I am beginning to fully understand how being a teacher is a constant learning and development process that never ends. For our entire careers, we must constantly reflect on and evaluate our practice so that we are the best we can be for our children. For this to succeed we need to have an adaptable attitude, be open to constructive criticism from others and also engage in changes occurring in our profession.
In semester 1, the professional values I will have to uphold as a primary teacher, the GTC Standards, were made clear to me and this was an important point of professional development for me. The journey of my teaching career had officially began and I was experiencing positve progress. Another pivotal moment in my professional development was when I visited a primary school as part of my Working Together module. I was moved by the environment I was in as it became clear in my mind that this was where my future was and ‘Working Together’ was a reality, not just a theory. I enjoyed speaking to the staff members on a professional basis and it meant a lot to me to see the complexities of the profession with my own eyes. Reflecting on this event, I learned that schools are far more than just classrooms and many more policies and initiatives, like GIRFEC, SHANARRI and breakfast clubs to minimise income inequalities, are in place to help children succeed in all aspects of their lives. As a teacher, it will be important for me to engage in these as children’s wellbeing is one of my top priorities.
The process of reflection is applicable in more cases than simply stating how a lesson went. It also means reflecting on your development as a teacher, evaluating why something maybe did not go as planned and most importantly, how you will improve on this so that your teaching journey is continuously moving upwards.
