UNIT II : Professional Growth and Development

What is Professional Development?

• Refers to continuing education and career training after a person has entered
the workforce in order to help them develop new skills, stay up-to-date on
current trends, and advance their career.
Why is Professional Development Important?
• The truth is, many people aren’t investing in their career development.
• Many may be good at their jobs, too, but they’re either content where they’re at
or just aren’t worried about their professional future.
• This means by taking advantage of professional development, continued
education, and planning for your career, you’ve got a leg up on a third of your
peers.
What is the Purpose of Professional Development?
• To give professionals the opportunity to learn and apply knowledge and skills
that can help them in their job and further their career.
• This is all about building your skill set and knowledge base for your field.
• By having opportunities to learn, increase your skill sets, and stay up-to-date
on industry trends, professionals like yourself increase your own worth while
also adding to your company’s overall value.
• Professional development and professional training opportunities provide many
other specific benefits for both young and experienced professionals.
B. Teacher Professsional Development Means to Enhance Educational
Effectiveness
1. TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
What is teacher professional development?
Teacher professional development is any type of continuing education effort for
educators. It’s one way teachers can improve their skills and, in turn, boost student
outcomes.
Professional development for teachers takes place on a number of different levels:
district-wide, among teachers in a given school, or even on a classroom or individual
basis.
Why is it important?
Professional development increases the knowledge and practices of the teachers and
results in skills transfer between teachers and students. Students come to the
classroom with a range of ability and skill levels. Some students may be high, low, or
average achievers when it comes to learning, but there is still a need to address these
multiple learning levels. Access to high-quality and continuous professional
development gives teachers the tools to enhance their teaching and impact students at
all achievement levels.
1. It affects students learning
2. It encourages the success of new teachers
3. It promotes a growth mind set
Keys to Improving Teacher Professional Development
1.Focus on Feedback and Reflection

2. Model Best Practices

3. Set Relevant Goals

4. Make it Interactive
In order to attain Professional Development teachers should follow the CPD
(Continuing Professional Development) otherwise known as RA 10912 in 2016

Four Areas demonstrated in CPD

- Cognitive
- Functional
- Ethical
- Personal
To enhance the educational effectiveness you need to be a reflective teacher. As
an reflective Teacher, you need to have:
- Experience
- Reflect
- Theorize
- Experiment
PPST( PHILIPPINE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS for TEACHERS)
The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) shall be used as a basis for
all learning and development programs for teachers to ensure that teachers are
properly equipped to effectively implement the K to 12 Program.
TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS
Effective teachers plan carefully, use appropriate materials, communicate goals to
students, maintain a brisk pace, assess student work regularly, and use a variety of
teaching strategies. They use class time well and have coherent strategies for
instruction. They hold the expectations that their students can learn and believe that
they have a large responsibility to help (Cohen et al., 2003).
Effective teachers are the most important factor contributing to student achievement.
Although curricula, reduced class size, district funding, family and the community
involvement all contribute to school improvement and student achievement, the most
influential factor is the teacher.
Teaching involve more than just expertise in an academic field. An effective teacher
must be able to interact with people and help them understand a new way of looking
at the world. This is not an easy job! Although there are many different ways to teach
effectively, good instructors have several qualities in common. They are prepared, set
clear and fair expectations, have a positive attitude, are patient with students, and
assess their teaching on a regular basis.
Qualities of Effective Teacher
POSITIVE
-Keep your students engaged with a positive attitude. Teaching is most effective when
students are motivated by the desire to learn, rather than by grades or degree
requirements.
PREPARED
-Review key concepts and ideas if you are unclear about them, particularly if it has
been a while since you have worked with the topics you will be teaching. Think about
how the material can be most effectively demonstrated and design a strategy. Write an
outline or take notes to follow during a lecture, and prepare your overheads, diagrams,
handouts and other aids well in advance. Don't wait until the morning of the class!
ORGANIZED
-Have a plan for what you want to teach. Your job is to illustrate key points and
essential context, to help students integrate all of their work (reading, labs, exams,
papers, lectures, etc.) for the course. Given that there is never time to teach
everything, choose the most important concepts and show how they are related.
CLEAR
-Effective teachers can explain complex ideas in simple ways. As you develop expertise
in an academic field, it is easy to forget that students may have no prior knowledge of
fundamental concepts that you take for granted. Help students understand and use
new terminology, so they can become fluent in the language of your discipline.
PATIENT
-Remember what it is like to learn something for the first time. Give students time to
process information and answer questions. Know that it is fine for students to make
mistakes if they can learn from them.
FAIR
-Consider what it would be like to be one of your students. Chances are you would
want an instructor who set clear expectations, applied them consistently and could
admit when they were wrong.
B. TEACHER BELIEFS & COMPETENCIES
Creative teaching strategies can help build students 'confidence
● Creative teaching involves showing the students how the lesson topic/content
relates to their own lives and the real world. This can help them develop a
greater sense of purpose.
Tasks should be challenging yet achievable for students
● If a task is not challenging enough for students they feel that they are not
progressing in their language acquisition. Consequently, they could become
bored and lose interest in the lesson. On the other hand, when tasks are too
challenging, students may become frustrated.
Positive environment gives students more opportunities to learn
● If students feel anxious about contributing to class discussions, their
acquisition of new learning will be reduced. I believe it is extremely important to
build a supportive and relaxed atmosphere in the classroom.
Constant reflection and evaluation can help maintain high teaching standards

 Every now and then, we should be able to reflect on and evaluate our own
teaching practices. Teachers can feel ‘trapped’ in their routines and less
motivated to teach. In order to stay on the right track and learn about some of
the recent trends in education, try to attend different training sessions.
TEACHER COMPETENCY
Teaching competencies are the skills and knowledge that help a teacher be successful
in teaching. To enhance student learning, teachers must have expertise in a wide
range of teaching competencies so that they are able to deal with every student having
different learning styles.
TYPES OF TEACHER COMPETENCIES
1. Teachers demonstrate leadership
a. Teachers lead in the classroom by:
- evaluating student progress using a variety of assessment-data measuring goals;
- maintaining a safe and orderly classroom that facilitates student learning.
2. Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of
students
a. Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing
relationship with caring adults by:
- maintaining a positive and nurturing learning environment.
b. Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world by:
- incorporating different points of view in instruction; and
- understanding the influence of diversity and planning instruction accordingly.
3. Teachers know the content they teach
a. Teachers develop and apply lessons based on an effective course of study by:
- integrating effective literacy instruction throughout the curriculum and across
content areas to enhance student learning.
b. Teachers honor the content appropriate to their teaching specialty by:
- demonstrating an appropriate level of content knowledge in their specialty; and
awareness of the subject.
4. Teachers facilitate learning for their students
a. Teachers show they know the ways in which learning takes place and the
appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their
students by:
- assessing and using those resources needed to address the strengths and
weaknesses of students.
b. Teachers plan instruction appropriate to their students by:
- collaborating with colleagues to monitor student performance and making
instruction responsive to cultural differences and individual learning needs.
. Teachers reflect on their practice
a. Teachers analyze student learning by:
- using data to provide ideas about what can be done to improve student learning.
b. Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals by:
- participating in recommended activities for professional learning and development.
Teaching Effectiveness
Teaching Effectiveness can be understood by studying the models of instruction that
capture and define what it is that effective teachers know and do. It is a set of
behaviors that effective teachers incorporate into their daily professional practice.
These involve a deep understanding of subject matter, learning theory and student
differences, planning, classroom instructional strategies, knowing individual students,
and assessment of students understanding and proficiency with learning outcomes.
Effective teaching impacts students’ academic, physical, socialemotional, and
behavioral well-being. Effective teaching occurs best when all education stakeholders,
including parents, policymakers, community members, and educators, share
responsibility for continuous improvement and student achievement.
Continues Professional Development of Teachers Within Schools
WHAT IS CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
 Continuous professional development is the processes and learning activities
professionals undertake to enhance their knowledge, skills, competence, and
expertise. It records what professionals learn, experience, and apply in their
field.
WHY CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS IS CRUCIAL
IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM?
 Technology has changed the education system for the better. Online classes
replaced classroom teachings. Mobile screens replaced blackboards. Electronic
documents replaced notebooks. And, MyEdu’s school management software
replaced manual record keeping. To keep up with the changes and prepare their
students for the future, educators will have to develop themselves continuously.
Today’s educators need a lot of things to qualify as good teachers. They need in-depth
subject knowledge, strong social skills, strong understanding and analysis, and
practical application of knowledge. To be able to achieve all these, continuous
professional development is extremely crucial.
IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS
With continuous professional development, teachers discover new teaching strategies
and ways. This helps them to identify their students’ needs and implement the
strategies to teach better. They also understand the areas where they can improve and
change their style to be more effective. 
-Apart from teaching, teachers spend a large part of their time developing curriculum,
evaluating students, and doing other paperwork. But the advent of school
management software changed that, and teachers adopted the technology.
Continuous professional development will enable them to stay organized and manage
their time efficiently. They will also learn to leverage technology to focus more on
tutoring and students.
HOW TO MAKE CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
EFFECTIVE FOR TEACHERS?
1. MAKE IT SPECIFIC
 There are many continuous professional development programs for teachers,
but most of them are broad and generic. If you want the programs to be
relevant, make them specific for teachers. Ask them what they want to learn
and implement their suggestions. The programs must be intensive as opposed
to extensive that will enable educators to gain in-depth knowledge.
2. KEEP THEM INVESTED AND ENGAGED
 Different people employ different ways to learn things. Some may learn better
by listening. Some may be writing and taking notes. Some may by using visual
learning tools. Try to use various methods while conducting continuous
professional development programs. Also, observe the interest and engagement
level of the educators and find out ways to keep them invested and engaged.
3. CREATE PERSONALIZED PROGRAMS FOR THEM, IF POSSIBLE
 Get in touch with teachers and observe the factors that influence their
teachings. It can be:
• the subjects they teach
• the classes they teach
• are they happy with their current position
 As per the different factors, create programs that can be relevant for different
types of teachers. 
4. ENCOURAGE THEM TO PUT THE TEACHINGS INTO PRACTICE
 After each session, give them sufficient time and space to analyze and self-
reflect on the teachings. Now is the time to put the teachings into practice.
Encourage and support them to implement the new ideas and strategies in their
classrooms. Ensure that they can approach you with any queries or concerns.
You can use student achievement data and learning outcomes to know the
success of the programs. 
5. GIVE THEM ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK
 After analyzing the outcome and efficacy of the continuous development
program for teachers, give them actionable feedback that will help them
improve their teachings. Encourage teachers to discuss the strategies and
techniques with their colleagues. This will reinforce the lessons in their teaching
process. You can also have them collaborate with their peers and see how they
approach lessons and handle students’ questions. You can also encourage the
exchange of feedback and ideas among the teachers.
The Changing World of Teaching
Inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all
Our world is constantly changing due to the following:
 rapid technological advancement,
 demographic changes,
 increasing inequality and
 environmental degradation
All learners need to know the basics and specific skills like:

 reading,
 writing,
 arithmetic,
 technical skills to prepare them for specific jobs,
 non-cognitive skills,
 soft skills,
 21st century skills, and
 transferable skills

All of us, whether we're policymakers, educators, parents or students, need to take
action in order to adapt on our changing world and the changing sphere of teaching
education.