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In teaching, having a professional development plan is very important. It is required by our regulatory body, and the BC Ministry of Education funds programs for teachers. In the past, the growth of teachers has been mandated by organizational goals, but beginning in 2011, thinking began to shift regarding the philosophy and delivery of professional development. In his 2011 BCTF Research Report, Chris Naylor began to analyze and compare the current BC practices and policies with other provinces and countries. He advocated for a shift away from focusing on professional evaluations according to organizational goals, and onto the professional autonomy of the teacher based on strength based capacity building development plans. Through his research, he discovered that deficit model thinking did not work, and that the best teacher development programs build capacity through investments, support, and partnerships (pg. 2). This is very much in line with what Northouse (2019) would describe as a skills approach and how a transformational leader would develop employees. <\/span><\/p>\n At the time, Alberta was a forerunner in this area, and the Alberta\u2019s Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) had developed plans which focused on collaborative, teacher-to-teacher professional development<\/span> and site-based collaborative professional learning and problem solving. \u00a0Under girding their approach was the belief that \u201cteachers are perfectly situated to innovate and implement positive action, track how their actions influence learning and determine the effects of change\u201d. (pg. 4, 5)<\/span>. <\/span><\/i>They are self-directed adult learners (Penfold-Navarro, 2018).<\/span><\/p>\n Naylor considered different districts in BC and discovered that at the time, Richmond had embraced this philosophy and utilized the principles of andragogy (Penfold-Navarro, 2018) by drawing upon and building on the experiences of the teacher; sharing and collaborating with others; being self-directed and voluntary; setting goals related and relevant to one\u2019s current teaching assignment; and engaging in self reflection and formative experiences (pg. 10). <\/span><\/p>\n This research has been influential and created change in BC\u2019s approach to professional development. Current policies now define professional development as: \u00a0\u201c<\/span>a process of ongoing growth, through involvement in programs, services, and activities designed to enable teachers, both individually and collectively, to enhance professional practice\u201d (BCTF Policies and Procedures, n.d. Policy 30.A.01). Policies now encompass the principles of adult learning (Penfold-Navarro, 2018) by including professional autonomy, collegial support, input from parents and students, and community involvement. Teachers can plan their professional development by having choice, identifying their needs, accessing a wide range of resources and repertoire, and seeking mentors and colleagues for support (BCTF Policies and Procedures, n.d. Policies 30.A.03-30.A.09).<\/span><\/p>\n With the advent of technology, professional development and teaching practice has had to shift. Teachers are now able to make the learning of their students more visible through online portfolio platforms (such as Fresh Grade, Class Dojo, My Blue print) \u00a0and social media (such as Facebook and Instagram). They can co-create learning experiences as a result with students, parents, and a larger global learning community. They are also being encouraged to use Twitter as a platform for their own professional development and can garner feedback from other professionals around the world. When discussing a hybrid model of service (Kandampully, J., Bilgihan, A., Tingting, C., 2016) in a school setting, the customers are the parents and community and parent satisfaction is key to promoting a positive school culture. Teachers are more able to co-create with parents as they engage with them through synchronous and asynchronous digital platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n By establishing a professional development plan with teachers that includes technology for the improvement of practice, teachers are then empowered to release their creativity and innovation as they implement new ideas. Such a development plan, then, needs to include not only an assessment of strengths, identified goals and resources for implementations, but also an element of the use of technology for a feedback loop with a self reflective piece on how the teacher responds to and implements the feedback. Perhaps there may be a portfolio piece where artifacts could be shared. I have attached here a copy of a suggested professional growth plan (\u00a0 Teacher Growth Plan<\/a>) that has pulled elements from the BCTF \u00a0growth plan, as well as incorporated elements of andragogy <\/span>(Penfold-Navarro, 2018)<\/span> \u00a0a technology hybrid approach (Kandampully, J., Bilgihan, A., Tingting, C., 2016) and transformational leadership (Northouse, 2019) to not only promote the professional growth of the teacher, but also increase the success of the school. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n References:<\/span><\/p>\n BCTF (2018).<\/span> Self Directed PD Form. <\/span><\/i>Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/bctf.ca\/uploadedFiles\/Public\/ProD\/Self-directedPD\/ToolsForSD-PD.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n BCTF (2018). [Graphic Illustration]<\/span> Professional Development and Support.<\/span><\/i> Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/bctf.ca\/ProfessionalDevelopment.aspx<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n BCTF (2018). <\/span>Professional Development Overview, Policies, and Procedures. <\/span><\/i>\u00a0Retrieved from <\/span>https:\/\/bctf.ca\/ProfessionalDevelopment.aspx?id=6388<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Kandampully, J., Bilgihan, A., Tingting, C. (2016) . <\/span>Developing a people-technology hybrids model to unleash innovation and creativity: The new hospitality frontier<\/span><\/i><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n Naylor, C. (2011). Professional development\/professional growth and engagement: What\u2019s wrong with the BCPSEA picture? BCTF Research Report. SECTION XII 2011-EI-01. Retrieved from: <\/span>https:\/\/files.eric.ed.gov\/fulltext\/ED538945.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice. Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications. <\/span><\/p>\n