The Professional Development Plan

Introduction: The Professional Development Plan

A teacher's professional development plan creates a framework for setting and achieving short- and long-range goals. The purpose of this paper is to set some goals and develop some strategies to meet them. The goals encompass professional goals that I have set for myself as well as goals that will need to be met as conditions of my employment as a teacher. An important component of goal-setting is the process. I hope to illustrate this component by not merely setting forth a list of goals but demonstrating a thoughtful approach to the planning and implementation necessary to achieve them. As noted, some goals will be set by me while others will be mandated by the district or the state. It is important also to recognize that a list of goals is dynamic. I may change some of my goals or add to the list in the future as personal and professional circumstances come into play.

The State of Wisconsin has made available on the Web its "Educator Toolkit," a document that guides teachers in the creation of professional development plans. The state's Department of Public Instruction takes a strong stance in favor of the formal professional development plan and sets forth an objective to ensure that educators "are broadly informed, deeply committed, and perform actions that will keep Wisconsin schools and districts places that motivate and engage all students and will result in enhanced student learning" (Mahaffey, 2005). The format for Wisconsin's professional development plan is very specific and requires more data and reflection than requested for the scope of this paper. Nevertheless, it was helpful to look at a sample plan and the various components of plan guidelines. It helped me think about my own professional goals as I progress in my education and look toward my teaching career.

1. Goals

The goal for the next five years is to complete a bachelor's degree and take the necessary steps to become an elementary school teacher, ideally in the primary grades (K-2). Within ten years, the goal is to have been teaching for several years and begin working on a master's degree in elementary education. It would be desirable to find a program that emphasizes teaching in the primary grades. Another goal is to pursue National Board Certification.

2. Steps and Obstacles

To complete the five-year goals, I must successfully complete all the requirements of the institution for graduation. I must also fulfill all the requirements of the school's Department of Education. I will submit my portfolio for approval by the state in order to obtain my teaching certification. As I complete these requirements, I will begin exploring the job market. I will use resources within the Department as well as my personal network to learn about job openings. I hope to be offered several job interviews so that I can really make an informed decision about the teaching position for which I am most suited. It will be important to find the right job for me; it will also be important in terms of my professional development.

I hope to have a mentor, or perhaps more than one mentor, who can help me become the best teacher I can be. A 20-year study by The New Teacher Center showed that mentoring programs "accelerate the effectiveness of new teachers, fast-tracking their progress to exemplary teachers with the ability to positively impact student achievement (Moir, 2009, p. 16). The Center has developed a model in which new teachers work one-on-one with mentors "who analyze their practice and, using classroom data, offer constructive suggestions for improvement" (Moir, 2009, p. 16). It would be ideal to be employed by a school that embraced this model.

L'Allier et al (2010) studied the employment of literacy coaches in schools to work with teachers. They noted that "literacy coaching provides job-embedded, ongoing professional development for teachers (International Reading Association [IRA], 2004). The goal is to build "collaborative relationships with teachers" (L'Allier, p. 544) with the ultimate goal of helping students succeed.

Findings from the HLM analyses of the Metropolitan District Study (Elish-Piper & L'Allier, 2007) suggested that when literacy coaches administer and discuss student assessments with teachers, observe teachers' instruction and offer supportive feedback, confer- ence with teachers about their instruction and stu- dents, and model instruction in classrooms, student achievement in reading increases significantly more than in comparable classrooms where these coaching activities are not provided. (L'Allier, 2010, p. 549)

It is my hope that I could work in a school where literacy coaching is not only available, but considered very important, especially for new teachers.

National Board Certification is "an advanced teaching credential [that] complements, but does not replace, a state teacher's license" (http://www.nbpts.org /become a_candidate/what_is_national_board_c). There are a number of benefits to becoming a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). According to the website for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), "research shows candidates demonstrate significant improvement in their teaching practice [and] that students taught by NBCTs make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by non-NBCTs" (http://www.nbpts.org/become_a_candidate/the_benefits). In addition, becoming an NBCT may offer increased salary potential. It would allow me greater flexibility in the job market, as many states recognize National Board Certification. Finally, there are certificate programs offered by NBPTS to advance any teacher's education. Some funding and scholarships are available. National Board Certification is a value-adding credential and the organization is an excellent resource for professional development.

There are obstacles to the pursuit of my professional development plan. The obstacles one faces when pursuing a master's degree are often time and money. Full-time employment as a teacher will make it challenging to devote sufficient time to master's-level courses. Fortunately, there are many institutions that offer online programs, designed to give working students the flexibility needed to complete course requirements. It does not mean that a master's program will be easy, but being given the flexibility to do coursework anytime and anywhere does make the goal more achievable. The other obstacle is a financial one. Hopefully, I will get some financial support from the school district and I will explore options for grants and loans.

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