Educators engage in professional learning.
I have realized that professional learning comes in many forms, not only webinars on Non-Instructional Days. While professional learning from conferences or webinars are fun and offer perspectives that I might not have yet learned, such as my second-hand learning from others who have been participating in the Adrienne Gear online series, I have become accustomed (and quite enjoy) finding professional learning in unconventional settings. My first experience of this during my 10-week practicum was when I went to the first staff meeting at the school in which I was placed. I was not sure what to expect out of the meeting and assumed beforehand that I would be lost with what was going on since the school year had already started and classrooms were established. However, I went into it with a positive and growth mindset, and I felt determined to learn something that would help me become a teacher candidate.
What I learned most from that first staff meeting, and the second one a month later, was how to develop and grow a school community. It was incredible watching all administration and classroom faculty working together to not only problem-solve for their own class, but for the school in it’s entirety. In addition to what I learned during these staff meetings, I also realized that by going into the environment engaged and ready to contribute, I was given the opportunity to find and use my own voice and to become a part of the planning and decision-making.
I also found incredible professional learning opportunities in staff rooms, in the hall on the way to the bathroom, or near the playground during supervision. There is a vast amount of knowledge that can be shared during a conversation amongst colleagues, and I would have to say that these were the situations where I most thrived. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down to have lunch and engaging in a rich conversation about assessment or Social Emotional learning, because in those environments it is so much easier to connect with whoever you are discussing it with. These situations also require that a connection had already been made, but once it is established, the opportunity for professional learning from colleagues skyrockets.
On the first Non-Instructional Day of my practicum, I shadowed my Coaching Teacher into a meeting for Intermediate teachers where they planned to discuss summative assessment and reporting out to families. Since I was not overly familiar with the concept yet at that point, I was prepared to learn almost as if I were attending a University course or a paid-for webinar, notebook in hand and a water bottle for hydration. The environment that I encountered, however, was comforting and self-paced, full of deep conversation and debates while everyone tried to get on the same page. I learned so much from this short session, mainly about assessment, but also about how to best collaborate with my colleagues. I learned how to make sure my voice is heard when I ask questions and to offer my own knowledge even when I am not sure it is valid.
For the past 10 weeks, I have found myself seeking out professional learning opportunities in my day-to-day life at school instead of waiting for Non-Instructional Days. From observing classrooms to chasing people down for answers, I could seek out all the learning opportunities that I wished for. I think the main thing that I learned about Standard 7 is that professional learning does not need to be reserved for Non-Fiction books and Non-Instructional Days, it can be sought out and created within any environment.