Right now, we are going through much needed Professional Development (PD). Not sure about your school district but, we go over test scores and how we can make them much better the up and coming school year. Expectations are high, teachers are anxious to go with all the GREAT new ideas and information they have learned from summer conferences and colleagues. Here are some great ideas I adapted from a recent article I read on Professional Development.
Individual Professional Development Ideas for Teachers:
1. Look at things in a different light. Change is the key! What can you change that will make a difference? Also try some daily quotes to get your mind flowing.
2. Try real teacher talk. Find a colleague working in a similar content area as yourself. Schedule a weekly coffee/chat session to share ideas and just get some valuable perspective. This is a great relaxation period.
3. Keep a reflective journal Record your thoughts about what’s happening in your teaching life. Reflect on those things and ponder solutions on how to make them better.
4. Schedule conferences. Make the decision to see what is new in the world of teaching. Always take in some conferences that are close or take in a conference that is far away and also have a wonderful “working” vacation - Great getaway!
5. Get inspired by other stories. Other teachers success stories can be powerful sources of inspiration and motivation.
6. Review teacher training presentations. Search for educational presentations shared by teachers in your content area. There are a lot of material right within the reach of your fingertips.
7. Incorporate more educational technology. It is an essential skill these days. Integrate as much technology in your class as possible. The students love it and the technology keeps them engaged a lot longer than traditional teaching lectures.
8. Utilize Facebook. There are so many great groups and pages that can add to your knowledge base. Make friends with fellow teachers and follow some wonderful pages.
9. Classroom Management. Start of with a a smooth running classroom where students know their roles and everyone has shared responsibilities for learning, is crucial. Start learning how other master teachers run their classes so well - consistency is the key!
10. Attend free online conferences and webinars. Nowadays, if you can't travel to conferences, you can just use your browser! The Internet provides a wealth of knowledge right at your fingertips! Try Teacher Talk, WizIQ to name a couple.
11. Start following some great Blogs. Check out the blogroll of different teachers. You can gain a lot of insight from other teachers even if they are not in your content area.
12. Start blogging Yourself. Blogging is a great way to meet like minded teachers, build your own network and reflect upon what happens in and out of the classroom. Believe it or not, other teachers can learn from your expertise.
13. Join A Professional Organization. Join you content area organization. There are so many local organizations and professional bodies that can provide you with valuable networking and information. These are worth there weight in gold!
14. Start thinking about long term. So many teachers operate day by day and month by month. Start thinking and planning about where you will be in the years to come. Make a plan and start the process of deciding what you have to do to get there, right now Time is flying, you have to be prepared!
15. Spend more time on yourself. The key to good teaching is how wisely you recharge yourself. You MUSt take time for your own self outside of teaching - recharge!
16. Find out the top teaching websites. Research is a quick way to get many of the best websites for teaching in your content area. There is a wealth of information available, just search.
17. Ask students what they want. The key to a great classroom is an ongoing needs analysis. Negotiate the classroom with students. You’ll learn so much from them! When one teaches, two learn”. LOVE THIS!
18. Videotape yourself. This is an excellent way to get some valuable knowledge about your own teaching microskills. Simply set up a camera at the back of the class and start there. Or just use an audio recorder (your cell phone will work).
19. Get peer feedback. This can be informal or formal, the key is to share your classroom with a colleague you value and trust. Just let them come in the classroom and talk about it afterwards.
20. Stay true to yourself. The key to any professional development as a teacher is to forgive yourself, the lessons that didn’t work and the bad days. Keep positive and it will all work out!
All I can say is I hope your school year starts off GREAT and hopefully, you can gain a handle on those first day butterflies.
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Content adapted from 50 Professional Development Ideas for Teachers by ddeubel.
