Ongoing Professional Learning

Example 1

  • Date: November 16, 2022
  • Artifact: Forestry Tour at Ojibway Park in Windsor
  • Connection to the standards of practice: Professional learning is integral to teaching and student learning. To inform my practice, I went on a Forestry Tour with the Canadian Institute of Forestry. We learned cross-curricular connections between forestry and different subjects, with helpful resources provided. We learned about different forestry activities students can do, inside and outside of the classroom. We also learned about the various careers in forestry.
  • Relevance to my growth as a professional: Inspired by Dewey and other philosophers, I want students to learn through experiences. I think it would be very memorable to combine forestry with math and have students measure the circumference of a tree or find patterns in the leaves (branching fractals) and pinecones (Fibonacci numbers).
Branching-Out-Bringing-Forest-Into-the-Classroom_Forests-Ontario_Handout-1Download

Example 2

  • Date: December 13, 2022
  • Artifact: Exploring fractions and fair sharing at a math professional development workshop
  • Connection to the standards of practice: As a dedicated professional, I am committed to continuously learning and improving my practice. To inform my practice and improve my ability to teach math, I went to a professional development workshop for the Greater Essex County District School Board. At the workshop, teachers went around the room solving fraction problems in a visual manner. Then, teachers were able to look at the work of other people, to compare their solutions.
  • Relevance to my growth as a professional: Based on my philosophical approach to learning, I like to teach in a progressive, tactile, and visual way. I liked the idea of allowing students to move around the room and work in teams to visually represent fractions, and then compare their work to others. I also learned about an environmentally friendly alternative to chart paper, called Wipebook.
  • Date: 2023/2024
    • Asthma training: December 31, 2023
    • Concussion training: January 1, 2024
  • Artifact: OPHEA e-learning modules
    • Implementing Ryan’s Law and PPM 161: Ensuring Asthma Friendly Schools 2023/24
    • Concussion Identification, Management and Prevention for Schools 2023/24
  • Connection to the standards of practice: To further develop my knowledge as a professional, I took OPHEA’s e-learning modules on asthma and concussions. I am committed to keeping my students safe at school, so I wanted to enhance my knowledge of common health-related challenges students may face at school.
  • Relevance to my growth as a professional: Through these e-learning modules, I learned about the signs and symptoms of asthma and concussions. I learned the proper protocols to follow if students are having an asthma attack or have sustained a concussion. My ultimate goal is for students to be able to participate, and return to learning, as quickly as possible, and that they do so in a safe manner.
Asthma-CertificateDownload
Concussion-certificateDownload
  • Date: April 2024
  • Artifact: Practicum Associate Teacher’s Written Feedback
  • Connection to the standards of practice: Ongoing professional learning involves experience and critical reflection. During my last practicum, my associate teacher was kind enough to make notes and provide me with written feedback on my teaching. I found that some of my strengths were re-focusing/re-directing students when needed and accommodating lessons to meet students’ abilities. I found that some of my weaknesses were being too passive, quiet, and teaching too long.
  • Relevance to my growth as a professional: No one is perfect, but as a professional I strive to continue learning and refining my teaching practice. The best way for me to improve my teaching is to get feedback, and to recognize which areas need improvement. Once I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses, I can work on improving my weaknesses and celebrating my strengths. For example, to become louder and more assertive, I started taking singing lessons to learn voice projection. Singing lessons has helped me to gain the confidence and breathing techniques required to command a room and project my voice, without having to strain or yell.
Feedback-mergedDownload