Jones1

ALookForward:MyProfessionalDevelopmentPlan
February12,2015
SarahJones

Inpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsfor
TED690:CapstoneCourse
NationalUniversity
Dr.StaciaLevy

Jones2

Abstract
InthispaperIwilloutlinemygoalsoverthenextfiveyearsasateacher,andusethosegoalsto
constructatimelineofprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesthatwillhelpmetoachievethem.Mymajor
goalsoverthenextfiveyears,asImovefromteachercandidatetopermanentteacher,are:toimprovemy
instructionofELLs,tolearnmoreabouttheNextGenerationScienceStandards(NGSS)andhowtoeffectively
implementthem,andtofocusonmyclassroommanagementandhelpingmystudentsdevelopasenseof
responsibilityfortheirownlearning.

Jones3

Introduction:WhatAreMyGoals?
BeingthatIamabeginningteacherwhohasjustreceivedherteachingcredential,Ihavealengthy
laundrylistofgoals,suchbigandsomesmall,thatIwanttoachieveoverthenextfiveyearsorso.Forthesake
ofnarrowingthemdownandnotoverwhelmingmyself,IhaveselectedthreebroadgoalsuponwhichIwantto
focusforthenextfiveyearsallofthesegoals,ofcourse,servetohelpmemeetmymostultimategoalofbeing
themosteffectiveteacherthatIcanbe,andonewhoengagesandinspiresherstudents.Mythreefocusesforthe
nextfiveyearswillbe:(1)improvingmyknowledgeofeffectiveinstructionforEnglishLanguageLearnersand
implementingmorestrategiestomeettheirneeds(2)learningmoreabouttheNextGenerationScience
Standards(NGSS)andmovingtowardasmoothandeffectiveimplementationofthesestandardsacrossmy
classesand(3)improvingmyabilitytocreatestrongrelationshipswithmystudents,andusingthisabilityto
improvemyclassroommanagementandinstillasenseofselfresponsibilityinmystudents.Thoughitiseasyto
getoverwhelmedwithdaytodaytasksasateacher,itsimportanttopayattentiontooneslongtermgoalsand
takeavailableopportunitiestotakestepstowardthem.

Rationale:WhyAreTheseMyGoals?

InstructionofELLs
IneachofmycurrentclassesIhaveatleasttwoELLstudentswhoareatwidelydistributedareasofthe
languagecompetencyspectrum.AsIsuspectiscommonwithnewteachers,somuchtimeisspentplanningthe
dayslessonsandmakingsuretheclassroomrunssmoothlythatconsideringtheneedsofELLscanoftenfallby
thewayside.YetscienceisacourseofstudyinwhichELLshavebeenproventostruggle.AccordingtoDr.
NormanHerr,
sciencehasacomplexvocabularythatisdifficultevenfornativeEnglishspeakerstolearn.
DifficultylearningEnglishshouldnotbeconfusedwithaninabilitytothinkscientifically.Manyofthe
strategiesthatareusefulforEnglishlanguagelearnersareeffectivefordifferentiatinginstructionforother
studentsaswell(2007,para.2).IcurrentlyhaveafewSDAIEstrategiesthatIimplementonaregularbasis
withamindtohelpingallstudents,ELLsinparticular,learnscientificvocabularyandthecontent.However,I

Jones4

feelthatprofessionaldevelopmentinthisareawouldservetoextendthescopeofmyknowledgeandgiveme
manymoretoolstomakelearningmoreeffectiveformyELLs.
NextGenerationScienceStandards(NGSS)Implementation
AccordingtoRodgerBybee,[theNextGeneration]standards...havethepowertoinfluenceallofthe
componentsoftheeducationsystem(Achieve,2013).TheimplementationoftheNGSSisahugestepinthe
rightdirectionbecausethesestandardstakeintoaccounthowstudentslearn,andfocusnotuponmemorization
offacts,butoninquirylearningandhowourstudentsseetheworld.Theyareverydistinctfromthepreviously
adoptedCaliforniaStateScienceStandards,andtransformingcurriculatomeetthesenewstandardsisgoingto
takeadepthofunderstandingthatIdonotyetfeelIhave.IunderstandthebroadgoalsoftheNGSSandwhy
theywillbeeffectiveformystudents,butimplementationiswheremyunderstandingbeginstobreakdown.I
havealreadybeguntotakeopportunitiestolearnmoreabouttheNGSSIamattendingtheNGSSLeadership
ConferenceonFebruary20,2015withmydepartment,andhavebeenusingtheNGSStodesigncurriculumfor
myfreshmenphysicalandearthscienceclassthisyear.Iwanttocontinuetoexpandmyknowledgeofthe
NGSSand,morethananythingelse,getsomenewideasandconversationgoingabouthowtheNGSSwilllook
inlessonsandininstruction.
ClassroomManagementandStudentSelfResponsibility/Efficacy
Oneofthemostcommonstrugglesthatnewteachershaveiswithclassroommanagement.Ivelearned
somuchalreadyinmyfirstyearofteachingaboutwhatmakesaneffectiveteacherintermsofmanagingthe
classroom,butIhavealongwaytogotobeabletoimplementwhatIvelearnedinmyownclassroom.
BecauseIhadanunusualstudentteachingarrangementandwoundupwithtwodaysnoticebeforebeginning
theschoolyearwithfourofmyownclasses,Ifeelthatalotofroutinesandprocedureshadnotbeenthought
throughandasaresultthingsarenotasclearorsmoothlyruninmyclassroomasIwouldlikethemtobe.
Thankfully,eachnewschoolyearprovidesanewopportunitytostartfreshandmaketweakstoclassroom
management.

Jones5

MyMasterTeacherhastoldmecountlesstimesthatittakesfiveorsixyears(asitdidforher)before
onefeelscomfortablewiththeirclassroommanagementstyleandknowsjusthowtodeveloprelationshipswith
onesstudents.Currently,Ifeellikemystyleisworkinginafewofmyclassesbutisnotsoeffectivewithmy
othertwo,andIamstrugglingwithbeingabletochangeitupthroughoutthedaysothatitworksbestforthe
needsofeachclass.Ilookforwardtostartinganewnextyearwithafresh(andfirm!)mindset,butdefinitely
needtofocusonlearningmoreaboutbeinganeffectivemanageroverthecourseofmyfirstyearsteaching.

Resources:WhatsAvailabletoMetoHelpMeGetThere?
InstructionofELLs
TheSanDiegoCountyOfficeofEducationhasacontinuallyupdatedlistofavailableprogramsin
EnglishLearnerProfessionalDevelopment.Ithinkthatthetwothatwouldbemosthelpfultometobeginare
theEnglishLanguageDevelopmentStandardsAwarenessSessionsandtheAdvancedSDAIE.BecauseI
alreadyusesomeSDAIEstrategiesinmyclassroom,IwouldliketolearnmoreaboutwhatIcando.Icould
continuetogotodifferentworkshopsandsessionswheneverIwanttolearnmore,andasoptionsdevelop.The
listisavailableat:
http://www.sdcoe.net/lls/englishlearner/Pages/elssunitprofessionaldevelopment.aspx
OneotherresourceIfoundis
http://www.nsta.org/academy/
.Thisisayearlongprogramfornew
scienceteachers,andwhileitdoesntfocusspecificallyonELsandcouldactuallyapplyacrossmygoals,Ifeel
thatwiththementorshipprovidedintheprogramIwouldanavenuebywhichtoaddressmyconcernsaboutmy
ELstudentsandreceivefeedbackandideas.ThisissomethingIwouldlookintodoinginthenexttwoyears
whileIamstillverynewtoteaching.
NGSSImplementation
TheCaliforniaScienceTeachersAssociation(CSTA)hasapageontheNGSS,includingacalendarof
upcomingNGSSProfessionalLearningEvents.TheNGSSLeadershipConferenceIamattendinglaterthis
monthisonthecalendar.ThisisagreattoolIcouldmonitoronaregularbasisandtakeadvantageoflocal
eventstheyappeartobeofferedveryfrequentlyandwithalargerangeoffoci,soasIworktoimplementthe

Jones6

NGSSinmyclassroomIcouldselectopportunitiesthatbestfitmyevolvingneeds.Thelinkis:
http://www.cascience.org/csta/ngss_pd.asp
Additionally,theNGSSwebsite(
http://www.nextgenscience.org/resources
)hasalotofresourcesthat
areavailableaswellasmanymorethatarepending.OverthecomingmonthsandyearsIwillcontinueto
referencethiswebsiteandusetheresourcesthatmatchmyneeds.
Finally,theCaliforniaDepartmentofEducationhasafullsectionontheNGSS
(
http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/ngssintrod.asp
)thatincludesseverallinkstowebinarsandotherprofessional
developmentopportunitiesforNGSSteachers.WhatIlikeabouttheonlineaccessisthatIcanusethewebinars
wheneverIamlookingforanopportunityorhavesometimetheyarefreeandavailable,andIcanevenuse
themseveralyearsfromnowtobrushuporgetsomenewideas.
ClassroomManagementandStudentSelfResponsibility/Efficacy
MyschooldistrictprovidesalinktotheservicesofLynda,whichisahugelibraryofelearning
modulesandtutorials.Thereareseveral26hourclassroommanagementtrainingtutorialsthatIwillcomplete
inordertogivemyselfsomenewideasaboutclassroommanagement.Inparticular,intermsofscheduling,I
thinkthatwatchingonepriortothebeginningofeachnewschoolyearwillbehighlybeneficialasIgetmy
mindsetreadyandgearupforthe
very
importantfirstfewdaysofschool.Resourcescanbefoundat:
http://www.lynda.com/ClassroomManagementtrainingtutorials/17930.html?previousCategory=1792
.
Mytimelineforimplementation/useoftheseresourcescanbefoundonthenextpageofthisdocument.

Jones7

ProfessionalDevelopmentPlanTimeline:TheNextFiveYears
Belowismyplanforincorporatingprofessionaldevelopmentandlearningopportunitiestohelpme
achievemygoals.Severalotheropportunitiesthatextendbeyondmyimmediate,majorthreegoalsarealso
included,thatIwouldliketoattendtoenhancemycontentknowledgeorsimplybeexposedtonewmethods.
SchoolYear

Goals/ProfessionalDevelopmentFoci

Resources

20142015

NGSSImplementationLearnmoreaboutthe
standardsandhowtoimplementthemintheclassroom
NGSSLeadershipConference,2/20/15(already
scheduled)
NGSSStateRolloutSymposium#1,4/17/15

CSTAResourcesand
Development:
http://www.cascience.org/c
sta/ngss_pd.asp
NGSSWebpage:
http://www.nextgenscience
.org/resources

20152016

Classroommanagementstarttheschoolyearfresh,
withacompleteandthoroughplanforclassroom
management
Overthesummer,completeseveralwebinarson
classroommanagement
ClassroomManagementFundamentals
(53min)
ManagementTips(5h,26min)
Developaconcreteclassroommanagementplan
priortobeginningthenewschoolyearinclude
routinesandprocedures,andknowhowIwant
toact/reactinmostsituationsbeforestudents
eversetfootintheclassroom

LyndaTeacher
ProfessionalDevelopment
library:
http://www.lynda.com/Tea
cherProfessionalDevelop
menttrainingtutorials/180
00.html?previousCategory
=1792+
LyndaClassroom
Managementlibrary:
http://www.lynda.com/Clas
sroomManagementtrainin
gtutorials/17930.html?pre
viousCategory=1792+

20162017

KeepabreastofnewdevelopmentsinNGSSvia
theCDENGSSwebpage
Keepaneyeoutforprogramstoenhance
contentknowledgeandinstructionaldesignat
theCSTAwebsite
AttendCoastAlive!TeacherInstituteat
Monterey
http://www.EurekaSeries.org

CaliforniaDepartmentof
EducationNGSS:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/
ca/sc/ngssintrod.asp
CSTAProfessional
DevelopmentandLearning
OpportunitiesLister:
http://www.cascience.org/c
sta/res_proDevelopment.as
p

20172018

Focusonincreasingmyrepertoireofstrategiesfor
instructionofELLs
EnglishLanguageDevelopmentStandards
AwarenessSessions
AdvancedSDAIEWorkshop
Additionalcurriculumdesignandcontentknowledge

SDCOEworkshops:
http://www.sdcoe.net/lls/en
glishlearner/Pages/elssuni
tprofessionaldevelopment
.aspx
OtherPDopportunities:

Jones8

enhancementopportunities:
ScienceandTechnologyConceptsCurriculum
Training
SmithsonianScienceEducationAcademiesfor
Teachers(SSEATs)
20182019

CompleteNSTAAcademyfellowshipfornewteachers
(moveearlierifpossible)

http://www.ssec.si.edu/serv
ices/pd

NSTAAcademy:
http://www.nsta.org/acade
my/

Jones9

References
Herr,Norman.(2007).StrategiesforteachingsciencetoEnglishLanguageLearners,fromInternetResources
toAccompanyTheSourcebookforTeachingScience.Retrievedfrom
http://www.csun.edu/science/ref/language/teachingell.html
.
Achieve.(2013).WhyNGSS?Retrievedfrom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2yEWyvWznE
.