Practitioner-Scholar_Paper

To become a practitioner-scholar, one must be willing to engage in a higher order of thinking. The practitioner is a person that is highly-trained and he or she applies knowledge and techniques to solve problems of clients. There are different concepts when defining a scholar, practitioner, scholar practitioner and practitioner scholar. The scholar is a person who has been awarded scholarship in a particular field of study, and after scholarship is given the professional might go on to becoming a practitioner who engages in the professionals that he or she received scholarship. A scholar-practitioner, the professional continues in higher learning of the field of study and its impact on student learning, and lastly, a practitioner-scholar is a professional who gains knowledge of current research and practices to best serve their clients or learners. The model that presently describes my level of professionalism is becoming a scholar-practitioner. As a director of a childcare facility, I often rely on knowledge that I have gained in early childhood along with current practices to better serve the community that I am serving. This model applies to me as a learner and a professional because I am seeking higher learning in this field of study. As a practitioner-scholar, I must be willing to apply all current knowledge and be opened to seek new research in my profession to help learners become successful. Morrissette, P., Gadbois, S. (2006) states that educators are perceived as gatekeepers to the counseling profession and are responsible for assessing student counselor preparedness and competency. To do so, educators require mechanisms by which to evaluate the skills and suitability of prospective professionals. Furthermore, educators are responsible for helping students discover personal limitations, needs, and skills that require ongoing attention. References Morissette, P., Gabois, Shanon, (2006).Ethical Consideration of Counselor Education Teaching Strategies: Counseling and Values; 50, Retrieved October 25, 2009 ProQuest Psychology Journals http://proquest.umi.com.library.capella.edu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Practitioner-scholar_model Retrieved October 25, 2009