My Professional Growth
My Goal
For the 2019-2020 school year, my professional growth goal included the following three inter-related elements:
- Improve classroom organization
- Develop better time-management skills
- Increase my familiarity with the California State Standards
My Inquiries
I selected the following four elements from the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) to focus on in order to achieve this goal:
- CSTP 1.4 - Using a variety of instructional strategies, resources, and technologies to meet students' diverse learning needs;
- CSTP 2.3 - Fostering equality through Social and Emotional Learning;
- CSTP 2.6 - Employing classroom routines, procedures, norms, and supports for positive behavior to ensure a climate in which all students can learn; and
- CSTP 6.4 - Working with families to support student learning.
My Outcomes and Strengths
At the beginning of the school year, when I completed my initial assessment, CSTP 2, which has to do with Creating and Maintaining Effective Learning Environments ranked third out of six. This standard includes, at least in part, employing routines and procedures to create a safe learning environment.
Ranking fifth out of six was CSTP 5, Assessing Students for Learning. An important element of CSTP 5 is that it informs planning instruction.
At the end of the year, on my Final Assessment, CSTP 2 had moved to the very top of the list, with CSTP 5 taking second place.
I feel confident that these results indicate I was successful in meeting my goal for the year, specifically developing better skills in planning and the establishment of routines and procedures to improve my effectiveness in the classroom.
Moving Forward
I am proud that I have managed to make these improvements in my teaching skills this school year, and that I have been able to reach my goal for the current school year. As a result, I feel that I am able to be more effective in the classroom and in my interactions with my fellow educators as well.
However, there is always room for improvement.
So, going forward, one area where I plan to focus is CSTP 4, Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students. If the COVID-19 outbreak, and the resulting overnight transition to distance learning has taught me anything, it's that there is a need for greater diversity in both instructional strategies and student learning skills to ensure all students are able to learn under any circumstances which may arise, whether a global pandemic, a temporary medical condition requiring homebound learning, or something in between.
It is my duty to develop both my skills, and the skills of my students, to ensure we are all prepared for any eventuality.