Educators engage in professional development and reflective practice, understanding that a hallmark of professionalism is the concept of professional growth over time. Educators develop and refine personal philosophies of education, teaching and learning that are informed by theory and practice. Educators identify their professional needs and work to meet those needs individually and collaboratively.
The first evidence for this standard is a webinar on growth mindset.
I had been hearing about the phrase “growth mindset” in the education environment for a while so when a classmate shared a link to a webinar called How Teaching Growth Mindest Can Lead to Student Success, I thought it would be a great opportunity to find out more about it. I was very pleased to discover that growth mindset, that is, the belief that our talents and abilities can be developed over time through effort, perseverance and hard work, is precisely what I had always believed in, except I had not given it a specific name.
In addition, this webinar tied in very well with another workshop I attended a couple of years ago on strategies to improve learning skills (See my blog post Using Brain Power to Improve Learning Skills). As a result of attending this growth mindset webinar by Cassie Tabrizi, I have now learned how to communicate these ideas to students and I have been provided with a booklet in which I was able to record my thoughts and notes from the webinar to refer back to them when needed. I have acquired a few tools to create the right growth mindset environment in the classroom, so students feel motivated by the belief that they have not simply “been dealt a hand of cards” with no control of their learning path. Attending this workshop has also broadened my knowledge on effective strategies to encourage improvement, perseverance and safe risk-taking to contribute to my students’ academic success.
In relation to TRB 7, this experience has shown me the importance of constantly reflecting on our teaching beliefs and strategies, and seeking opportunities to grow as educators. Teachers must strive to keep themselves informed on an ongoing basis on emergent strategies, theories and approaches that might lead to improvements in their teaching and understanding of student growth and development.
This evidence addresses the theory of growth mindset within the classroom and how fostering this environment can contribute to student success. What was most useful about this webinar, however, was that it was specifically tailored for educators. There are lots of books and presentations on this topic, but Cassie offered specific practical advice on how to implement this in the learning environment. The detailed explanation of the elements of the GROWTH model and to implement them is one of the first practical examples:
Give explicit instruction. Revel in (safe) risk taking. Opportunities to ask for help. Words with power (to ask for help). Timely smart goals. Have high expectations.
This evidence is a solid example to support TRB 7, because as a future educator I was able to identify my professional need to become more knowledgeable in this new concept that seems to have become very popular in the education sphere. After attending this workshop, I was not only surprised to find out that I already believed in this approach, but I was also provided with the terminology, ideas and strategies to communicate and implement this mindset in my classroom. As a result of this experience, I have come to understand why it is critical that educators “engage in career-long learning.” There is always more room for growth and further development. We can all improve just as we are asking our own students to do. What better way to teach this than by doing it ourselves!
Naturally, Standard 7 is intrinsically related to the improvement of my teaching skills and abilities in all aspects. As a future educator, it is my responsibility to ensure my learning does not become stagnant and that I am continually refining and further developing my teaching strategies and approaches. Therefore, in my practice I will always endeavour to uphold this standard. In fact, although this webinar has been very useful I felt I needed to deepen my understanding of this philosophy so I am now reading Carol S. Dweck’s book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. I am looking forward to learning more about how to change mindsets, where mindsets come from, and mindsets in sports and relationships which as some of the topics addressed in this book. I believe it will contribute to strengthening my knowledge on how to create a classroom environment that helps my students to believe they can grow and learn and that leads them to a more successful learning experience.
The second evidence for this standard is a webinar on Assessment of Modern Foreign Language
My long-term career goal is to teach Spanish at a high school level and even though I have been teaching to adults for a number of years and to children occasionally, I was very aware that so far I have not had to do any formal assessment of language learning. So when I found a webinar on Assessment on Secondary Modern Language (MFL) I was thrilled to be able to address this professional need.
As a result of attending this webinar, I have now gained a clearer understanding of what and how to assess to establish whether students are making progress towards becoming independent users of the foreign language.
This experience has also helped me identify the two main categories that should be assessed in MFL learning, namely fluency and accuracy, as well as the key points within each category. In addition, attending this workshop has broadened my knowledge on effective formative assessment strategies that encourage student involvement and participation in the learning experience. For example, by negotiating targets with the students and by providing feedback that tells them not only what needs to be improved, but also how to go about it, students are more likely to become involved in the language learning process.
In relation to TRB 7, this experience has shown me the importance of constantly reflecting on our teaching beliefs and strategies, and seeking opportunities to grow as educators. Teachers must strive to keep themselves informed on an ongoing basis on emergent strategies, theories and approaches that might lead to improvements in their teaching and understanding of student growth and development.
There are many webinars, seminars and books on formative assessment and effective assessment strategies that increase student success and participation in the learning process. What was most useful about this webinar, however, was that it was specifically tailored for MFL learning at a high school level. Through readings, videos and reflection activities this webinar offered specific practical advice on how to implement effective strategies to assess progress in language fluency while increasing student involvement.
This evidence is a solid example to support TRB 7, because as a future educator I was able to identify my professional need to become more knowledgeable in this specific area. After attending this webinar, I feel more confident about my assessment skills in MFL teaching. As a result of this experience, I have come to understand why it is critical that educators “engage in career-long learning.” There is always more room for growth and further development. We can all improve, just as we are asking our own students to do. What better way to teach this than by doing it ourselves!
Naturally, Standard 7 is intrinsically related to the improvement of my teaching skills and abilities in all aspects. As a future educator, it is my responsibility to ensure my learning does not become stagnant and that I am continually refining and further developing my teaching strategies and approaches. Therefore, in my practice I will always endeavour to uphold this standard.