Developing as a Professional & Contributing to the Profession 

Developing as a Professional Educator:


Professional Growth Goal Reflection: In your ILP at the beginning of the year, you set a professional growth goal. My professional growth goal was: 

Entering my 4th year of teaching, I find this as an opportune time to reflect on my teaching practice over the years. It is clear to me the aspects of my practice that are effective; however, the aspects of my practice that need honing in on are just as apparent. My goal for this induction program, as well as this school year in general, is to reach a peak in my craft. I plan to fulfill roles outside of the classroom in the future, and I vowed to be at the top of my practice as I left the classroom. The major aspects of my teaching practice that I would like to hone in on are: effective lesson plan design and internalization of the standards to be able to articulate exactly what students will need to know how to do in order to show mastery. Secondly, I would like to work on sharpening the routines and procedures that I have in my class. I want students to reach a point of autonomy due to clear routines and procedures. Lastly, I would like to be the best educator I can be to reach students with special needs. I want to ensure that all students are learning in my classroom.

After a year of job-embedded support, were you able to achieve your goal?

I was able to achieve my goal(s)! The most pressing goal that I was focused on throughout this school year and the induction program was to ensure that I reached a peak in my craft before I left the classroom. I received a promotion for the 20-21 school year; I will be fulfilling a dean of culture position within an administration team. Through my job-embedded support, and the amazing lead of my mentor, Esther, I was able to complete an inquiry that allowed me to hone on in ensuring all students were learning in my classroom-with a specific focus on students with special needs.

  • Revisit the overarching, long-term goal you set for yourself in your ILP. Compare and contrast your Initial CSTP and your Final CSTP Self-Assessments. (I completed an analysis of this on the page titled "Introduction & CSTP Growth & Development")
    • In what ways have you surprised yourself? Something that surprised me about my results on the initial and final CSTP Self-Assessment is that on my final CSTP self-assessment, "CSTP 6 Developing as a Professional Educator" ranked as my number 2 strength. This aligns with my pedagogical approach within my current place in my craft. I truly delved into developing as a professional educator this school year so that I was as professionally ready as possible to fulfill the dean postion. 
    • Describe a professional goal you have for yourself beyond induction. Why have you identified this as a need or interest? A professional goal I have beyond induction is to fulfill my role as a dean of culture and work towards a promotion as an Assistant Principal of Instruction and eventually a Principal. I have identified this as a need and interest because I am eager to make the largest impact as I possibly can within the education sector. I have always worked within transformation, public charter schools. It is amazing to see a school transform from a low-performing school, to a school that is out-performing similar neighborhood schools. 
    • What actions will you take? How will you assess goal attainment? The actions I will take during the next school year to ensure that I reach my goal is to ask my principal for opportunities to show my skills in other roles. My job description as the dean of culture is fluid, so I want to make sure I fulfill any needs that I see within our campus. I will assess my goal attainment through performance evaluation results and check-ins with my principal about my performance. 
    • What actions can you take to remain a connected educator throughout your career? Approaching five years in this profession, I see how vital it is to be collaborative and how detrimental a lack of collaborative abiltiies can be for the overall school culture. Therefore, I plan to continue to collaborate with other educators to remain connected. Also, I plan to apply for graduate school to remain connected to the most recent research around pedagogy. 
    • What can you do personally and professionally, to sustain the energy it takes to be passionate about students, teaching, and learning? Personally: I have realized how important balance and self-care is in this profession. As an educator who truly cares about the students I serve, it is easy to feel as if I never "clock-out". There is always something to reflect upon and improve. As a highly reflective person, this has led to me working after I come home from the school day, on the weekends, etc. However, I have realized how vital it is to take time to engage in self-care. Professionally: I plan to enroll in graduate school to learn how to continue becoming the best educator I can be for students. The notion of being a life-long learner is part of my "why". 
    • What advice do you have for new teachers entering the profession? Create relationships with the students! Ask for help. Don't reinvent the wheel. Speak to your administration about your needs/wants for your classroom and your practice. Be collaborative. Further your craft through professional development. Share the power in your classroom. Use humor as a backbone of your classroom management style. Have courageous conversations with students, colleagues, and your inner voice. Eat healthy food and wear comfortable shoes. Get parents/families involved as much as you can. ALWAYS remember your why. 

Contributing to the Profession: