D 5: Commitment to Continuing Professional Development and Evaluation of Practice

Protagoras, a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher opined, “Man is the measure of all things; of what is, that it is; of what is not, that it is not". The ability of men to introspect to learn more about their fundamental nature, purpose and essence is the basis of self reflection and evaluation and also forms the basis for growth and self development. The practice of self reflection in a teacher leads to greater ability to nurture learning in a student and grow as a creative teacher. PGCHE gave me the opportunity to develop into a reflective practitioner and introspect on the many areas of my strengths and shortcomings as a teacher using this tool.

Today as a reflective teacher I am able to evaluate myself as a tutor who understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines I teach. I am able to create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for my students. To continue to do this I must keep abreast of new research and development in my area of specialism by engaging in professional discourse with my colleagues and fellow tutors; and by learning to integrate across knowledge domains through training, professional workshops and industry interface. As a part of my self-development process I am now committed to completing my Master’s qualification in Fashion Marketing in the next one year.

Reflective practice allows me to address issues related to and improve upon understanding my learners’ broad range of learning abilities and needs. I am able to appreciate their diverse talent and channel it into a learning experience for the entire cohort through collaborative learning and shared experiences. My students’ strengths are a basis for my growth, and their errors, an opportunity for learning. I plan to continue to observe my peers and their learners across disciplines, and learn from their classroom experiences to incorporate varied learning and teaching methods to enhance the learning of the cohorts in my specialism.

Reflections on my teaching strategies has taught me to understand that learners differ in their approach to learning and that my teaching strategies need to be adapted to meet these differences at all times through innovative teaching and learning activities. My teaching strategies are now continuously aligned towards the development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills through use of different instructional techniques, technologies, and resources, particularly after the success of my e-learning exercise. In the future this is an area of professional development that I would like to continue to dwell on and further develop my proficiency in, so that I am able to connect better with the ‘digital natives’ of the real time generation.

Active reflection has given me an insight into understanding individual and group motivation and behavior. I am now able to use this to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and self motivation. I will continue to use a range of strategies to promote positive relationships, cooperation, and meaningful learning experiences in the classroom through group projects, peer teaching and learning, live industry projects and visits, and work life simulations. Continued industry interface through consultancy projects to create learning opportunities in environments away from the classroom for my students and up-gradation of my knowledge base will be an area of focus for my self-growth and development.

Reflective practice has developed me into an effective communicator and listener. I have realized that the ability to listen to my learners is a very important part of their learning experience. It helps me understand the diverse learning backgrounds and cultural differences of my classroom and how it can affect a student’s understanding and experience of a subject. I will continue to study effective methods of communication and continue to develop myself as an active listener through pedagogic workshops.

As an academic and an industry professional I will continue to write papers for publication and present at industry conferences to create awareness about the Academy and its commitment towards the growth and development of the Clothing and Textile industry in India. I will continue to contribute towards the development of the curriculum that is industry centric, using my work and teaching experience for the benefit of both the graduates of the programme and the professional environment that they will work in.

The PGCHE has made me realize that as a teacher I am now a lifelong learner and my one single commitment has to be towards continually enhancing my knowledge. In this ever-changing world knowledge is dynamic and it is simply impossible to ‘master’ everything. With each passing year and each new cohort the challenge towards learning becomes greater as schools, university systems and curricula keep changing. Workplace environment and work efficiencies too are changing – new products, technology, consumer lifestyles et al and it is imperative as a teacher who wants to give her best to her learners my commitment to professional growth has to be a continuous process as well.

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