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The first competency emphases about the teacher’s understanding on how to improve and develop necessary skills to meet the needs of students or in other words it is teacher’s understanding on performing in a professional way ("Professional Development Definition and Meaning | Top Hat", 2020). There are variety of areas that need to be understood properly in order to master and exceed on factors of professional development such as, participating in frequent professional development, understanding and implementing the national curriculum and assessment framework, applying professional development learnings to classroom practices and so on and so forth. As a new teacher I will discuss some factors that I was able to practice during my teaching experiences as an intern teacher trainee.
To begin with, imagine teachers who regularly reflect on their skills, learning, and growth—that’s exactly what self-reflection through the National Teacher Service Standards (NTSS) Framework encourages. Through written reflections, teachers analyze their strengths and areas for improvement by evaluating their application of specific competencies from the NTSS. This process acts as a personal roadmap, helping teachers identify challenges and plan for continuous growth. Self-reflection is vital for professional development because it drives improvement. Each reflection is a step toward refining teaching practices, enhancing student engagement, and fostering better learning outcomes (Cox, Janelle).
In my experience, this reflective process revealed areas where I could improve, giving me the insight to adapt my teaching methods and activities to better engage students and support their learning. One tool that I preferred the best is the lesson evaluation. This lesson evaluation can help in reflecting my teaching process as a teacher. I experienced this in my teaching practice at TUC 1 JSS where I carefully observed the strengths and weaknesses of each teaching and learning process. Ultimately, self-reflection using lesson evaluation prepared me for better solutions of each weakness.
In addition, acquiring and applying basic ICT knowledge and skills in teaching. Integrating basic ICT knowledge and skills into teaching opens a world of possibilities for both educators and students. Since, we are now on the 21st century and new skills are also developing because most people nowadays are exposed to technologies and internet (Weber, 2023). Plus, ICT technologies are an integral part of today's digitized society, therefore, it is important that children acquire ICT skills as part of 21st century skills education to prepare them for later like. To enhance, this new approach of teaching it is crucial to use visual aids and multimedia which is to make abstract concepts come alive with images and using technologies like Bluetooth and etc.
In my teaching experiences, I have worked with basic ICT knowledge and skills like constructing graphs of students' assessment result, recording students results using programs such as excel, providing students with printed assessment papers and so forth. These knowledge and skills of the 21st century has influenced the speed of teaching and learning process and also aware students of new technologies.
Consequently, sharing new ideas, as well as engaging in coaching and mentoring, are powerful strategies for fostering a vibrant and supportive learning community. Seechaliao (2017) argues that when educators exchange innovative teaching practices, resources, and strategies, they create a dynamic environment where everyone can learn from each other and grow together. Similarly, Vikaraman et al. (2017) emphasize that coaching and mentoring offer continuous support, helping teachers sustain their development and refine their practices over time. This collaborative approach also cultivates a culture of leadership and shared responsibility for professional growth.
I have personally experienced and implemented this approach in my teaching at TUC 1 JSS. I recall a meeting held by the English and Moral Education department, where we addressed various issues related to students' academic progress and behavior in the classroom. During this meeting, we shared challenges and offered valuable insights and solutions to each problem. We collaborated effectively, supporting one another in refining our teaching strategies and processes. This exchange was immensely beneficial, as it allowed us to explore new teaching methods and tackle our individual challenges in the classroom.
Overall, Professional development is indeed crucial in our everyday life basis as being a teacher because it gives us time to learn more on the things that matters most for the affairs of our students. Using ICT knowledge, self-reflects about personal strengths and weakness and sharing new ideas in facilitating peer support, coaching and mentoring are crucial things needed to be applied in order to achieve being professions in our teaching.
Bibliography:
Cox, Janelle. “Teaching Strategies: The Value of Self-Reflection.” TeachHUB, K-12 Teachers Alliance. All rights reserved., 25 Oct. 2014, www.teachhub.com. Retrieved from: https://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies/2014/10/teaching-strategies-the-value-of-self-reflection/
Seechaliao, T. (2017). Instructional strategies to support creativity and innovation in education. Journal of education and learning, 6(4), 201-208. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1148839
Vikaraman, S. S., Mansor, A. N., & Hamzah, M. I. M. (2017). Mentoring and coaching practices for beginner teachers—A need for mentor coaching skills training and principal’s support. Creative Education, 8(1), 156-169. Retrieved from: https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=73715
Professional Development Definition and Meaning | Top Hat. (2020). Retrieved 21 December 2020, from https://tophat.com/glossary/p/professional-development/#:~:text=Professional%20development%20refers%20to%20instruct
Weber, A. M. (2023, April 4). ICT Skills in the Deployment of 21st Century Skills: A (Cognitive) Developmental Perspective through Early Childhood. Retrieved from MDPI. Retrieved from: https://orbilu.uni.lu/bitstream/10993/55779/1/Weber_Greiff_2023.pdf
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