I am committed to ongoing professional development to continually enhance my skills, stay informed about current research and best practices, and better support the diverse needs of my students. I view learning as a lifelong process and actively seek opportunities to reflect, grow, and collaborate with colleagues to ensure I am providing the highest quality education.
As an educator I am also committed to giving back to the teaching community and look forward to holding workshops at Professional Development days and hope to someday be able to mentor a Teacher Candidate.
Professional Development Plan
- Electude online instructor training.
Electude is an online education platform (similar to Moodle) that I will be using in my classroom. Electude offers a discovery-based, interactive learning experience that empowers teachers, motivates students, and drives meaningful learning.
While I am currently using Electude at a basic level, I see a clear need to deepen my understanding of its advanced features in order to maximize its potential in supporting student learning and classroom management.
I would like to complete Electude’s online training course with a focus on advanced platform features and learn how to customize modules and assessments to fit my curriculum and student needs. This will improve my ability to track student progress and provide timely, individualized feedback.
- BC Tech Ed Conference- October 24, 2025
The annual BC Technology Education Association Conference is a key professional development opportunity specifically designed for high school shop and technical education teachers. This conference brings together educators from across the province and beyond who specialize in areas such as automotive, woodworking, metalworking, electronics, drafting, and other applied skills disciplines.
This is an annual conference for Tech Ed teachers that is for highschool shop teachers. The conference has several workshops throughout the day for specific subject areas. It is an excellent way to network with other shop teachers as well as acquiring new skills and resources.
Attending this conference supports my goals as an educator by exposing me to current industry trends, enhancing my technical knowledge, and giving me access to new teaching resources I can bring back to my students. It also reinforces my commitment to lifelong learning and professional accountability, ensuring that I stay sharp, up-to-date, and prepared to offer students the most relevant and engaging technical education possible.
- Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education: (MOOC course through UBC)
This professional development course is designed to support educators in deepening their understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and teaching. Through focused learning, discussion, and reflection, participants are guided in how to meaningfully integrate Indigenous content, perspectives, and pedagogies into their classrooms, schools, and communities in ways that are thoughtful, respectful, and grounded in authentic relationships.
For me, this course is part of an ongoing commitment to my personal and professional journey of reconciliation. It will help me reflect on the impact of colonialism in education and how to decolonize teaching practices and explore strategies for creating a classroom that values multiple perspectives, encourages dialogue, and fosters mutual respect.
By taking part in this training, I aim to become not only a more informed and respectful educator, but also a more active participant in the process of reconciliation within my school and broader educational community.
- Read Reclaiming Youth at Risk by Martin Brokenleg
As part of my professional development goals, I intend to read and reflect on Reclaiming Youth at Risk by Martin Brokenleg, Larry Brendtro, and Steve Van Bockern. This influential book has been highly recommended by educational mentors and colleagues, particularly for its relevance to educators working with youth who face personal, social, or behavioral challenges.
My goals in reading this book include: developing practical strategies for building rapport with students who are disengaged or at risk, Learning classroom management techniques rooted in relationship-building rather than compliance and exploring ways to create a youth-positive learning space where students feel safe, valued, and motivated.
I believe that applying the insights from this book will enhance my teaching, reduce conflict, and support a healthier, more productive classroom culture.
- Anti-Racism (MOOC course through UBC)
As part of my ongoing commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful classroom environment, I plan to complete the Anti-Racism Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered through the University of British Columbia. This free, self-paced course provides a comprehensive introduction to the historical roots and contemporary realities of racism in Canada and beyond, and offers practical strategies for recognizing and disrupting racism in educational settings.
As a white educator, I acknowledge that I have not personally experienced racism, and may not have always recognized its more subtle, systemic, or implicit forms.
The UBC Anti-Racism course will help me develop a foundational understanding of the social, political, and historical roots of racism in Canada and recognize how systemic racism operates in education and how it can impact students’ sense of safety, belonging, and success. I hope to learn how to respond to racist language, attitudes, and behavior in ways that are restorative rather than punitive and strengthen my ability to foster equity, empathy, and inclusion in the classroom and shop environment.
- Classroom management- Managing Challenging Student Behaviors- free online collection of videos about classroom management.
As part of my ongoing professional growth, I plan to engage with the free online video series titled “Managing Challenging Student Behaviors.” This collection of evidence-based strategies and real-world scenarios focuses on classroom management practices that support both learning and emotional regulation. While applicable to all educators, the content is especially relevant for new teachers and those working in high-need or practical learning environments—such as shop classes—where strong relationships and effective classroom management are essential.
This video series will help me identify the root causes of student misbehavior and respond with empathy and understanding and apply preventative classroom management strategies to reduce escalation before it occurs. It will help me build positive teacher-student relationships that reduce conflict and increase cooperation and learn de-escalation strategies and responses for dealing with defiance or disruptive behavior in real time.
- Collaboration with other teachers-
One of the most impactful and sustainable forms of professional development to engage in is regular collaboration with fellow educators. In my experience, setting aside dedicated time—such as an hour each week—to meet with other teachers has consistently proven to be an invaluable opportunity to exchange ideas, refine strategies, and improve overall instructional practice.
Collaboration will improve day-to-day instruction and working closely with other teachers supports cross-curricular integration, where shop projects can tie into math, science, or social studies concepts. It also helps to create better assessment strategies, including the development of clear rubrics, differentiated tasks, and strategies for practical, performance-based evaluation.
Whether it’s through informal weekly check-ins, co-planning sessions, or participation in allotted school collaboration time, I view ongoing teacher collaboration as a core component of my growth as an educator.
- Assessment and Feedback – Developing Self-Assessment Strategies
As a professional goal, I will focus on enhancing my understanding and practice of assessment and feedback, particularly through the integration of student self-assessment as a powerful tool for both learning and instructional design.
My goals are to design and implement fair, consistent, and meaningful assessments, deepen my understanding of formative and summative assessment principles, explore and apply student self-assessment strategies to promote reflection and metacognition, and use student feedback and self-assessments to adjust teaching strategies, lesson pacing, and activity design.
I plan to achieve this by attending school or district PD sessions on formative and summative assessment practices, engaging in workshops or webinars that focus specifically on student self-assessment tools and reflective learning, and collaborating with colleagues to explore successful assessment strategies used across subjects.
- Reflective practice and growth mindset
As part of my professional growth, I will cultivate a habit of intentional self-reflection and adopt a growth mindset that values learning from experience, feedback, and challenges.
By combining reflection with a growth mindset, I can stay motivated, open to change, and better equipped to respond to the dynamic demands of the teaching profession. This mindset not only improves my own practice but also positively influences the learning environment I create for my students.
My plan is to dedicate time each week to write in a professional reflection journal and reflect on the week’s successes, challenges, student engagement, classroom dynamics, and instructional choices.
Some questions I will reflect on are:
What went well this week?,
What didn’t go as planned, and why?,
What will I try differently next week?
How are my students responding to my teaching?
- Mentorship program- SD75
The Mission School District’s mentorship program provides new teachers with an invaluable opportunity to receive guidance, support, and encouragement from experienced educators. Participating in this program will be a central component of my professional development during my first year of teaching.
My goals are to build a supportive relationship with a veteran teacher who can offer practical advice, professional insight, and encouragement and gain a deeper understanding of school culture, policies, and procedures through personalized guidance. As well, develop confidence and competence in instructional planning, classroom management, assessment, and communication with students, parents, and colleagues.
In addition, mentorship contributes to a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within the school. It reinforces the idea that teaching is a profession grounded in shared learning and mutual support.