A few days ago my colleague asked me how she could improve her competences and skills as a teacher. It drove me to find my essential things of professional development. Those essential things are automatic gears to do our own professional development. Then, it brings me into 4 basic skills that I do so far to improve myself. And here they are, the basic steps for me to start something that I called Self-PD:
Reading
How many books do we read lately? How many educational articles, journals, or tweet of education leaders do we read today? Get connected and keep updating ourselves with the current educational issues is a basic step to do self-PD.
Listening
When is the last time we sit and listen to our colleagues sharing their teaching experiences, problems, or achievements? We should not forget that experience is the best teacher. Let’s spend our time to listen; we might get inspired and learn something new.
Writing
Writing our thoughts, ideas and experiences in blog or maybe a teaching journal is also helping us to improve teaching skills. This next step allows us to do self reflection that will help us to improve our critical thinking in teaching. For me writing helps me to clear my mind. In my case, I also use my blog to improve my language skill. No need to wait until we have perfect grammars or ‘Pulitzer’ skill to start writing. Short writing is count! That’s what self-PD is for, self-improvement.
Speaking
Share things to your colleagues such as latest educational update, new information, problems, experiences, and achievements. This step allows us to get feedback and hopefully we can inspire others.
This is it! Now it’s time to roll our sleeves, turn it on, find the FUNtastic way to do our self-professional development, because we are self-directed learners, right?!
Reading
How many books do we read lately? How many educational articles, journals, or tweet of education leaders do we read today? Get connected and keep updating ourselves with the current educational issues is a basic step to do self-PD.
Listening
When is the last time we sit and listen to our colleagues sharing their teaching experiences, problems, or achievements? We should not forget that experience is the best teacher. Let’s spend our time to listen; we might get inspired and learn something new.
Writing
Writing our thoughts, ideas and experiences in blog or maybe a teaching journal is also helping us to improve teaching skills. This next step allows us to do self reflection that will help us to improve our critical thinking in teaching. For me writing helps me to clear my mind. In my case, I also use my blog to improve my language skill. No need to wait until we have perfect grammars or ‘Pulitzer’ skill to start writing. Short writing is count! That’s what self-PD is for, self-improvement.
Speaking
Share things to your colleagues such as latest educational update, new information, problems, experiences, and achievements. This step allows us to get feedback and hopefully we can inspire others.
This is it! Now it’s time to roll our sleeves, turn it on, find the FUNtastic way to do our self-professional development, because we are self-directed learners, right?!