My Professional Development
Professional development is essential for me throughout my entire career of education to truly be a successful teacher. Learning new methods that can be used in my classroom, and being constantly updated with fresh ideas or activities for me to have with my students. With professional development it is more likely I will avoid becoming “burned out”, and I especially plan on having a variety of methods used in my classroom. By attending different sources of professional development such as; workshops, conferences, and seminars; I will be better equipped to perform various techniques in presenting my subjects. This development is important because it will give me an opportunity to meet other teachers that are in a similar situation, and we can both reflect on our time and share ideas with one another. I consider myself a lifelong learner and being able to learn more materials to better myself to bring an ultimate learning experience to my students is the greatest gift I can be given.
Image:http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/2010/05/top-10-tips-for-professional.html
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Image:http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/2010/05/top-10-tips-for-professional.html
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Dine with Style: Etiquette Luncheon
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
April 11, 2013
Hours: 2
This was an excellent opportunity for professional development to learn what school districts are looking for in potential educators. I was honored to sit next to Dr.Wendy Nance, the Human Resources Representative of Chandler Unified School District. The luncheon was on business etiquette and a training simulation for executing your “ideal” job interview. I felt very confident going into this event, but felt even better when it ended because I realized how easy and essential networking truly is. After meeting Dr. Nance she gave me pointers for my future career in education. I will be attending the Higley school district’s Teacher of the Year ceremony on May 1st where I will be seeing Dr. Nance. This was an excellent event for myself because I made a great connection in the education world and with the skills I have gained from this seminar, I plan on having even more connections for the future.
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Chandler-Gilbert Community College
April 11, 2013
Hours: 2
This was an excellent opportunity for professional development to learn what school districts are looking for in potential educators. I was honored to sit next to Dr.Wendy Nance, the Human Resources Representative of Chandler Unified School District. The luncheon was on business etiquette and a training simulation for executing your “ideal” job interview. I felt very confident going into this event, but felt even better when it ended because I realized how easy and essential networking truly is. After meeting Dr. Nance she gave me pointers for my future career in education. I will be attending the Higley school district’s Teacher of the Year ceremony on May 1st where I will be seeing Dr. Nance. This was an excellent event for myself because I made a great connection in the education world and with the skills I have gained from this seminar, I plan on having even more connections for the future.
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Teachers Plant Seeds That Grow Forever: Future Educators Conference
Paradise Valley Community College
March 8, 2013
Hours: 6
Mirrors and Windows: The Magic of International Children’s Literature
Presenter: Karen Kabrich (PVCC Faculty and AZ Ambassador for USBBY)
The moment I opened my pamphlet and saw there was a children’s literature workshop I grew excited and couldn’t wait to see this presentation. I was giddy the second I walked into the classroom, observing books laid out all over the surrounding tables. These were wonderful because judging by the covers; each and every book was special because they were incredible representations of multicultural literature. The presenter had beautiful quotes that drew me in even further and she explained quality features of literature and how powerful books can truly be for students. An activity she had was to view illustrations and covers of books and guess their origin. Most of our answers were correct but there were definitely a few that surprised us all. Our presenter made us find random books around the classroom and read individually or with a partner. I had my partner and found out shortly my partner was blind. The second book I was reading to him surprisingly had textures, which was perfect. You could see the excitement on his face and in that moment I knew not only does literature took our children’s hearts, but also adults like my partner Chris and I. Karen Kabrich validated everything I’ve learned in my children’s literature class and made me even more excited to expand my own literature collection.
“The mirror provides a child with the opportunity to see themselves in the book. The window allows them to see into someone else’s life and understand others’ reality”-Rudine Sims-Bishop (1997)
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Paradise Valley Community College
March 8, 2013
Hours: 6
Mirrors and Windows: The Magic of International Children’s Literature
Presenter: Karen Kabrich (PVCC Faculty and AZ Ambassador for USBBY)
The moment I opened my pamphlet and saw there was a children’s literature workshop I grew excited and couldn’t wait to see this presentation. I was giddy the second I walked into the classroom, observing books laid out all over the surrounding tables. These were wonderful because judging by the covers; each and every book was special because they were incredible representations of multicultural literature. The presenter had beautiful quotes that drew me in even further and she explained quality features of literature and how powerful books can truly be for students. An activity she had was to view illustrations and covers of books and guess their origin. Most of our answers were correct but there were definitely a few that surprised us all. Our presenter made us find random books around the classroom and read individually or with a partner. I had my partner and found out shortly my partner was blind. The second book I was reading to him surprisingly had textures, which was perfect. You could see the excitement on his face and in that moment I knew not only does literature took our children’s hearts, but also adults like my partner Chris and I. Karen Kabrich validated everything I’ve learned in my children’s literature class and made me even more excited to expand my own literature collection.
“The mirror provides a child with the opportunity to see themselves in the book. The window allows them to see into someone else’s life and understand others’ reality”-Rudine Sims-Bishop (1997)
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Carolivia Herron: Untangling Nappy Hair: The Life and Times of a
Banned Book
Chandler-Gilbert Community
College
October 1, 2012
Hours:
1.5
"Untangling Nappy Hair: The Life and Times of a Banned Book" was a speaker presentation with author Carolivia Herron concerning her book "Nappy Hair". Carolivia Herron is a world renown scholar, professor, and novelist. Herron discussed the controversy of her children's book at this event. A book banned because it was considered offensive for what some people believed was stereotypical portrayals and grammatically incorrect. Herron claimed this book was not intended to offend others, but to simply celebrate the African American culture, so she had used the true dialect in the book. She also wrote this book using her own experiences and relationships with her family; this was no stereotype, it was simply her life. Although she has been defending this book, she is upset with her own illustrator for creating images that are not exactly true to the culture. I was so pleased to be in the audience of this incredible woman! With her presentation, she made me realize that I need to be proud of who I am and where I come from, and I should not change myself for anyone. This speaker was very much relevant to my current Cultural Diversity class because the speaker was explaining the history and background of the African culture and how we need to appreciate this culture. I was extremely fortunate to meet Herron and she even signed my copy of Nappy Hair. I was surprised to hear that Nappy Hair was not intended to be a children's book, this is in fact a small chapter from a current book she has in the works. This book Herron is writing is specifically for adults, however, her publishers enjoyed the idea of making a children's book using that specific chapter which she had to rewrite in the end of course. I learned that diversity in my classroom will always be present, and it is my responsibility as a teacher to encourage diversity, not to ignore it or try to change it in any way.
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Banned Book
Chandler-Gilbert Community
College
October 1, 2012
Hours:
1.5
"Untangling Nappy Hair: The Life and Times of a Banned Book" was a speaker presentation with author Carolivia Herron concerning her book "Nappy Hair". Carolivia Herron is a world renown scholar, professor, and novelist. Herron discussed the controversy of her children's book at this event. A book banned because it was considered offensive for what some people believed was stereotypical portrayals and grammatically incorrect. Herron claimed this book was not intended to offend others, but to simply celebrate the African American culture, so she had used the true dialect in the book. She also wrote this book using her own experiences and relationships with her family; this was no stereotype, it was simply her life. Although she has been defending this book, she is upset with her own illustrator for creating images that are not exactly true to the culture. I was so pleased to be in the audience of this incredible woman! With her presentation, she made me realize that I need to be proud of who I am and where I come from, and I should not change myself for anyone. This speaker was very much relevant to my current Cultural Diversity class because the speaker was explaining the history and background of the African culture and how we need to appreciate this culture. I was extremely fortunate to meet Herron and she even signed my copy of Nappy Hair. I was surprised to hear that Nappy Hair was not intended to be a children's book, this is in fact a small chapter from a current book she has in the works. This book Herron is writing is specifically for adults, however, her publishers enjoyed the idea of making a children's book using that specific chapter which she had to rewrite in the end of course. I learned that diversity in my classroom will always be present, and it is my responsibility as a teacher to encourage diversity, not to ignore it or try to change it in any way.
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Conference: “Changing Faces-Diversity in Education Includes All of Us”
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
September 22, 2012
Hours: 5.0
“Changing Faces” was a professional conference to help teachers and students learn that they need to respect and appreciate all aspects of diversity. As a future teacher I chose two workshops that were highly informative. The first session was “LGBTQ Issues in Public and Education” and the second was “Bully Proofing Your School: The Olweus Approach”. The LGBTQ session entailed steps and resources to help create a safe and healthy learning environment for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender
identity. The second workshop was a brief overview of bullying and the characters involved; (the bully, the victim, and the bystanders). Both of these sessions helped me realize what I need to do as a teacher to prevent bullying in and out of my classroom, but also how to identify with all of my students. This is entirely relevant to my current Cultural Diversity and Classroom Management
classes because sometimes students who have different backgrounds become a target for bullies, and it is my job as the teacher to acknowledge this and to stop it the moment it is seen. I was shocked by statistics given during the conference such as; about 63.5% of students feel unsafe in their school. Also, 4 out of 5 times a teacher says nothing while a student is being bullied, and as a result 1/3 of students miss class or even full days of school. I am determined to create a fun, friendly, and safe learning environment for my students, and have them spread my policies like a contagion to help all students in school. I enjoyed this conference because it expanded my awareness on bullying even more, and especially on diverse cultural groups. I appreciated the different sources teachers could utilize for their school to help reduce bullying. “Changing Faces”validated the idea of accepting students and people in general for who they are and where they come from.
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Chandler-Gilbert Community College
September 22, 2012
Hours: 5.0
“Changing Faces” was a professional conference to help teachers and students learn that they need to respect and appreciate all aspects of diversity. As a future teacher I chose two workshops that were highly informative. The first session was “LGBTQ Issues in Public and Education” and the second was “Bully Proofing Your School: The Olweus Approach”. The LGBTQ session entailed steps and resources to help create a safe and healthy learning environment for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender
identity. The second workshop was a brief overview of bullying and the characters involved; (the bully, the victim, and the bystanders). Both of these sessions helped me realize what I need to do as a teacher to prevent bullying in and out of my classroom, but also how to identify with all of my students. This is entirely relevant to my current Cultural Diversity and Classroom Management
classes because sometimes students who have different backgrounds become a target for bullies, and it is my job as the teacher to acknowledge this and to stop it the moment it is seen. I was shocked by statistics given during the conference such as; about 63.5% of students feel unsafe in their school. Also, 4 out of 5 times a teacher says nothing while a student is being bullied, and as a result 1/3 of students miss class or even full days of school. I am determined to create a fun, friendly, and safe learning environment for my students, and have them spread my policies like a contagion to help all students in school. I enjoyed this conference because it expanded my awareness on bullying even more, and especially on diverse cultural groups. I appreciated the different sources teachers could utilize for their school to help reduce bullying. “Changing Faces”validated the idea of accepting students and people in general for who they are and where they come from.
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Teacher's of Tomorrow Alumni Panel
Chandler Gilbert Community College
April 5, 2012
Hours: 2.5
Chandler Gilbert's Teacher Panel was exciting to me because four teachers who graduated from CGCC were speaking about
their experiences teaching. Key questions such as: how did you cope your first year? Did you have a strong relationship with most parents? The question I especially was eager to hear a response to was "How was your first year teaching?" All four said their first year of teaching was a challenge, but a great learning experience. Proper preparation, time management, and excellent organization is a wonderful start on the path to success as an educator. One of my favorite moments was when the male teacher, Brian, said that a balanced life is what is most important for a teacher. A teacher has so many responsibilities and even the best teacher cannot finish everything on their To-Do-List in one day. Being able to take time for yourself, friends, and family will truly make you better for yourself and your students. Each teacher had terrific advice, and the stories were by far the best part. I remember sitting in front row during this presentation, and knowing this is what I want for myself. I appreciated this panel because I had several questions specifically for my first year of teaching, and these teachers answered them perfectly.
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Chandler Gilbert Community College
April 5, 2012
Hours: 2.5
Chandler Gilbert's Teacher Panel was exciting to me because four teachers who graduated from CGCC were speaking about
their experiences teaching. Key questions such as: how did you cope your first year? Did you have a strong relationship with most parents? The question I especially was eager to hear a response to was "How was your first year teaching?" All four said their first year of teaching was a challenge, but a great learning experience. Proper preparation, time management, and excellent organization is a wonderful start on the path to success as an educator. One of my favorite moments was when the male teacher, Brian, said that a balanced life is what is most important for a teacher. A teacher has so many responsibilities and even the best teacher cannot finish everything on their To-Do-List in one day. Being able to take time for yourself, friends, and family will truly make you better for yourself and your students. Each teacher had terrific advice, and the stories were by far the best part. I remember sitting in front row during this presentation, and knowing this is what I want for myself. I appreciated this panel because I had several questions specifically for my first year of teaching, and these teachers answered them perfectly.
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Future Teacher's Conference
South Mountain Community College
March 9, 2012
Hours: 7.0
The Future Teacher's Conference, was a wonderful introduction to professional development. The speakers were highly inspirational and they all had many years of experience in the classroom. With this conference, I had the privelege to experience three different workshops of my choice. The first workshop I participated in was "The Art of Storytelling". This was a high energy session that consisted of being given a story that had to be recited after a short amount of time. Having the confidence to add details, body movements, and expressions to better the story was a goal the speaker had for each participant. This workshop truly helped me
because I need to have confidence in what I teach, and I have to be able to relate what is in my lesson plans with everyday life. The second workshop I attended was of studying abroad, and visiting different countries that offered education programs. This was special to me because I love to travel, and I would have more stories to tell my students in our classroom. Lastly, "Modern Technology in the Classroom", this workshop helped me greatly. I was given several resources to use in the future with my lesson plans or different
presentations I could utilize with presenting new information to my students. I realized in this workshop that not only do I have to be willing to change and reflect as a teacher, but also I have to be willing to change my methods and use new technology when given to me. Overall, this conference was a joyous experience, and I learned an incredible amount of information.
South Mountain Community College
March 9, 2012
Hours: 7.0
The Future Teacher's Conference, was a wonderful introduction to professional development. The speakers were highly inspirational and they all had many years of experience in the classroom. With this conference, I had the privelege to experience three different workshops of my choice. The first workshop I participated in was "The Art of Storytelling". This was a high energy session that consisted of being given a story that had to be recited after a short amount of time. Having the confidence to add details, body movements, and expressions to better the story was a goal the speaker had for each participant. This workshop truly helped me
because I need to have confidence in what I teach, and I have to be able to relate what is in my lesson plans with everyday life. The second workshop I attended was of studying abroad, and visiting different countries that offered education programs. This was special to me because I love to travel, and I would have more stories to tell my students in our classroom. Lastly, "Modern Technology in the Classroom", this workshop helped me greatly. I was given several resources to use in the future with my lesson plans or different
presentations I could utilize with presenting new information to my students. I realized in this workshop that not only do I have to be willing to change and reflect as a teacher, but also I have to be willing to change my methods and use new technology when given to me. Overall, this conference was a joyous experience, and I learned an incredible amount of information.