One of the first lectures I attended as a student I remember being told that the teaching profession is one in which you will always be learning, adapting and changing and if you have a love of learning then this is the profession for you. I believe professional engagement and learning is important throughout your career but will be integral to my first year of teaching. Developing professional relationships for support and understanding and attending relevant training will help me develop into a competent and confident teacher (Churchill et al., 2019).
Professional learning allows you to reflect on your practices making sure they are current, effective and relevant and make any necessary changes. Being able to identify your strengths and challenges as a teacher is necessary to plan professional learning that will improve your practice (Churchill et al., 2019). Depending on the student’s needs in your class for the year your professional challenges may change, therefore your professional learning needs will change. Hence, the ever changing and adapting profession.
Professional learning is also networking with your fellow teachers to strategise and debrief. It is having a mentor teacher to come and watch your practice and offer feedback (Masters, 2018). It is considering student feedback which will also offer insight into your teaching practices (Masters, 2018). Most importantly it is being open minded, as your are critiqued by yourself and fellow colleagues, to improve your teaching practices which lead to successful learning outcomes for your students.
References
Churchill, R., Godinho, S., Johnson, N., Keddie, A., Letts, W., Lowe, K., Mackay, J., Mcgill, M., Moss, J., Nagel, M., & Shaw, K. (2019). Teaching making a difference. (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Masters, G. (2018). The role of evidence in teaching and learning. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=columnists
