Looking Towards the Future

As my professional career continues to grow, I have to be conscience and aware that I will have to be a lifelong learner. In order to best help my students and others around me, I am still working to become the best and most effective leader that I can. I will need to learn more about my students, technology, and my work as a whole. The lessons that are being taught are constantly evolving with this rotating door the manner in which our students learn is no longer black or white nor direct so as an educator I have to learn more about my students, learn new technology, and work on my own abilities as a professional. Students are starting to have and will have an opportunity to speak on how they are being taught since all students learn in different ways. In order for me to continue to develop as a professional I believe I have need to learn more about my students, technology, and my professional development.

                     Student relationships

With the structure of education constantly changing by giving students more of a voice on how the classroom is taught and organized. For me to grow within the evolving changes of education, I will also need to change and continue to understand the ways of modern students. I believe that it is highly important for me to stay connected with students on a professional level, in order for me to understand what they are growing through. Much like a principal would evaluate their staff, the same goes for teachers to students. Many this the views of what a student needs, can be held back due to the lack of sympathetic and linking that an teacher has with the student. Being able to listen, sympathetic and linking with a student about what they are going through emotionally can help bridge gaps that will allow a student to feel comfortable and safe in the classroom.

There a many opportunities for me to engage with students, one of which is before academics are involved; open house allows the parent, student, and teacher the chance to meet one another for the first time. Many if not all schools have some form of open house even if it is after school has begun. Open house allows the student to see the setup of the school and more importantly see the setup of the classroom. For me this will give me the chance to ask the student important questions that I wouldn’t want to ask in front of his or her peers such as how much do you like school, do you like to sit in the front or the back, and which way do you believe you learn best? Understanding my students will allow me to continue to grow and be effective within the classroom.

                           Technology

As students continue to change, so will the tools they use to be successful in and out of the classroom. So what does this mean exactly? This means that the technology of today, that many teachers use will soon be in the waste basket. Technology has such a significant role in the classroom many of us don’t think we would know what to do without it. As new and better technology unfolds and older technology improves for teachers and other educators, I will have to be able to keep up with developments within the programs. Being able to keep up with these advancements will allow me the chance to assist with the learning for my students and giving them a better chance to comprehend the information. Being able to learn programs such as edgenuity and readright will allow me to teach students more effectively.  I believe it will be challenging for me to constantly grow in technology since it continues to change. But I know with new and different technology readily accessible I won’t become sedentary with the technologies of today. As a future educator I believe that there should be a monthly meeting to discuss new technology opportunities to plan for technology that is always changing. 

               Professional Development 

Finally, it is desire to grow as a professional. I will have to continue to communicate with my support team and have the desire to learn more about education. A few ways for me to remain linked with other professionals in my career is by attending professional development functions. Every year the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) holds a 3 to 5 day conference to help educators network and learn new strategies. The conferences are inspiring and educational. Another way for me to remain linked with other professionals is to continue my education and peruse my PhD in education.