching is
ISSN: 2226-6348
441
worthwhile will likely conduct him-or herself differently from a
teacher who has lost faith in the
endeavor or who resorts to expediency in the face of challenge”
(2001, p.56).
7) Willingness for Reflection: Great teachers reflect on their
commitment to student
achievement through seeking an opportunity to share the things
they have learnt.
8) Organizational Skills: Great teachers have effective
organizing skills. They know the right
thing to do. A passionate teacher knows and believes in what he

does.
9) Good communication is the foundation of a successful
relationship: Great teachers use
verbal and nonverbal communication skills effectively in giving
instructions, feedback and
providing students with knowledge. Rather than what they say,
great teachers convey more
messages to students through gestures, voice tones and their
locations in the classroom. A
passionate teacher knows how to speak to students’ hearts and
minds.
10) Collaboration: Great teachers collaborate with their
colleagues in the work environment to
promote student learning.
Conclusion
Passionate teachers are those who make great changes in our
lives. Their beliefs and vigorous
actions make us realize our inner values and bewitch us. Passion
contributes to teacher’s
motivation and performance. Passionate teachers have an affect
on student achievement.
There is a strong correlation between passionate teaching and
successful student learning.
Commitment, a sense of adherence, is a key factor that
influences learning process of students.
References
Balcı A., (2001), Etkili Okul ve Okul Geliştirme, 2.bs, Pegem A
Yayıncılık, Ankara.
Carbonneau, N., & Vallerand R.J., Fernet, C., & Guay, F.,
(2008). The role of passion
for teaching in intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes.
Journal of Educational

Psychology, 100(4), 977-987. doi: 10.1037/a0012545
Elliott, B., & Crosswell, L. (2001). Commitment to teaching:
Australian perspectives on the
interplays of the professional and the personal in teachers’
lives. Paper presented at the
International Symposium on Teacher Commitment at the
European Conference on Educational
Research, Lille, France.
Ferguson, P., & Womack, S. T. (1993) The impact of subject
matter and education
coursework on teaching performance. Journal of Teacher
Education, 44(1): 55–63.
Fox, Raymond. (1964). The “Committed” Teacher. Educational
leadership. Retrieved from
www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_196410_fox.pdf
Fried, R.L. (2001). The Passionate Teacher: A Practical Guide.
Boston: Beacon Pres.
Garrison, J. & Liston, D. (2004). Teaching, learning, and
loving. New York:
Teachers College Press.
Hansen, D.T. (2001). Exploring the Moral heart of Teacher:
Toward a Teacher’s Creed. New
York: Teacher College Press.
Hargreaves, A. (Ed). (1997). Rethinking Educational Change
With Heart and Mind. Alexandria,
VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Kushman, J. (1992). The organizational dynamics of teacher
workplace commitment:
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a study of urban elementary and middle schools. Educational
Administration
Quarterly, 28(1): 5-42.
Olson, D.L. (2003). Principles, impracticality, and passion. Phi
Delta Kappan, 85(4): 307-309.
Rosenholtz, S.J. (1989). Teachers’ Workplace: The Social
Organization of Schools. White Plains,
NY: Longman.
Rowe, K. (2003). The Importance of Teacher Quality as a Key
Determinant of Students’
Experiences and outcomes of Schooling. Background paper to
keynote address presented at the
ACER Research Conference 2003, 19-21 October 2003.
Retrieved from:
http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/
Thapan, Meenakshi. (1986). Forms of Discourse: A Typology of
Teachers and Commitment.
British Journal of Sociology and Education, 7(4): 415-431.
The Colorado Teacher Quality Standards
Excellent teaching is vital to every student’s success: teachers
have the
honored role of helping to prepare their students for the world
ahead.
To have maximum impact on student learning, teachers must

develop and
evolve along with their students. This involves self-reflection,
increased
levels of meaningful feedback on instructional practice and an
overall
commitment to continuously refining their craft.
Identifying the complex components of quality teaching is a
fundamental
step in supporting teachers’ professional growth as well as
developing a
fair and reliable evaluation process; both aspects of the Great
Teachers and
Leaders Act. The statewide Teacher Quality Standards provide
this shared
understanding of the essentials of great teaching—a common
vision.
Just as the Colorado Academic Standards provide common
expectations for
student learning, the Teacher Quality Standards outline the
knowledge and
skills required of an excellent teacher. They are the core of the
evaluation
process and offer a tool for teacher self-reflection, goal setting
and ongoing
professional growth.
The Teacher Quality Standards are foundational to providing
every student
with what they deserve—excellent teachers who are consistently
supported
in their efforts to improve their practice and influence student
learning in
new and powerful ways.

A Common Vision of Great Teaching
Students have the greatest chance
to succeed when their teachers receive
meaningful feedback and are
supported in their efforts to
continuously improve their craft.
QUALIT Y STANDARD I
Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in
the content they teach.
The elementary teacher is an expert in literacy and mathematics
and is knowledgeable in all other content that he or she teaches
(e.g., science, social studies, arts, physical education, or world
languages). The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy
and
mathematics and is an expert in his or her content endorsement
area(s).
ELEMENT A: Teachers provide instruction that is aligned with
the
Colorado Academic Standards; their district’s organized plan of
instruction; and the individual needs of their students.
ELEMENT B: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of student lit-
eracy development in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
ELEMENT C: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of mathematics
and understand how to promote student development in num-
bers and operations, algebra, geometry and measurement and
data analysis and probability.

ELEMENT D: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of the content,
central concepts, tools of inquiry, appropriate evidence-based
instructional practices and specialized character of the
disciplines
being taught.
ELEMENT E: Teachers develop lessons that reflect the
interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines.
ELEMENT F: Teachers make instruction and content relevant to
students and take actions to connect students’ background and
contextual knowledge with new information being taught.
QUALIT Y STANDARD II
Teachers establish a safe, inclusive and respectful learning
environment for a diverse population of students.
ELEMENT A: Teachers foster a predictable learning
environment
in the classroom in which each student has a positive, nurturing
relationship with caring adults and peers.
ELEMENT B: Teachers demonstrate a commitment to and
respect for diversity, while working toward common goals as a
community and as a country.
ELEMENT C: Teachers engage students as individuals with
unique
interests and strengths.
ELEMENT D: Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of
all

students, including those with special needs across a range of
ability levels.
ELEMENT E: Teachers provide proactive, clear and
constructive
feedback to families about student progress and work collabora-
tively with the families and significant adults in the lives of
their
students.
ELEMENT F: Teachers create a learning environment character-
ized by acceptable student behavior, efficient use of time and
appropriate intervention strategies.
2 | COLORADO TEACHER QUALITY STANDARDS
REFERENCE GUIDE
QUALIT Y STANDARD III
Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an
environment that facilitates learning for their students.
ELEMENT A: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of current
developmental science, the ways in which learning takes place
and the appropriate levels of intellectual, social and emotional
development of their students.
ELEMENT B: Teachers plan and consistently deliver
instruction that draws on results of student assessments, is
aligned to academic standards and advances students’ level
of content knowledge and skills.
ELEMENT C: Teachers demonstrate a rich knowledge of
current research on effective instructional practices to meet

the developmental and academic needs of their students.
ELEMENT D: Teachers thoughtfully integrate and utilize
appropriate
available technology in their instruction to maximize student
learning.
ELEMENT E: Teachers establish and communicate high
expectations for all students and plan instruction that helps
students develop critical-thinking and problem solving skills.
ELEMENT F: Teachers provide students with opportunities to
work in teams and develop leadership qualities.
ELEMENT G: Teachers communicate effectively, making
learning
objectives clear and providing appropriate models of language.
ELEMENT H: Teachers use appropriate methods to assess
what each student has learned, including formal and informal
assessments, and use results to plan further instruction.
QUALIT Y STANDARD IV
Teachers reflect on their practice.
ELEMENT A: Teachers demonstrate that they analyze student
learning, development and growth and apply what they learn
to improve their practice.
ELEMENT B: Teachers link professional growth to their
professional goals.
ELEMENT C: Teachers are able to respond to a complex,

dynamic environment.
QUALIT Y STANDARD V
Teachers demonstrate leadership.
ELEMENT A: Teachers demonstrate leadership in their schools.
ELEMENT B: Teachers contribute knowledge and skills to
educational practices and the teaching profession.
ELEMENT C: Teachers advocate for schools and students,
partnering with students, families and communities as
appropriate.
ELEMENT D: Teachers demonstrate high ethical standards.
QUALIT Y STANDARD VI
Teachers take responsibility for student academic growth.
ELEMENT A: Teachers demonstrate high levels of student
learning, growth and academic achievement.
ELEMENT B: Teachers demonstrate high levels of student
academic growth in the skills necessary for postsecondary
and workforce readiness, including democratic and civic
participation. Teachers demonstrate their ability to utilize mul-
tiple data sources and evidence to evaluate their practice, and
make adjustments where needed to continually improve attain-
ment of student academic growth.
For more information contact CDE Educator Effectiveness
[email protected]
http://www.cde.state.co.us/EducatorEffectiveness

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