We don't know what we don't know. This has been said time and time again, yet we still need reminding that the limitations of our exposure to innovative concepts and ideas impact what we believe to be possible in our teaching. It's like trying to describe a color you've never seen.
Non-traditional students require more from us. Each semester the criteria for what comprises the "average" student tends to expand. We no longer have a classroom full of single students with no kids and/or no jobs or part-time jobs, who can dedicate large amounts of time to their education while no other areas of their lives are impacted. We must always be working to meet the needs of the students we have and not the students we would like to have.
A wealth of resources is always readily available. Since the onset of the democratization of information that has been occurring for the past 20 years, information has never been easier to access from reputable sources on any topic we might choose. Ongoing teacher training is no longer limited to professional development activities scheduled and facilitated only by our departments. We can join a plethora of professional development sites and complete training for free or very little money. The best part is that most programs are self-paced.
Students deserve the best education their money can buy. For me, there is no greater disservice than to have students sit in a series of antiquated courses with lack-luster teaching approaches and then send them off into a cutting edge job market. We continue to develop ourselves and the courses we teach so that our students will enjoy solid success during their academic career and beyond.
A great opportunity to network. Throughout our teaching careers we are often looking for accountability buddies, subject matter experts for research projects and professional confidants. What better place to connect than in a professional development program. You know the person you are connecting with is likely as driven as you are in their professional growth and can be relied upon for various colleague related endeavors.
While teacher training can sometimes become repetitive and time-consuming, the possibility that you may attain a new skillset, a new connection or a better understanding of "why" you teach in the first place, far outweighs any perceived drawbacks. What are some of the reasons you continue to engage in professional development? Feel free to share in the comment section below.
