Professional Development for the (Not So Tiny) Humans

Hello again!

Wow... how 'bout that snow eh?
I guess that's why they call it Fe-brrrr-uary! ⛄😂 Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

This past week I have been exploring the various ways in which I can keep my teaching practices and pedagogy up to date. I started my explorations with my district website and then continued through the worldwide web and its social media platforms.

District Resources

I feel lucky to be working in the North Vancouver School District because we have so much opportunity for Professional Development and access to information via the district portal. For instance, this upcoming Friday I am happy to be attending a Pro-D workshop about hands-on science in the primary years.

(Source: https://booking.sd44.ca/EBT/EBT_ViewSessionPopUpForBooking.aspx?eid=394&slid=1&sessionid=5)

Of course, it is mandatory to attend district wide Pro-D workshops so I was already aware of the professional development offered via the NVSD's Book Central site. However, I also found on the district portal two access pages for both external and internal professional development opportunities which I didn't know existed. 

Most interesting to me was a section for new teachers wishing to be a part of the NVSD membership program which, again, I didn't know existed. 

As a new teacher I would love to be mentored by someone with an experience colleague who could assist me in developing my teaching practices. The mentorship program seems like an excellent professional development resource for new teachers like myself.

Also found on the district portal is the "Curriculum Hub" a place for teachers to upload and share examples of units and lessons that have been successful in their classrooms. It is also a place for teachers to find assessment tools and supports for implementing the Redesigned BC Curriculum.

Finally, also unknown to me was the technology training that the NVSD provides throughout the year for everything from iPhones to accessing Scholantis.

Beyond the Portal

Social media is one of the main ways I stay connected with other educators beyond my school and district. I use Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as my main sources of educational information sharing. I am in two groups on Facebook in which I can share information, ask questions, and learn from other educators. 

 The UVic Teacher's Ed Grade of 2016 group allows me to stay in touch with my peers from UVic while offering a consistent resource for lesson ideas, advice offering, and encouragement.

The BC Teachers-New Curriculum Sharing group has been particularly helpful in terms of providing information about ways teachers are exploring the redesigned curriculum with their classes and assessment strategies that have proven to be successful with the new curriculum in mind. It is reassuring to know that there are at least 2.3K teachers who are figuring out how to teach via the new curriculum themselves.  

My preferred social media sharing platform is Instagram. I have created an account to accompany the Teaching Tiny Humans blog. I find Instagram to be an easy way to connect with others through posts, comments, and direct messaging. Many of the accounts I follow belong to teachers in the States where, from what I can tell, there is a larger teacher presence on Instagram. It is interesting to connect with those across the border because of differences in teaching styles, student expectations, and even classroom organization!

I also enjoy learning from YouTube teaching "vlogs" such as My 2nd Grade Life. I actually just found a video (embedded below) from her YouTube channel that fits perfectly with my inquiry about literacy centres from a couple of weeks ago. I love to listen to teaching vlogs while I'm cooking or cleaning because I have quickly learned that there is always something more I can be doing to better my teaching practice.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xgvIFSwTjQ)

Revisiting the Past

In 2016 I completed the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme- Level 1 training because I was in the midst of a Kindergarten practicum at an IB World School. While I may not teach at an IB school now, the practices I learned from the training and my practicum have informed my teaching in terms of inquiry and child-centred learning. I believe the redesigned curriculum very much encompasses IB philosophies; therefore, I would like to go back and continue the training over the next few years. 🌎

I also started the Google Educator online training a couple of years ago and never completed it because...well, life. I would like to go back and revisit this training because I think it is so important for teachers in the 21st century to be technologically literate and I don't think Google is going to be giving up its crown any time soon. 👑

Final Thoughts

(Source: https://media.giphy.com/media/qAT5rK74Z8Qi4/giphy.gif)

Just the words "Professional Development" can be daunting to a new teacher. Especially one who is currently working towards a teacher-librarianship certificate and has her Masters looming in the near future. However, ongoing professional development is SO important because education is constantly changing. I know it is cliché but teachers truly have signed up for a lifetime of growth and learning. Post-UBC I intend to pick up where I left off with the IB PYP training and the Google Educator certificate. I plan to continue sharing and learning through social media and will take advantage of the resources my school district has to offer. 

Until next week,

Miss. P💕