Scrum Master Choices – Professionalising the Teacher Stance, Part 6: Professional Standards
Prior to reading this blog, please read the introduction to this series here.
In this final part of the series, we turn our attention to a layer of the teacher stance that sits less in the visible artefacts of delivery and more in the behaviours, values, and integrity of the person doing the teaching. The practices we have explored so far (intention, evaluation, continued development, and variety of delivery) all depend on this foundation. Without it, everything else risks becoming performative. Professional Standards are what elevate teaching from a tactical activity to a credible and trusted form of leadership.
When I moved from classroom teaching into the world of Scrum, I underestimated how much my personal conduct would continue to shape the learning experience. It wasn’t just about what I said. It was how I behaved when things went wrong, when someone challenged my framing, or when a workshop went off script. The impact of teaching is never neutral. It either reinforces the values we want to see in the system or it quietly undermines them.
What We Carry When We Teach
It is easy to think of a Scrum Master as a neutral facilitator. And yes, there are moments when that stance is right. But when we step into the role of teacher, we step into a position of influence. Sometimes we are shaping someone’s first exposure to Professional Scrum. Other times, we are challenging long-held beliefs in a room full of senior stakeholders.
In either case, people are paying close attention. Not just to the message, but to the messenger.
Our personal conduct, including how we respond to challenge, how we handle uncertainty, and how we treat the quietest voice in the room, affects whether people trust the learning process at all. If people do not feel respected or safe, they are not going to learn. And that makes our standards matter.
Professional Standards and the Role of the Scrum Master
In formal teaching, professional standards are about more than competence. They are about conduct. These standards ask us to treat learners with dignity, maintain appropriate boundaries, and never exploit the influence that comes with the role. For Scrum Masters adopting the teacher stance, those expectations translate directly.
This includes being honest about what you know, being mindful of your influence, holding space for different experiences and starting points, and protecting psychological safety. Not as a bonus, but as a basic condition for learning.
One thing I realised early on is that psychological safety does not come from the content you teach. It comes from how you behave while teaching it. I have seen beautifully designed workshops fall flat because the person leading them did not make it safe to be wrong. And I have seen unpolished moments become breakthroughs because the facilitator stayed open, kind, and clear in their purpose.
Inclusion Without Exception
If you have ever taught Scrum to a mixed group, you will know how hard it can be to meet everyone where they are. But the real challenge is not just about content. It is about connection. People withdraw not just when they are confused, but when they feel like they do not belong in the space.
I remember a refinement workshop where a stakeholder asked a basic question about velocity. A developer answered with visible frustration. The conversation moved on, and I didn’t say anything. Afterwards, I noticed that stakeholder had not spoken again. That moment stayed with me.
Inclusion is not about grand gestures. It is about whether people feel like the learning space is also their space. That means calling out dismissiveness, slowing down when needed, and designing workshops that let people enter from where they are, not where we wish they were.
Boundaries and Integrity
Professional boundaries are part of what makes a teacher credible. This does not mean being formal or distant. It means being clear. Clear about the purpose of the workshop. Clear about what you do and do not know. Clear about how the space will be held.
Some examples:
Starting and finishing workshops on time
Borrowing stories or examples to make a point, while being transparent about where they came from
Giving credit when using someone else’s idea or method
Making space for everyone, not just those with the loudest voices
Avoiding the temptation to steer learning toward your preferred answers
One phrase I have found incredibly useful is, “I don’t know, but can I have a think and get back to you?” It builds trust AND authority. It shows you modelling empiricism, not delivering a doctrine.
Evaluation Criteria
As the Scrum Master:
I treat teaching as an act of trust, not performance
I hold boundaries that protect psychological safety
I model the values of Scrum when I teach
I acknowledge uncertainty and remain open to feedback
As the Scrum Team:
We feel respected and safe in learning environments
We can ask questions without fear of judgement
Our Scrum Master’s behaviour reflects what they teach
Learning feels like something we do together, not something done to us
As the Organisation:
We expect ethical conduct in training and coaching
We support professional development for those in teaching roles
We see learning as a shared responsibility, not just a delivery event
Actionable Ideas
Create Workshop Agreements
Start every workshop with a short discussion: what kind of space do we want to create? Which behaviours help us to learn together?
Reflect on Your Conduct
After teaching, ask yourself: Did I hold my boundaries? Did I create space for challenge? Did I act in line with what I ask from others?
Ask About the Experience
Not just “Did you learn something?” but “How did the session feel?” Was there a moment someone felt lost or left out?
Be Honest About Your Influence
If people defer to your voice, that is not always a compliment. Stay mindful of the power in your role, and use it with care.
Final Wrap-Up: The Five Elements of the Teacher Stance
This series has been about taking the teacher stance seriously. Not as a side task. Not as a fallback when coaching is not working. But as a craft in its own right.
In this series we have covered:
1. Intention
Start with clarity. Know what you are trying to help people learn, and why it matters.
2. Evaluation
Stay close to the learner experience as an objective observer. Use feedback and questioning to identify when you need to adapt your approach.
3. Continued Development
Grow your own practice. Learn from others. Share your own insights. Stay curious.
4. Variety of Delivery
Teach in different ways. Not everyone learns through discussion or diagrams. Build a flexible toolkit.
5. Professional Standards
Model the values of Scrum. Protect learning. Behave in ways that help people feel safe enough to grow.
Taken together, these five elements give Scrum Masters a powerful way to support people, build capability, and bring the Scrum values to life in a practical and professional way.
Final Thoughts and Invitation
I started my career as a qualified teacher, and later moved into Professional Scrum as a consultant and trainer. These days, I am fortunate to train across the UK and internationally, while also working directly with organisations navigating complex change.
If this series has sparked ideas, opened questions, or made you reflect on your own teaching stance, I would love to hear from you.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn here, or reach out using Scrum.org's contact form.
Thanks for reading.
Keep teaching. Keep learning.