Chapter 10 Professional Development: A Continuing Process

Chapter Focus This chapter addresses the assessment and continued development of the effectiveness of teachers as they continue throughout their career. This chapter addresses the assessment and continued development of the effectiveness of teachers as they continue throughout their career.

Beginning your teaching experience You will be nervous and make mistakes, it is to be expected You will be nervous and make mistakes, it is to be expected You will have many questions about your student teaching practicum, such as will the cooperating teacher like me or will the students accept me? You will have many questions about your student teaching practicum, such as will the cooperating teacher like me or will the students accept me? Be prepared. Study, plan, practice and reflect. Be prepared. Study, plan, practice and reflect. Make a good first impression Make a good first impression Become knowledgeable about the school and its surroundings Become knowledgeable about the school and its surroundings Discuss your responsibilities and familiarize yourself with the lessons Discuss your responsibilities and familiarize yourself with the lessons

Cooperating teacher’s perspective Assist the student teacher when necessary, provide guidance Assist the student teacher when necessary, provide guidance Get to know your student teacher and resolve any personality clashes Get to know your student teacher and resolve any personality clashes The student teacher may be much different than the cooperating teacher in both appearance and style of teaching. Be slow to judge. The student teacher may be much different than the cooperating teacher in both appearance and style of teaching. Be slow to judge. Be aware of student teacher having another job while student teaching Be aware of student teacher having another job while student teaching

Supervisor observing student teacher Before an observation, plan to demonstrate your best skills Before an observation, plan to demonstrate your best skills Decorate the room and bulletin boards with student work Decorate the room and bulletin boards with student work Organize your work area Organize your work area

Clinical Supervision Clinical supervision is based on shared decision making between the university supervisor and the teacher and focused on improving, rather than evaluating, teaching behaviors. Clinical supervision is based on shared decision making between the university supervisor and the teacher and focused on improving, rather than evaluating, teaching behaviors. Triad is composed of you, your cooperating teacher, and the university supervisor. Triad is composed of you, your cooperating teacher, and the university supervisor. Includes PREobservation conference, observation of teaching, and a POSTobservation conference. Includes PREobservation conference, observation of teaching, and a POSTobservation conference. Pre: the triad meets to discuss goals, objectives, and the evaluation process. Pre: the triad meets to discuss goals, objectives, and the evaluation process. During observation: Supervisor collects data on students’ performance of objectives and on teacher performance of the teaching strategies During observation: Supervisor collects data on students’ performance of objectives and on teacher performance of the teaching strategies Post: the triad discusses the performances Post: the triad discusses the performances

Finding a teaching position Get letters of recommendation from cooperating teachers and principals. Get letters of recommendation from cooperating teachers and principals. Keep portfolio and resume up to date Keep portfolio and resume up to date Hone your interview skills Hone your interview skills Establish contacts with: college placement offices, local school district offices, county educational agency, state departments of education, professional journals and independent schools Establish contacts with: college placement offices, local school district offices, county educational agency, state departments of education, professional journals and independent schools

Professional Resume No more than two pages, neat, standard 8.5x11 size, on resume paper. No more than two pages, neat, standard 8.5x11 size, on resume paper. No personal information such as age, height, weight, marital status, etc No personal information such as age, height, weight, marital status, etc Organize in order: name, address, phone number and then educational data, then professional experience-most recent placed first. Organize in order: name, address, phone number and then educational data, then professional experience-most recent placed first. Be truthful and take time to develop your resume Be truthful and take time to develop your resume Prepare a cover letter for your resume Prepare a cover letter for your resume Have resume proofread and get it to the personnel director by the deadline. Have resume proofread and get it to the personnel director by the deadline.

Professional Development Through self-assessment…maintain a professional journal, logbook and research log. Through self-assessment…maintain a professional journal, logbook and research log. Through mentoring… peer coaching and mentor teacher volunteerism Through mentoring… peer coaching and mentor teacher volunteerism Through in-service and graduate study…workshops and programs to keep teachers up to date on their practice. Through in-service and graduate study…workshops and programs to keep teachers up to date on their practice. Through participation in professional organizations…National Teachers Association, American Culinary Federation, etc Through participation in professional organizations…National Teachers Association, American Culinary Federation, etc Through communications with teachers…visiting other teachers, graduate seminars, study groups. Through communications with teachers…visiting other teachers, graduate seminars, study groups. Through off-teaching work experience…short term employment as teachers in private industry, research institutes, etc Through off-teaching work experience…short term employment as teachers in private industry, research institutes, etc Through micro peer teaching...what is it? Through micro peer teaching...what is it?

Professional Development (cont) Micro peer teaching, MPT, is a skill-development strategy used for professional development by teachers. Micro peer teaching, MPT, is a skill-development strategy used for professional development by teachers. It is a scaled down teaching experience involving: It is a scaled down teaching experience involving: Limited objective Limited objective Brief interval for teaching a lesson Brief interval for teaching a lesson Lesson taught to a few (8-10) peers (as your students) Lesson taught to a few (8-10) peers (as your students) Lesson focuses on the use of one or several instructional strategies Lesson focuses on the use of one or several instructional strategies It is a predictor of later teaching effectiveness It is a predictor of later teaching effectiveness MPT is evaluated on: teacher preparedness and implementation of lesson MPT is evaluated on: teacher preparedness and implementation of lesson Student involvement Student involvement Whether objectives were met Whether objectives were met Cognitive level appropriateness of lesson Cognitive level appropriateness of lesson

Summary This chapter’s main focus was on professional development and the continuing process of honing and improving your teaching skills.