Educators engage in professional learning.

Educators engage in professional learning and reflective practice to support their professional growth. Educators recognize and meet their individual professional needs through various learning opportunities. Educators develop and refine personal philosophies of education, teaching and learning that are informed by research, practice, and the Professional Standards for BC Educators.

Before the Teacher Education Program, I admit that I never understood the importance of ongoing professional development. However, with my introduction to educational theory and philosophy, I entered a world of ongoing and expanding research and study. I developed an emerging personal pedagogical philosophy statement and began to choose my own foundational ideals. Just as no two learners are exactly the same, no two teachers are the same because we are constantly adjusting our practice to meet the needs of those learners. This concept solidified for me during 491 Practicum, as the duration was long enough for me to observe and respond to change in my students. I’ve heard several teachers say that the same student who was in their class yesterday is different today, and this resonates as true because all people, especially the young people in our classrooms, have lives and experiences outside of what we know about and these events change them. As the physical, emotional, and academic aspects of students invariably shifted, I needed to change the way I approached their learning in order to best meet their needs.

This introduction to the constant ‘pivoting’ of teaching was daunting and yet rewarding. As I tried to meet my students needs,  they began to understand that I care, which enhanced the relationships I was trying to build with them. When I was successful in meeting their needs, both the students and myself saw our own success and our confidence blossomed. Therefore, the practice of continued professional development for the purpose of meeting our own needs as teachers and those of our students is imperative to the perpetuity of teaching.