When I was a new teacher I remember feeling that mabe after five years I would have a good grasp on what was involved in quality teaching and successful learning. I changed my view to ten years, and then after my Master's degree I realized how very little I really knew. Well, if teaching and learning never changed, perhaps it would be possible to know it all, but as research progresses, "best practice" evolves. Ongoing professional development is essential for all teachers, and probably more is needed than a school district can offer. Can you imagine going to a doctor who never studied research or learned new treatments?
New advances in brain research continue to tell us more about how students learn. Ongoing professional development in this area, and it's influences on new instructional methods is an important topic. Continual professional development in technology integration and "new tools" is a given. This will always change and evolve. One of my colleagues once said that now that she was a teacher, she was done being a student. Was she ever wrong...
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2 comments:
Oh so true -- ours is definitely a profession that promotes and requires life long learning. To me if feels like I am sprinting to stay caught up with the changes in education.
Sue, I agree with you wholeheartedly regarding our need to continue learning. All of the research findings having to do with the adolescent brain is amazing, isn't it? I especially enjoy learning how there are actual differences in an ADHD brain with those students who do not display those characteristics. Thanks for your blog - very insightful.
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