Growing Professionally
Teaching is a journey with no definite destination. Just when you think you've arrived, you find that there are other places to go. Continually making new discoveries about the profession and renewing your spirit are what keep teaching exciting.
Review the list of professional development topics below. Rate your skills at the beginning of the school year and as they are now. Use a scale of one to 10, with 10 being highly skilled. Calculate the average for each column. Think about sharing the results with your mentor.
| SKILL | FALL |
TODAY |
Making enough time to care for your health
Managing your emotional state
Having enough time for personal responsibilities
Staying on top of employment details
Getting actively involved in professional development
Sharing your time and expertise with colleagues
Effectively communicating with parents, students,
administrators, colleagues
Understanding federal and state expectations
Understanding your district’s policies and procedures
Understanding your grade level or subject area curriculum
Understanding programs for exceptional students
Getting your paperwork done on time
Understanding parents’ expectations
Handling extra duties
Using your planning time wisely and effectively
Understanding how others can help you
Knowing where to get the teaching tools you need
Determining your personal goals
Developing effective lesson plans
Increasing the knowledge of your subject or grade level
Varying your teaching strategies
Making your lessons interesting and motivating
Reaching all students
Accommodating individual needs and differences
Designing and using effective teaching strategies
Maintaining adequate records
Establishing and maintaining a positive classroom climate
Managing student behavior
Managing your own response to student misbehavior
Using empathy and active listening skills when
communicating with others
Developing effective classroom rules and procedures
Getting along with administrators and colleagues
Working with parents successfully
Conducting effective parent conferences
TOTAL
FINAL AVERAGE
Is today’s average higher or lower than in the fall?
Are you pleased with your progress? Why or why not?
Can you identify areas of strength? of weakness?
What do you plan to do differently next year?