Topic: Exploring my own professional development.
Explore how you can continue to develop your own skills, pedagogy, and professional development on your own, back in your own library/classroom and environment.
In the four years that I have been a teacher, one mindset that has stuck with me is that we are “lifelong learners”. It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot but to actually live by it creates a world of unlimited explorations. There are some teachers I have met that are constantly looking for professional development opportunities, going to workshops and seminars, taking courses, and learning new skills. During a conversation with one teacher, she said to me “If we stop learning, how are we supposed to teach our students to be lifelong learners? We should lead the way.” That really resonated with me, and I hope that even after 20 years of teaching under my belt, I can still carry the same attitude of curiously and drive to get better.
Here is a great Ted Talk from Tai Basurto, where she talks about her personal experiences as a classroom teacher in the Chicago school district, and the important of profession development for teachers. I agree with her in that students benefit greatly when teachers continue to participate in professional development.
Professional development – nurturing the teacher as learner: Tai Basurto at TEDxWellsStreetED
What strategies, tools, resources, and networks can you implement to maintain your explorations and development?
VSB Professional Development
The VSB has a website that offers year-long professional development. I often check this portal for opportunities after school or on Pro-D Days. I hope to also get involved with my school’s Pro-D committee, so that I can help to bring workshops and guest speakers to my school.
BCTF Provincial Special Associations
I frequently visit the BCTF website for opportunities to participate in the PSA workshops and conferences. Most recently, I attended an incredible workshop hosted by the BC Primary Teachers’ Association, and I remember leaving the building feeling so inspired to develop some of the ideas in my classroom. They also have a website where they provide numerous resources for literacy education in the primary grades.
popey.ca
Besides the Primary Teachers’ Association, there are more than 30 other specialists within the BCTF that provide support and expertise in their respective educational areas. Click here for a list of all the Provincial Special Associations in BC.
Participate in a Collaborative Inquiry
This year, a colleague (whom I consider to be a superstar teacher that I look up to) approached me with an idea for a Collaborative Inquiry. It was something that I had always heard about but had never actually applied for. I am very excited for this opportunity and am looking forward to working with my colleague, sharing ideas with her, and learning more about literacy, assessment, effective classroom practice, workshops, and professional development opportunities.
VSB Teacher Collaborative Inquiry Application
What are some of the ways that educators and professionals are connecting and sharing their learning?
At my school, we collaborate and share our learning during grade group meetings. This year I am fortunate to have the opportunity to platoon with a colleague in Social Studies and Science, and do ability grouping in Math with another colleague and her class.
Within the VSB and BCTF, there are opportunities for educators to share their learning through online resource portals. The BCT also offers a sharing platform for
There are also many opportunities to connect and share our learning on social media. I love to connect with other educators and learn about new teaching strategies, classroom management, and pedagogy. Some teacher accounts on social media that I have found myself frequently visiting and learning from are:
Grade 3/4 Teachers of BC
Cult of Pedagogy
We Are Teachers
Teachers Follow Teachers @teachersfollowteachers
Inquiry and Mindfulness @inquiry_and_mindfulness
Team Teach 21st @teamteach21st
There are countless ideas on Pinterest when it comes to teaching and classroom ideas. There are no accounts that I follow, but I could spend hours on Pinterest browsing various ideas and resources.
What can you do during this class and after it is over to maintain your connections and networks, to further develop your knowledge, experience, and skills?
Taking this course as part of a Teacher-Librarianship Diploma, I have been able to cultivate a toolbox of strategies and resources I can use to continue developing as a teacher (and eventually a Teacher Librarian). There are new blogs that I have discovered, websites for resources, and most importantly, other educators that I have been able to connect with. I love the fact that I can learn from so many different people around Canada that take these courses, each with their own experiences, stories, and perspectives.
References
Professional development – nurturing the teacher as learner: Tai Basurto at TEDxWellsStreetED. (2013). Retrieved 20 July 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Go5DytVEOg
Hi Saliha,
Would you mind sharing more details about the Teaching Collaborative Inquiry: what inquiry questions did you start with? What teaching practices & learning principles did you focus on?
Thank you,
Alex D.
Hi Alex,
Great question! In our Teaching Collaborative Inquiry, we focused on how we could integrate Adrienne Gear’s Reading Power and Writing Power to create entry points for learners to engage with and demonstrate growth in their understanding of Indigenous content. Our main focus was literacy, which included reading comprehension, critical and reflective thinking, and writing strategies.
Thank you for the Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest links. I know they’re going to be helpful when I’m stuck for ideas or when I actually light a fire under my seat to ‘go globally.’ The more I read posts like yours, I know that I need to be that ‘life long learner’ that you mentioned and continue to make myself relevant to those students whom I support and teach.
Hi Saliha – so glad you find those Popey resources helpful! Those folks over at Popey are a hard-working crew and I know they pour their heart into things. Thanks for sharing that amazing resource!
– Janet Smith
You have shared some excellent tools and resources here to help you to continue to develop your skills. I appreciate that collaboration and connection are at the heart of many of them. Working alongside another educator is one of the best ways to learn and grow. What a great opportunity you have lined up for the fall!