4e: Growing and Developing Professionally

As in other professions, the complexity of teaching requires continued growth and development in order for teachers to remain current. Continuing to stay informed and increasing their skills allows teachers to become ever more effective and to exercise leadership among their colleagues. The academic disciplines themselves evolve, and educators constantly refine their understanding of how to engage students in learning; thus, growth in content, pedagogy, and information technology are essential to good teaching. Networking with colleagues through such activities as joint planning, study groups, and lesson study provides opportunities for teachers to learn from one another. These activities allow for job-embedded professional development. In addition, professional educators increase their effectiveness in the classroom by belonging to professional organizations, reading professional journals, attending educational conferences, and taking university classes. As they gain experience and expertise, educators find ways to contribute to their colleagues and to the profession.

(Danielson, C.  2013)

Artifact 4e-1

Peer Feedback from Teaching: I strive to continually grow from my teaching experiences so I can best help my students. I agree that “the complexity of teaching requires continued growth and development in order for teachers to remain current” (Danielson, C., 2013). This artifact shows me developing and growing professionally through feedback I received and then improved upon. I had two of my peers observe me for a lesson I taught. They were able to give me helpful feedback to improve my teaching and we were able to collaborate about ideas of how best to reach our students. I then made plans and implemented this feedback in my next lesson.

Artifact 4e-2

QPR Training for Suicide Prevention: This artifact demonstrates me growing professionally through learning how to help students who are struggling. I was able to participate in an educational seminar about Suicide Prevention. This allowed me to stay informed on current issues and receive training to bless my students. During the seminar I was able to discuss with my peers how to implement the ideas presented in our classrooms.

Strategies Presentations: This artifact shows different presentations I attended about strategies teachers can use in their classroom to effectively implement instruction. I gave two presentations; one on Creative Expression and the other on The Jigsaw Method. Attached are the handouts I gave out as part of my presentation. These resources have furthered my  own professional knowledge and skills. As I have incorporated some of these strategies in my classroom, I have noticed increased participation and deeper discussions.