NEVER STOP LEARNING

Professional development is about life-long learning and growing as an educator. You always have the potential to progress and refine your teaching skills. There is always more to learn and new skills to attain. Professional development is important to teaching success and can help you figure out why you make certain decisions, and can help you examine the way you think about and deal with certain situations.

There are courses and seminars you can take (sometimes free, sometimes at a cost) that you can incorporate into your resume or bring up during the conversation at an interview. Your willingness to take the initiative to learn new things will impress a prospective employer. Network with like-minded professionals, engage online and in-person and find out about learning events in your area. If you’re currently employed, many employers will be happy to send you to seminars such as these on the school district’s dime.

Professional development and goal setting go hand-in-hand. It can seem hard to schedule the time to devote to courses and seminars, but the extra time is worth it to become the best teacher you can be. Setting teaching career goals that are both realistic and attainable can help you achieve what you want. Goals need to be measurable by setting a timetable. It’s important for you to see how far you’ve come. Reflect, plan, prepare, and take action are the key to moving your career forward. Setting goals on a schedule will give you focus and a timeline. For example, make a goal to attend a professional development talk or seminar every quarter (3 months).

Even if it’s something as small as a one-hour webinar, choose a topic that you’d like to learn more about or are unfamiliar with, and document it. Take notes, absorb the information, and put your newfound knowledge to good use. Repeat until you’ve hit a calendar year, and then evaluate your progress.

--oOo— The author is Teacher III at Pulong Gubat Elementary School, Candaba East District