Analysis Of Wood & Thompson ( 1980 )

In my experiences as an educator I have learned that the way teachers are taught and raised, effects the way they teach. But we must make choices not based on our past, but learn how to embrace our student’s unique perspective and set of experiences. There are several ways to make this connection:

I have taught students ranging from five years old to nineteen years of age. Hence, being an educator, I have learned that learning is always shifting, therefore I must keep improving with the incessant changes. As a little girl, I have always dreamt of being a teacher and I have carried out that dream. My career journey started as a substitute teacher, a floater between classrooms, an assistant teacher, a teacher, a center supervisor, and an educational supervisor. I presently work as an Educational consultant for Danya International LLC. As an Educational Consultant, I able to review and aid with the learning environment of teachers and educational management in a school

Professional Development measures the degree to which teachers value continuous personal development and school-wide improvement.

The Framework for Teaching by Charlotte Danielson has been developed through research as a guideline for current and future teacher’s professional responsibilities in and out of the classroom. Districts throughout the country are using this framework to assess and guide their teachers to build successful methods of planning and preparations, setting up the classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities. Each of these domains builds off of each other to form a successful learning environment. Domain 3 focuses more specifically on instruction using communication, discussions, engagement, assessments and flexibility.

When I first began teaching over twenty years ago, I do not believe I had a clear idea of what my vision of education was. I was hungry for knowledge myself and took every opportunity I could to attend professional development and implement new curriculum and instructional strategies. During the early part of my career as a teacher, I developed a

To further help the veteran teachers and the new teachers coming in, professional development will require an ongoing commitment from all levels of the school organization. There will need to be resources available to help guide the teachers’ professional development. The adoption of professional learning communities (PLC’s) within the school and district supporting them is paramount. The continued development will help the teachers implement PBL (Rosenblatt, 2012)

The mind of education has changed in the last few years to get away from teachers working alone in isolation to a new idea of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). In contrast to the traditional paradigm of professional development in which teachers attend off-site workshops and conferences that may or may not inspire them to change their thinking or instruction, the Professional Learning Community (PLC) involves teachers in site-based, ongoing, collaborative professional development (Linder, Post and Calabrese 2012). These new programs have allowed teachers to get away from isolation and start sharing ideas that will help the entire school community, and nowhere is this more important than in new teacher mentor/mentee programs.

Traditionally, teacher development typically occurs through trial and error in the isolated confinements of each teacher’s classroom with some periodic whole-group professional development (Goddard & Goddard, 2007). Within the past few decades, many schools and districts, including ours, have considered and experimented with Professional Learning Communities (PLC) as an alternative framework in guiding a more efficient development program for their teachers. PLCs are focused on enhancing student learning through developing teacher practices. The concept of PLC relies on using structured collaborative sessions amongst teachers within the school to build internal capacity. Through PLCs, teachers critically reflect on current

Harris and Anthony (2001) The nature of collegiality and its role in teachers’ professional development is explored by comparing two data sets: one analysing the interviews with a veteran social studies teacher reflecting on her 30-year teaching career, and the other analysing the conversations of six beginning teachers as they participated in a shared inquiry group. Two different types of relationships with colleagues are described, one that provides a supportive working environment and one that results in significant professional growth. Implications for in-service professional development are discussed. In summary, providing teachers opportunities for continued development as they practice their profession is crucial for meaningful change

When I look back at the past year of work at Bear Creek K-8, I see a period during which I have been trying to streamline the demands of teaching while keeping the rigor at a high level for students. I generally feel that I have learned a lot of lessons that would lead to my overall future professional development. I have made progress with each of my goals this year although more needs to be done to create the 'seamless web' that true development would require.

Collaboration is a key ingredient for successful teacher professional development. Through this field experience, I had the privilege of collaborating with Mrs. Branson and further developing my professional teaching philosophy. As a teacher candidate in Mrs. Branson’s 3rd grade classroom, I have learned new classroom management skills and how to guide, inspire, and provide structure to my students. Mrs. Branson has taught 3rd grade at S.H. Elementary for the past three years. S.H. Elementary is a charter school located in the south suburbs of Minneapolis. I have observed Mrs. Branson in her classroom for the past two months and had the opportunity to create and teach a variety of lessons to an engaging and active group of 3rd graders. She has become a very important teacher mentor in my life and I had the liberty to sit down with her and reflect on her teaching experience.

Weingarten’s though of teachers collaboration by means of improving teaching methods is influential, and the notion of teachers considerately generating “collective wisdom” is attractive for those teachers who desire to exchange information and precious data from colleagues as they develop their teaching career. Goddard and Goddard (2010) as cited in Burton (2015) stated that teachers are professionals and own irreplaceable awareness about their students and the ways they learn. Successful collaboration takes place when teachers’ skill and knowledge are spread and instruction is improved. Teachers with different ranks of knowledge and experience that cooperatively emphasis on refining student learning are most beneficial in growing student success. In fact, a review

The widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) brings new ideas about instructional content, teaching and learning, and curriculum sequencing and organization to classrooms across the United States. The standards differ notably from previous state standards, particularly in mathematics (Cobb & Jackson, 2011; Porter, McMaken, Hwang, & Yang, 2011; Schmidt & Houang, 2012). During times of reform, schools and districts often turn to professional development (PD) providers to support teacher learning (Little, 1993). Professional development providers comprise a wide variety of professionals, all focused on offering teachers learning opportunities to improve their professional practice. With adoption of the CCSS, it is likely

Professional growth for teachers, instill commitment, and making sure that students succeed. Recognizing what works and what don’t work for

In teacher preparation programs, most preservice teachers enter the program with the goals of making a difference in the lives of students, to become “agents of change” (Manuel & Hughes, 2006, p. 16) or to give students what they did not receive as students (Wright & Tuska, 1968). However, they are unaware of how their educational experiences have shaped their beliefs about teaching and learning and how these beliefs contribute to social reproduction in schools which is counterproductive to the goal of most preservice teachers (Holt-Reynolds, 1992; Joram, 1997; Manuel & Hughes, 2006; Kagan, 1992; Zichner & Gore, 1990). Thus, when these preservice teachers are taught theories, methods, and strategies in their education courses, they do not see the relevance in what is being taught because they are oftentimes blind to their own beliefs about teaching and learning (Holt-Reynolds, 1992; Joram, 1997; Kagan, 1992). Due to this, they rely on their previous teacher’s methods, experiences, and beliefs about teaching and learning to make decisions about what to teach and how to teach in the classroom (Joram, 1997; Lortie, 1975). In other words, many of them think that if it worked for them as a student, it will work for their students, which can contribute to the cycle of poor teaching and social reproduction in schools (Joram, 1997). Due to this, teacher preparation programs must find ways to become aware of preservice teachers beliefs about teaching and