Professional Development Program

Goal 1: The development of a clear, coherent and justified view of education that:

• Demonstrates understanding of the place of education as contributing to the creation of an open, pluralistic and caring society;
• Articulates the content, methods and institutional arrangements that are relevant, worthwhile and appropriate for the education of children;
• Speaks to a personal vision of what one can achieve as an educator;
• Continually and consciously reshapes through experiences with a variety of learners in a range of socio-cultural contexts;
• Is informed by understanding of the historical and contemporary legacies of imperialism and colonization on the education system of British Columbia;
• Realizes the powerful, and sometimes negative, impact that our Eurocentric education system has had, and continues to have, upon students.

Goal 2: The development of a clear commitment to lifelong and lifewide learning that:

• Manifests an openness to considering alternatives and possibilities;
• Is rooted in the development of reflective capacities; inherent in various forms of inquiry;
• Engages in the wide range of subject-based practices that inform the practice of teaching;
• Is demonstrated in the ability to form and reform ideas, methods, techniques;
• Upholds standards of excellence
• Sets an example for students and stimulates them to be continuous learners.

Goal 3: The development of a clear commitment to uphold the principles of professional responsibility that:

• Is sensitive to the positions of privilege, power, and trust in which teachers are placed;
• Recognizes that teachers are role models who are rational, reliable, organized, responsible and responsive;
• Demonstrates thoughtful and self-initiating behaviour that is reflective, positive in outlook, genuine, non-defensive and non-judgmental;
• Demonstrates a reflective approach to personal well-being and the well-being of others;
• Results in an increasing level of personal resilience.

Goal 4: The development of a clear commitment to maintain ethical and functional working relationships with all members of the educational community that:

• Is open and responsive to feedback and constructive criticism;
• Is demonstrated through significant, on-going dialogue and collaboration with colleagues, students, parents and others in the educational community;
• Shows care and respect for every student;
• Is authentic, transparent and honest;
• Communicates openness to other worldviews, belief systems and points of view;
• Reflects humility and consideration for others.

Goal 5: The development of knowledge about curricular content, educational theory and effective practice that:

• Demonstrates the ability to communicate effectively in English or French;
• Demonstrates the ability to understand and work with subject-specific content seen through Canadian, Indigenous and global lenses;
• Sees opportunities for cross-curricular and cross-cultural connections;
• Is cognizant of how individuals and groups of students learn;
• Demonstrates the understanding and ability to create purposeful, contextually relevant lesson and unit plans;
• Is aware of current, and varied, evaluation and assessment practices;
• Is rooted in a strong sense of what is best for particular students in particular situations.

Goal 6: The development of the clear commitment to respect and celebrate students that:

• Demonstrates respect and dignity for students as persons with varied interests, needs, backgrounds, points of view, plans, goals and aspirations;
• Demonstrates care for students and their individual development;
• Celebrates the diversity in our classrooms, schools and communities;
• Demonstrates the understanding of how Indigenous epistemologies and pedagogies create opportunities to meet the needs of all learners and students of Indigenous ancestry;
• Demonstrates the ability to observe, understand and respond respectfully to all students: including students with special educational needs and students for whom English or French is an additional language;
• Demonstrates the ability to observe, understand and respond respectfully to the diversities of all students.

Goal 7: The development of the ability to create a caring, cohesive community of learners that:

• Places students at the centre of decision-making;
• Communicates openness;
• Demonstrates tolerance for uncertainty;
• Celebrates and appreciates the spirit of inquiry;
• Demonstrates the ability to be a thoughtful and sensitive observer of what goes on in the classroom;
• Develops and nurtures a positive classroom community conducive to the learning and well-being for all students;
• Encourages interpersonally sound working relationships among students.

Goal 8: The development of the ability to create opportunities for learning that:

• Accesses and engages students' ability to think and learn through their minds, bodies, and hearts;
• Are significant, relevant and matched to students’ intellectual, physical, social, emotional, aesthetic and vocational development;
• Are responsive to students’ individual learning needs;
• Are consistent with the BC Curriculum;
• Utilizes relevant learning resources and technologies;
• Are conducive to the development of critical thought processes;
• Are sensitive to issues of social equity and cultural diversity;
• Incorporates assessment as foundational in planning.

Goal 9: The development of the ability to blend theory and practice in well-organized ways that:

• Relies on the ability to critically examine one’s own practices and experiences;
• Includes the ability to recreate, re-invent, re-constitute or discard practices that have been tried and found to be ineffective to individual and/or group learning needs;
• Motivates students to take ownership of their learning;
• Cultivates a disposition towards inquiry in the classroom.

Goal 10: The development of ability to use assessment and evaluation practices in a thoughtful and ethical manner that:

• Makes use of varied practices of assessment that are congruent with learning Goals;
• Respects the dignity of each learner;
• Acknowledges the personal, relational, social and cultural perspectives that frame evaluative commentary on student growth and development;
• Demonstrates the understanding that assessment, in its many guises, is foundational to effective and powerful learning.