Professional Growth

My time as a student teacher not only introduced me to the practice of teaching but also exposed me to the professional space of a school. Even though I was not physically present in the school building, I still gained a sense of the staff's community, working relationships, and schoolwide objectives. Through weekly Professional Development (PD) meetings with the principal and insight into my cooperating teacher's collaborations with fellow teachers, counselors, and administrators, I came to learn what it means to work in a school. Prior to my student teaching placement, I had only ever interacted with singular teachers/classrooms in a school. This was my first experience in which I felt like a part of the staff, a part of the community of the school, and from that I learned more about the experience of being a teacher.

In this section of my portfolio, I reflect upon my experiences with PD and staff collaboration and discuss the ways that I have grown as a learner and a professional. I walk through the logistics of working alongside teachers and administrators, the value I found in observing teachers of subjects other than ELA, and the element of communication with families. Each of these aspects has lent to my growth as a future educator and professional in a school district.