Standard #9 – Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
The teacher candidate engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
Summer 2015: Stagnation in teaching is not an option. New methods of instruction must be analyzed as to their worth, and applied when seen fit to meet the changing face of the modern day classroom. I am encouraged as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow that I will receive steady input from experienced instructors in regards to my teaching effectiveness and suggestions for methods of improvement. I look forward to attending professional conferences to further my own instructional interests and eventually specialize in an area of professional research. I also hope to attempt writing grants to fund endeavors in my classroom.
I will teach my students with care, and respect both them and their families and honor the differences between us. I hope to act as a “significant other” and as a means of bridging between groups of stake holders in the school.
Autumn 2015: I had several opportunities to attend professional developmental conferences this semester, including a Marzano training. I was able to implement several techniques learned at this conference in our classroom and plan to use his techniques to become a more reflective instructor. The frequent observations and evaluations offered throughout this program, as well as constructive comments from Mr. Smith, have allowed me to grow my practices as a fledgling instructor. I hope that as I continue on as an educator that I always treat both my students and their parents/guardians with respect and honor differences between us.
Spring 2016: I have attending two Marzano trainings this school year, HASTI, the Indiana science teaching conference, as well as presenting at the national NAPDS conference in Washington, DC. I am well on my way to understanding the importance of professional development and look forward to it as a way to better myself as a teacher. It was at HASTI that I had the breakthrough about the importance of the conceptual understanding of what I was teaching my students. It was a low moment when I realized that I may have missed the mark in my teaching, but I used it as a huge moment of growth as a novice instructor. I enjoy both the collegial nature of conferences and applying what is learned at them.