When you think about teacher professional development goals many things come to mind. Well, It depends on the lens from which you are standing. Ultimately everyone wants what’s best for the students but we know that the “one size fits all” approach has not been working for many years. What if we asked for teacher goals and created an Individualized plan for each teacher? 

Now we cannot provide everything for their goals but we can use education as the focus of their future learning. For example, just say we had a teacher who wanted to learn more about the Science of Reading, her professional development would include academic courses, and training modules from other institutions, and the teacher will have a mentor that touches base with her all paid by a district stipend which falls under professional development. Once a teacher has made that selection for the year, they are the school experts and implementation reflects their goal. Eventually, they are mentors to others in the school which allows for teachers to envision a path for themselves.

What Are Your Teacher Goals for this Year?

When teachers select goals, they are often lofty and too many for them to accomplish. Select a one/two-word goal and make sure you incorporate the word in everything you do. So if you select a term like, “Reading strategies” Then this is the term or goal you will incorporate in every subject. Perfect this skill and incorporate it throughout the year. Some teachers select words like:

• Get Organized- thinking about storage containers, automating tools, keeping a tight calendar

• Authentic Assessments- working on tracking data to make smarter classroom changes and supporting student learning more authentically.

• Fun- Tracking student involvement, offering fun incentives, and bringing real-world experiences to the classroom.

• Collaborate more- create partnerships individually or with your class, reach out to other teachers' classrooms, and show gratitude to others who’ve helped you with notes, or videos in their email.

• Interactive lessons-think of engagement tools, and hands-on equipment and maybe start incorporating more interactive activities and track them. Start with 1 pre-day and then build stamina for more fun lessons.

Do you want to be a teacher forever?  

Many teachers would tell you Yes, I want to be a teacher forever but that doesn’t mean that you cannot make career goals. There are many opportunities in education to try new things. Here is a list from scholastic on the various things you can try:

• Teach an online course at a Higher Educational Institution- Teachers that have been teaching for many years may want to take their skills to prospective teachers.

• Integrated Technology – Some teachers may want to partner with professors or people they know to incorporate technology into their classroom.

• Explore a new teaching method- Pulling apart the curriculum can be fun and think of ways to make each lesson come alive.

• Develop an elective course and pilot it at your school- think about bringing your passion to school and incorporating your passion into your classroom.

• Mentor new teachers – Every new teacher is looking for some support, be that teacher that takes the time to mentor someone new.

Take Control of your destiny today

This is your life, I want you to continue doing things that make you happy and satisfy your soul. Always have goals, and one/two-word phrases, and practice each skill until it becomes a part of your DNA. After 25 years of teaching, I have selected multiple word goals that have sparked new interest. One thing that teachers have in common is that they are always learning so there is so much joy in the next season of your teaching career.

References:

20 goals for teachers for 2020. Scholastic. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-tools/articles/resources/20-goals-for-teachers-for-2020.html

Career goals for teachers (with 11 examples). Indeed Career Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/teacher-career-goals

Powerschool.com. IMAGE (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://www.powerschool.com/blog/how-to-boost-teacher-retention-and-student-success/