Personal Professional Development Planning

Summer Academy 2008

This packet belongs to:

Name:

Job Title:

This packet contains information on, forms for, and samples of:

(1)Professional Development History

(2)Personal Professional Development Planning Process

(3)Professional Development Plan Guidelines

  • Goals-based Format
  • Category / Topic Format

(4)Professional Development Log

(5)Vita

Professional Development History Worksheet

In order to move forward with planning for professional development, it is helpful to know where you’ve been! Take a moment to reflect on:

  1. Previous work experience,
  2. Previous formal education experiences, and
  3. Previous professional development experiences, especially during the past two years. Some experiences that might be a part of those professional development experiences include:

  • Training sessions
  • “One-stop” in-service / workshop
  • “Series” in-service / workshops
  • Action research
  • Lesson study
  • Cognitive Coaching
/
  • College degree program
  • Readings (professional journals)
  • Personal study (inquiry)
  • On-line courses
  • Mentoring
  • Learning communities

Use the space below to record your thoughts.

  1. Work Experience:
  2. Formal Education:
  3. Professional Development Experiences:

Personal Professional Development Plan

Setting Goals

In developing your professional plan, the next step after your history is setting goals. These goals need to take into account your current job responsibilities, your school improvement plan, content needs in your discipline, and your own aspirations for the future. With this in mind, write down your thoughts about your short-term and long-term professional goals:

Short Term Professional Goals:

Long Term Professional Goals:

Writing a Professional Development Plan:

The next step is identifying activities to meet your goals and creating your plan. Following are two formats for getting your plan in writing.

Goals-based Format:

Your personal plan might be designed to align with your short and long-term goals listed above and could include a variety of the activities given in the checklist on your history sheet. Each goal that you would like to work on would have one or more activities designed to help you reach that goal. For example:

  • Research/read five articles in current journals regarding…
  • Find and attend a workshop on…
  • Establish a mentoring relationship toward the end of achieving…
  • Reflect weekly through journal writing on…
Category / Topic-based Format

Your personal plan could also be divided by categories of learning that you would like to occur. Three such categories are:

  1. Substantive or content issues. This would include professional development experience to help you explore new roles and responsibilities, new information, learning in a new content area.
  2. Process skills. This would include experiences providing growth in relational skills such as team building and could include activities such as mentoring, peer coaching, etc.
  3. Technical skills. This area covers the learning of techniques or skills such as how to write a proposal, learning to use new software/hardware technology, how to construct a rubric, etc.

This personal plan may take any form you like such as a list of activities ordered by goal, chronological occurrence, types of skills, etc. It could also be a mind map or concept map showing how the piece of professional development that you have chosen fit together. The timeline is up to you. For MMSTLC, the upcoming academic year would be the most appropriate, focusing on the winter semester.

On the pages that follow are the templates for the two formats and two examples of professional development plans written by classroom teachers using each of the formats.

Template for Goals-based Format:

Professional Development Plan

Goals
/
Activities to Meet Goal
/
Activities Completed (Date)

Long Term Goals:

1.
2.
3.

Short Term Goals:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Professional Development Plan

Goals
/
Activities to Meet Goal
/
Activities Completed (Date)

Long Term Goals:

  1. Continue with higher education towards Master’s plus 30.
  2. Check the possibility of becoming a supervising teacher for pre-service teachers.
  3. Write and submit a grant or grants to improve teacher ability to teach and assess science.
/
  • Explore classes in the math, technology, and science field, (geology, earth science).
  • Check requirements of becoming a supervising teacher at local universities.
  • Research possible grants to help teachers develop knowledge and skills and materials to teach science.
  • Read materials on grant writing.
  • Develop contacts to assist with the grant writing process.

Short Term Goals:

  1. Finish thesis for Masters in Education: Topic = Inquiry Science Education.
  2. Continue to work with colleagues in my building on Inquiry Methods of teaching science.
  3. Stay current with best practices in education.
  4. Gain new knowledge on teaching the special needs students in a regular education setting.
  5. Train and mentor teachers in the building on understanding the District/building school improvement goal for science.
/
  • Meet with GVSU advisor to assure all criteria are met in order to complete Masters Program.
  • Set up a schedule for teachers to sign up for me to come into their classroom and model a science lesson or observe a science lesson taught by them.
  • Coordinate with building administrator to secure release time from my classroom in order to visit other classrooms to foster inquiry methods of teaching science.
  • Find and attend workshops and conferences related to best practices in education.
  • Read articles related to reaching the needs of all students.
  • Become more informed with state science and school improvement goals.

Template for Category / Topic-based Format:

Professional Development Plan

Category
/
Activities to Meet Goal
/
Activities Completed

Substantive & Content Issues:

Process Skills:

Technical Skills:

Sample Category /Topic-based Format:

Professional Development Plan

Category
/
Activities to Meet Goal
/
Activities Completed

Substantive & Content Issues:

  • Vocabulary Teaching Strategies used throughout school in all grade levels.
/ Review Marzano’s Vocabulary Direct Instruction techniques in grade level meetings. Building Science Leader to be present at one full set of grade level meetings to help facilitate discussion.
Professional Development would determine limited amount of science vocabulary at each grade level to focus on.
Discuss at grade level meetings a method for keeping vocabulary to review throughout the year. (i.e. vocabulary notebooks, chart paper, or some other method) / To be completed in 2008-2009 school year.

Process Skills:

  • Writing Good Scientific Conclusions
/ Review writing in science rubrics at grades level meetings.
Revise rubrics collaboratively if necessary.
Discuss teaching methods and lessons for use of rubrics at grade level meetings or staff meeting.
Building Science Leader mentor teachers and model lessons on teaching writing good science conclusions for teachers as needed. / To be completed in 2008-2009 school year

Technical Skills:

  • Vocabulary Games and Activities used for review.
/ Model games and activities in groups at a building professional development. Jigsaw as a staff using Marzano’s Teacher’s Edition Book.
Use grade level meetings to discuss challenges and successes using Marzano’s review activities and games for vocabulary.
Set monthly focus goal for activities and games through email, Week in Review (sent by Principal), and mailboxes. / To be completed in the 2008-2009 school year.

Professional Development Log

As you start to implement your professional development plan, it is important to document your activities. Many schools / districts are now asking for teachers to submit records of their professional development activities as part of the annual review process. Your district may have a particular format to use as well. Below is one kind of template. What is important is that you keep track of your activities – use whatever format is comfortable for you!

Professional Development Log Template

Academic Year:

Date
/

Activity

/

Description

/

Targeted Goal

Sample Professional Development Log

Professional Development to Include in Performance Review for 2006

(March 2006 – February 2007)

Professional(related to office management)

  • FRAMED! Investigate an Intriguing Mystery and Master Decision Making Strategies. Instructors: Dr. Hari Singh, Jayne Dissette, March 17 and April 14, 2006
  • Seminar introducing the West Michigan Alliance, April 17, 2006

Professional(related to University)

  • Fall Teaching / Learning Conference: “Developing the Whole Student: Collaborating with Student Support Services”

Content(related to professional development of teachers – mathematics, science, leadership, pedagogy)

  • IPY Online Workshop – content in both polar science as well as experience with on-line workshops / conferencing (technology connection)
  • NSDC Summer Conference on teacher leadership, Washington, DC, July 17 – 20, 2006
  • Fall Teaching Conference, “Developing the Whole Student: Collaborating with Student Support Services,” August 23, 2006
  • TI Graphing Calculator Workshop, October 5-7, 2006

Diversity

  • “Street Children and Justice in South Africa”, Timothy J. Treanor / The Mandela-Parks Lecture Series, March 30, 2006 (Sponsored by College of Interdisciplinary Studies / African and American Studies Program)
  • “Slaves, Quilts, and Robert Cromwell on the Wall: Slavery and Public Scholarship” / Dr. Michelle Johnson, GVSU, April 3, 2006
  • Read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Technology

  • Blackboard: Student Online Journals, October 18, 2006
  • Blackboard: What Do Students Say About Online Discussion?, November 2, 2006

Professional Vita

Important!

"Curriculum Vitae," "Vita," "Vitae," "CV," "C.V.," and "c.v." are all basically interchangeable as terms, and simply mean a comprehensive representation in outline form of your education, professional history, accolades, interests, and other relevant information. A vita is generally created for presentation to a prospective employer, or for a special circumstance, such as an award or promotion. Unlike a résumé, there are no length requirements or limits for a vita.

Below is a template with possible categories for a vita.

VITA

Home Address:

Business Address:

Educational Background

Year

Degree

Institution

Professional Experience

Certifications

Professional Presentations (include title of presentation, brief description, and where given)

Publications

Grants

Professional Affiliations

Professional References

VIita – Tara L. Maynard

Home Address:Business Address:

1152 Kenowa Ave SWCreekside Middle School

Grand Rapids, MI 49534179 W. Roosevelt Ave

616.735.2403Zeeland, MI 49464

616.748.4777 ext: 2426

Educational Background

2003Master of Arts Grand Valley State University

Masters in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in secondary administration

1998Bachelor of ScienceGrand Valley State University

Mathematics major; biology and statistics minors; teaching

Certificate in mathematics and biology

Professional Experience

1998 – presentCreekside Middle School, Zeeland, Michigan
Teacher for 8th grade mathematics. Served as team leader, middle school mathematics department co-chair, school improvement co-chair. Participated in curriculum development.

Certification

State of Michigan Professional Certificate: 7-12 mathematics, biology DX

Professional Presentations

“Hints for New Math Teachers” – Presentation focused on small day-to-day things to help every new math teacher.

Presentation site:

  • Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics – Annual Conference, 2001

“Graphing Community Needs” – Presentation focused on a project done with the local United Way and a class of 8th grade students.

Presentation site:

  • Supervolunteerism Conference – Annual Conference, 2001

“Life’s Linear Lessons” – Interactive presentation helping teachers find different activities to help introduce and develop the concept of linear functions.

Presentation site:

  • Math In Action – GVSU’s annual math conference, 2002

“Where do we see Probability?” – Presentation of various activities that are used in middle school classrooms to develop the concept of probability.

Presentation site:

  • Math In Action – GVSU’s annual math conference, 2003

“Tortoise and the Hare: Discovering Slope” – Presentation of a five-lesson activity using the story of the Tortoise and the Hare to discover slope and y-intercept concepts.

Presentation sites:

  • Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics – Annual Conference, 2004
  • Math In Action– GVSU’s annual math conference, 2005

“Spinners: What Can They Teach Us?” – Interactive presentation of the applications of spinners throughout the middle school mathematics curriculum.

Presentation site:

  • Math In Action – GVSU’s annual math conference, 2004

“Hold Every Student Accountable” – Interactive presentation allowing participants to explore the use of an individual student response system called CPS (the Classroom Performance System).

  • Presentation site: Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics – Annual Conference, 2005

“NASA and Middle School Math Connections” – Presentation showing middle school teachers how NASA materials can fit into many mathematics lessons.

  • Presentation site: Math In Action Conference – GVSU’s annual math conference, 2006

“Maintaining the Middle Level in the Era of Mandates and Accountability” – Was part of a panel discussion on promoting the middle level belief system when many testing demands are being put on teachers.

  • Presentation site: Teaching the Good Stuff in the Middle: A Middle Level Conference on Best Practices – GVSU conference, 2006

“Questions, Answers and Conversation: GLCEs and HSCEs – Adapting to Changing Expectations” – Was part of a panel discussion on how to integrate the state expectations into everyday teaching.

  • Presentation site: Math In Action Conference – GVSU’s annual math conference, 2008

Publications

Using Pattern Problems to Develop Proportional Reasoning, 2004; Professional Development Guidebook for Perspectives on the Teaching of Mathematics – Companion to the NCTM Sixty-sixth Yearbook, co-authored with Pamela J. Wells

A Three-Way School/University Collaboration, 2005; Mathematics and Multi-Ethnic Students: Exemplary Practices – co-authored with Charlene Beckmann and Kara Rozanski

Professional Affiliations

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM)

Awards

Distinguished Alumnus-in-Residence: Science of Mathematics Division, GVSU, 2003

Regional Directors’ Award, Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2005

Professional Development

Continuing Education

NEW Program – NASA Educator’s Workshop, Glenn Research Center, Summer 2001

Michigan Mathematics Leadership Academy (MMLA), 2003-present

Brain and Learning Institute at Hope College – Summer 2005

Service

Supervision of pre-service teachers – Grand Valley State University – F1999, W2000, W2001, W2003, F2005, F2007

Steering Committee – GVSU’s Math In Action Conference, 2003-present

Professional References

Karen Meyers, Assistant Director
Regional Math & Science Center
Grand Valley State University
324 Henry Hall
Allendale MI 49401
616.331.2515
/ Greg Eding, Principal
Creekside Middle School
179 W. Roosevelt Ave
Zeeland MI 49464
616.748.3301
/ Dr. Charlene Beckmann
Grand Valley State University
616.331.2066