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mentoring and professional development Now That I’m a Professional Educator,


What Should My Next PDP Look Like? Jill Prushiek, Guest Writer


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Our guest author is Dr. Jill Prushiek, interim associate dean for the college of education and human sciences at UW- Eau Claire. Dr. Prushiek leads our goal approval workshops during the Wisconsin State Music Conference and is a mentor and PDP team trainer for DPI. This the final article in a series that describes each step of the PI 34 licensure process for license advancement and renewal.


~ Vanissa Murphy, Co-Chair, Mentoring and Professional Development Project


You have finished your first professional development plan (PDP) for your initial educator license, had it verified, and now you’re a professional educator. Navigating through the PDP process was difficult at times, but you feel that you understand the process and are ready to begin your next PDP as a professional educator. The process is a bit different than it was as an initial educator. Do I need to have my goal approved? Is the first year of this new licensure cycle still a time of reflection? Who comprises my team? To assist you with creating your professional educator PDP, here are some tips to help you with the process.


Step 1: Year of Reflection


Just as was the case with your first PDP, the first year as a professional educator is a time for reflection. During the first year in your licensure cycle, think back to your first PDP, and reflect upon how you changed your professional practice and how those changes affected student


Practical Pointers 42


learning. Had you just begun to see some improved student learning as a result of employing a variety of teaching strategies? Use this first year to observe student learn- ing, reflect on what you have learned about teaching and decide what goal you would like to pursue for your PDP. Remember, you don’t need to create a totally new or different goal if you had just begun to see some improvement in student learning as a result of your professional growth.


Step 2: Write Your PDP


During your second year, write your PDP. Establish a broad goal that is aligned with two more of the teaching standards and complete all parts of Step 2. Keep in mind that you may want to continue working on the goal that you began with your first PDP. Furthermore, you may also wish to choose one or two of the same standards that you worked on with your first PDP.


Since you are a professional educator you do not have to submit your goal to a team for approval; however, I strongly suggest that you share your PDP with a colleague who is a trained PDP reviewer. This col- league can read your PDP and ensure that you have all the necessary elements for a successful PDP. Also, use the checklist of PDP components at the end of each section of the PDP so that you can double check that you included the required elements.


Step 3: Working on Your PDP


Just like you did for your initial PDP, you should begin working on your goal. Focus on your professional growth and its


effect on student learning. Collect a va- riety of evidence each year that verifies your professional growth and student learning. At the end of each year, write your annual review and note any revisions to your activities. I suggest that while writ- ing your annual review, you look back at the activities you have completed and the evidence you have collected. One of the challenges of the PDP process is collecting the appropriate evidence that verifies your growth and student learning. It is better to have a variety of evidence to select from when you complete your PDP.


Step 4: Completing Your PDP for Verification During the fifth year of your licensure cycle, you need to convene a team to verify your plan. Because you are a professional educator, your team should be comprised of three peers. The team composition is different than the team you had for your initial educator PDP. When you submit


Continued on page 47 ~ Karen Tordera


Provide opportunities to mentally or quietly practice before they attempt something new. After they have played or sung, have them try to figure out what went right or wrong with their performance and what they can do in the future to improve.


April 2012


“One of the challenges of the PDP process is collecting the appropriate evidence that verifies your growth and student learning.”


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