Educators engage in professional learning.
As a teacher candidate, my days are filled with professional learning – and I love it! From taking double full time classes for three semesters, to TTUCing on my days off, to active participation in Professional Development days, to professional conversations with colleagues, growth is everywhere.
Before moving to an online or physically distanced model of learning due to the pandemic, my favourite professional development opportunities were the times I was gathered in rooms with my classmates, excitedly sharing our learning, reflecting upon our time in the classroom, and debating topics relevant to where we were at in our learning process. I found that the times whispering between classes and laughing in coffee shops with my classmates were the times that I had the most significant breakthroughs in my learning. Now that I am nearing the end of my teacher education program, I am excited to begin learning from my professional colleagues in schools, and I have already began building a professional circle. I keep in touch with my Coaching Teachers of past practicums, and I have many friends of all ages and walks of life who I have met due to our shared love of teaching.
TTUCing has been an incredibly valuable experience for me as a future educator. Although it is discouraged to work while enrolled in the UNBC Education program, I believe the benefits of casual substitute teaching far outweigh any cons. Getting hands-on experience in the setting that we will eventually be working in has helped me to gain confidence, and helped me to answer questions that may not be answered during formal class time. Furthermore, subbing allows teacher candidates to gain experience in a range of grades and subjects that they may not get to experience in their three practicums.
Although the emphasis on informal and casual professional development is important to me, I value structured learning just as much. Before the pandemic, I remember gathering for Pro-D days in high schools with teachers and administrators from across the district, all with a similar goal in mind. Learning from guest speakers and doing hands-on activities with like minded individuals in crowded rooms is an experience I so dearly miss. However, online learning has provided so many unique opportunities as well. In a way, online professional development has introduced me to people I may have not been able to meet otherwise! In breakout rooms on Zoom, I have been put with individuals I would not have otherwise had the social courage to introduce myself to, and can now proudly say I have met and spoken with many of the teachers and administrators that I admire in School District 57.
I was also awarded a unique opportunity to engage in professional development outside of this district. When visiting my hometown over a Pro-D day, I was able to join my mother, an educator of School District 83, in her professional learning. I was very lucky to witness a different perspective from a district that carries its own set of obstacles and strengths, as all districts do.
Professional learning has been immensely important to me, as a teacher candidate, and I anticipate that it will become even more so as a fully certified teacher, making my way into a new career. I can’t wait to keep learning.
Pictured: A screenshot from an online professional development breakout room that I partook in.