Personal And Professional Development - Essay Example

? Personal and Professional Development It is an important trait of the profession that teachers be confident and secure in their abilities.In order to students to feel comfortable in the classroom, so must the teacher. A primary mechanism to ensure that this reality takes hold involves educators to constantly be looking to grow, both personally and professionally. This is even more critical for the teacher in training, or the new educator. Even veteran teachers will want to consider personal and professional development as a way to change with the times, adding modern teaching methodologies to the repertoire that will gradually more traditional forms of instruction. Education is a fluid profession, and teachers need to be willing to adapt their instructional techniques to the unique learning styles of their students. An effective teacher is one that is constantly learning and growing. One way to effectively accomplish this is by observing other educators in action. The more observations that can be conducted often result in a wide range of teaching methodologies, enabling new teachers the opportunity to better understand how teaching and learning take place. While it is important to develop one’s own unique teaching style that fits with his or her own personality, it is equally important to broaden the horizons of education in order to open up an entirely new world of learning. This qualitative study has accomplished just this by looking at professional and personal development as an opportunity to grow in and effective educator for now and into the future. 1. Introduction Professional development can help a new teacher grow in his or her abilities, in addition to leading to an increase in self-confidence. As a new educator in the second year of a teacher-training program, it is important to understand this process begins now. The prospect of entering a class of bright, young, and energetic students without any proper training or observations under my belt would be quite frightening indeed. By focusing now on my personal and professional growth and development, it is quite possible to hit the ground running upon by successful graduation from the program. The more an individuals teaching ability is developed, the more they will grow in confidence and, thereby, be able to effectively manage a class of their own. Trainings, workshops, and observations, in addition to other professional development activities, help educator’s enhance their own teaching skills. This enables new and veteran teachers alike to be able to take their teaching to an entirely new level. Professional development involves not only the learning of new instructional methodologies and strategies, but they also enable individuals to keep up to date with new technology that can be effectively implemented into today’s modern classroom. In today’s rapidly advancing and globally progressive world, it is more important than ever that teacher’s today strive to grow professionally in their own right, so that they can foster the continued growth of their own student’s as well. 2. Learning-Environment Observation Studies Gaining the confidence required to be an effective teacher can often come by observing others in action. In so doing, the mentality shifts from one of trepidation to one of accomplishment. As we see others performing duties well, we begin to feel that we can do the same. This involves observing multiple disciplines to gain a solid overview about the teaching styles evident in the classroom that both promote and foster an environment conducive to the learning process. It is also important to observe others as a means of teacher development. Rossner (1992) argues that, “Teacher development is not just to do with language or even teaching: it’s also about language development, counselling skills, assertiveness training, confidence building, computing, meditation, cultural broadening – almost anything in fact” (p. 4). Teaching is about much more than communicating facts and figures to young people. It is about socializing students and encouraging their development on numerous fronts. Teachers are also expected to create a nurturing and welcoming environment, where students can feel comfortable and safe. These are typically areas that the public does not think of when they ponder the role of the teacher, but they are essential components of an educator’s daily task. Since these notions cannot adequately be learned from a simple reading of a textbook, they must be ‘caught’. One way to accomplish that is to observe other teachers and watch their interactions with students. In so doing, a variety of situations will be encountered during the day that require the educator to wear many hats, asking them to intervene in a variety of ways. This can be quite a scary concept for the new teacher, but one that becomes a bit easier to stomach with some simple observations under their belt. For this module, a minimum of four observations was completed, but this student took the opportunity to observe other classes as well. The intent, as Rossner espoused, was not always to look just instructional strategies; rather, the intent was to watch the interactions that took place in the classroom environment on a variety of fronts. In exploring the benefit of such observations, it is important to remember that such activities are truly designed as a means of furthering teacher development. No matter if the idea of ‘teacher development’ is taken to mean that an educator is striving to become the best teacher that they can be, or if the definition is take to reflect Rossner’s contention that it is so much more wider encompassing than that, the reality is that teacher development involved creating a model of teaching that is flexible and adapts with the times. The teacher training process, of which I am currently involved in, must be coupled with professional development as the educational process continues. In fact, Freeman (1989) contends that both teacher development and teacher training are complementary concepts that need to both be considered as an ongoing process in order to help facilitate future success in the field of education in the future. As I observed various colleagues, some with a depth of experience, other relatively new to the profession, I look for opportunities to expand on my own knowledge, sills, aptitude, and awareness of the profession. As noted on my observation forms later in this module, I was struck by the variety of situations a teacher encounters in the classroom on any given day. This requires that educators to be more knowledgeable in the profession, as opposed to simply being focused on their own particular area of study. It was obvious that a teacher is so much more than just an adult who gives out instruction. This seems so obvious, and we hear about it all of the time, but to see it in action was certainly an eye-opening experience. Among other things, I saw teachers turning into counsellors, giving advice to help resolve disputes, interrupting disagreements, providing assistance in the classroom, and a whole host of other areas that are completely unrelated to actual teaching functions. It is compared to consider these other areas now, so that when entering the classroom as a point in the near future, solutions will already have been generated for a host of situations that will certainly arise in my own classroom. Developing our own model of teaching will happen through years of observation and professional development, and will certainly be refined as time goes on, but the process begins now. An effective model of teaching is one that I will feel comfortable adapting to, and one that provides a wide variety of options that I can implement into the classroom in order to gain confidence quickly. While confidence most often grows with time, putting in the extra effort of being prepared ahead of time will enable me to become a better teaching from the outset. An effective model of teaching is one that not only allows my students to learn effectively, but is also one that encourages the positive development of my own teaching ability. In order to accomplish this, I must be cognizant of relevant and modern theories revolving around student learning styles and the way that the modern young person comprehends and retains information. I can only accomplish this myself by being aware of the profession, observing others, and constantly being on the lookout for new models of teaching that could benefit my students and me equally. As I continue on this path of professional development, I much grow in my own teaching ability and knowledge. 2.1 Teaching Ability and Knowledge It is important to note four basic functions of the modern day teacher, and the observations completed reflect these. It is important to consider the subject matter, theories about learning and teaching, the students, and the workplace. While it is true that, as mentioned in the previous, teaching is more than just the subject matter, is still vitally important that the teacher be knowledgeable in his or her own field. It was comforting to note that each of the teacher’s under observation for this module appear well versed in their field. They were able to answer questions in a way that was easily comprehended by the students. In addition, I noted that a few of the teachers did not know an answer right away, and proceeded to work with the class to discover the answer. This had an impact on me because students do need to know that we are human, but also to see that we are willing to admit it. It is also important that teachers develop professionally in terms of theories about learning and teaching. As time goes on, it is important that teachers continually strive to deepen their understanding regarding the rationale behind certain learning theories, and to apply that knowledge to their own teaching practices. Learning theories are important because they have been carefully adapted through the years by individuals much more experienced in the field of education than us. Theories do not dictate how we teacher, but rather than form the foundation under which we provide quality and effective instruction to our students. The ways to grow in this knowledge are numerous, including regularly attending seminars and workshop, and continuing our own education by enrolling in courses on methodology periodically throughout our career. Finally, it is important to understand our students and the workplace in which we are employed. The effective teachers that I observed all seemed to understand their students, and they were focused on creating an educational environment that matched their interests. These teachers were also the ones that were able to give constructive feedback on assignments and that implemented activities into the structure of the class that really engaged each student and had them participating well. By focusing on these areas, a teacher can truly foster their own professional development and growth. It is also important within this context that teachers understand the environment in which they work. The effective teacher manages his or her class in a way that suits them, but that also fits in with the mission and vision of the particular educational institution that employs them. An understanding of all academic processes, such as curriculum, assessment procedures, and knowledge of supplementary resources available at the school are all areas that will greatly enhance the personal growth of the teacher. 3. Conclusion As has been demonstrated to this point, this module has instilled in this student the importance that personal and professional development has on the life of an educator. Teachers must be willing to constantly grow into their profession. New teachers have the responsibility to observe, learn theory, implement methodologies, and adapt to an increasingly technological and globally connected world. Teaching is a serious profession. Young people only possess a limited amount of time to acquire all of the skills and training that are necessary for themselves to enter into society as productive members, so teachers must work hard to ensure that this transition is as effective as possible. This begins with a thorough understanding of what it takes to be an educator, transcends into the role of counsellor and mediator, and continues to the role of life-long learning. In the end, teaching is a most rewarding profession, but also one that requires a great deal of foresight and perseverance. References Freeman, D. (1989). Teacher training, development, and decision making: A model of teaching and related strategies for language teacher education. TESOL Quarterly, 23(1), 27-45. Rossner, R. (1992). Where there’s a will – facilitating teacher development. Teacher Development Newsletter, 18(1), 4-5. Read More