INTASC STANDARD 9:
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND
ETHICAL PRACTICE
OVERVIEW
The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning
and uses evidence to continually evaluate her practice,
particularly the effects of her choices on others
(learners, families, other professionals, and the
community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of
each learner.
NARRATIVE
I attended a Professional Development (PD) surrounding
school safety with my cooperating teacher. The day
consisted of reviewing information on the different
safety drills (tornado, fire, and lock-down) and reviewing
individual school policies. The three district high schools
met in the morning to review the drills and then the
schools divided into individual meetings. In the
individual meetings, school policies were discussed on
how they personally handle these situations and what
they are prepared for. The faculty and staff completed
“table-top” scenarios on safety together in order to
demonstrate their learning and understanding of the
safety discussions. In the afternoon, we were all asked to
meet at our individual schools in order to watch a short
movie on inclusion, mental health, and research on
teen stress. The clip consisted of different stressors teens
face and how teachers can be a help to the students
they suspect are in danger. After the video, we were
asked to discuss our thoughts on the film and how we
are going to continue this message of the importance
of mental health. It Is important to reach out to your
students when they are in need of your help.
LEARNING GOAL
Faculty and staff will attend a
Professional Development day in
order to strengthen their
understanding on school safety and
mental health. They will use this
information to reach out to their
students on their own safety and
health.
REFLECTION
I found the PD day to be incredibly
informative and it gave me a lot to
reflect on. I found the “table-top”
scenarios to be helpful to me and the
people around me. I would suggest
that to my faculty and staff in the
future. I also thought it was beneficial
to bring the high schools together in
the beginning to show strength and
unity, and then break apart later to
show individualism and importance of
policies. The video on mental health
opened my eyes on a lot of topics
and I will consider its points when I
enter my teaching career in a high
school or middle school. It is important
to watch your students and know
when to identify that one is struggling.
You must a safe place for them.
Below is a sample picture of the “table-top” scenarios:

School Emergency Operations Plan Exercise Toolkit-Scenario Examples

Module 3: Incident Escalation

The father is seen at the front doors to the school trying to enter, but the doors
are locked. He is visibly agitated and pacing. Law enforcement has been
contacted about the phone call and are en route to the school.

Questions you may ask:

How does this information change your procedure or actions? Does it?

What information is most important to give to law enforcement at this time?

Who is in charge? What does your emergency organizational structure look like?

How do you integrate with the emergency responder’s Incident Command Post
when you cannot leave the school?

Module 4: Recovery
Law Enforcement arrives at the school just as the man shoots through the glass
near the front door to enter. They shoot the man and disarm him before he is
able to enter the school. The man is taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital.

Questions you may ask:

What are the key actions of students and staff once this incident has been
mitigated?

What actions should be taken for the two students whose mother was just killed
and whose father was the gunman? What procedure supports this decision?

What is your procedure for crisis counseling? Do you utilize other local resources
from the community?

How do you bring the school back to a new sense of normal after an incident of
this magnitude?

Colorado School Safety Resource Center (Colorado Department of Public Safety), Governor’s
Office of Homeland Security, Colorado Division of Emergency Management (Department of Local 7
Affairs) 2011 Part 3 of 11

Source: https://rems.ed.gov/docs/2017Toolbox/CO_Tabletop%20Scenarios.pdf