Running Head: LOOKING FORWARD 1

Looking Forward – My Plan

Candee Edgar

National University

November 11, 2018

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

TED 690 – Capstone Course

Instructor Clifton Johnson

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Abstract

This paper showcases my quest moving forward over the next five years and describes my

professional development plan which will enhance my teacher performance competencies. Each

goal from my five year timeline is explained, highlighted, and included in Domain F, Developing

as a Professional Educator, of my Professional Development Quest Portfolio (PDQP). My

professional development plan targets implementing social and emotional learning into my best

teaching practices to ensure that subject matter is comprehensible to all students with the

ultimate goal of publishing my book titled, Comfort Food For Kids: A Guide for Implementing

Social-Emotional Learning in Grades K-2 to Ensure Student Success and collaborating with

other colleagues by presenting professional development for K-2 teachers.

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Looking Forward – My Plan

With the ever changing world speeding by at a fast rate, it is of utmost importance to have a

designated quest to become a professional educator. As a beginning first grade teacher, my

disposition as a life-long learner yearns inside me to continuously hone my craft immersed with

social and emotional learning for young children. My five year professional growth plan reflects

enhancing my teacher performance competencies to increase students’ performance and to make

subject matter comprehensible to all students; it is inclusive of Domain F, TPEs 12 and 13.

Costantino states, “Performance standards for teachers are directly correlated to performance

standards for student learning. What teachers know and are able to do is the most important

influence on what students learn” (Costantino, De Lorenzo, & Tirrell-Corbin, 2009, p. 11).

Domain F, Developing as a Professional Educator, is an area in which I need improvement; thus

I will share my story as my journey moving forward begins to accomplish my professional goals

both short and long term.

During my first year in 2019, I will take time to reflect on the knowledge and skills which I

have acquired from National University courses and to reflect with my colleagues on new ideas

and best practices. I will attend the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Institute in San Mateo,

California in August of 2019. This is a four day institute which will cultivate my teaching

practices with core social and emotional principles and practices and strengthen my capacity to

bring SEL back to my classroom and my community to help transform my school. Copious

research has shown the impact of SEL to increase academic achievement and competencies that

last a lifetime. As Cipriano states, “SEL is the brush that paints the picture of what quality

instruction and learning look like (Cipriano, C. 2018). This professional training is a key
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component in developing students’ academic performance skills; it will enable me to teach

students to be mindful and how they can become socially and emotionally ready to learn content.

As 2020 begins, I will enroll in the California BTSA Induction Program. This will provide

me with formative assessment, individualized support and advance content to help me obtain my

Professional teaching credential. Costantino suggests the following about professional

development, “It can also be used as a tool for empowering teachers to identify his or her

professional goals…” (Costantino, et. al., 2009, p. 22). BTSA will enhance my potential growth

toward all TPEs in the six domains and allow me to not only self-reflect and assess, but to

improve my teaching performance across the curriculum from a more innovative perspective.

In 2021 after receiving my Professional teaching credential, I will enroll in Rutgers’ Social-

Emotional Learning (SEL) Certificate Program. This is a series of online courses leading to a

certificate in SEL. This is a two part plan; short term will consist of courses in SEL, and long

term will be researching how SEL impacts students in grades K-2 and ensures their future

academic success. This training will allow me to reach more children with special needs who fall

behind simply because they are not socially and emotionally ready to learn content.

During year four in 2022, I will continue to research and compile data to support SEL. My

goal is to create a guided curriculum for primary teachers which can be implemented into their

daily classroom schedule. Young students need to be mindful and equipped with social and

emotional skills before they can learn and comprehend subject matter in primary grades. This

implementation can change our primary schools and give students the tools which they can use

to be academically successful throughout their education (Cipriano, 2018).

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In 2023 my goal is to publish my book, Comfort Food for Kids: A Guide for Implementing

Social-Emotional Learning into Grades K-2 to Ensure Student Success. During this year I will

become an advocate for SEL and provide workshops for K-2 teachers on how to implement SEL

into their daily schedules. As teachers we can pour loads of content into our students, but until

they are mindful and socially and emotionally ready to learn, our teaching performance is not

comprehensible to them.

At the end of my five year journey, I will reflect, assess, and make new goals in order to

continue my quest of becoming the professional educator which every student deserves.

Reflection is an important aspect for professional growth because it allows the teacher to gain

insight into their decision-making process and the results that shape the teacher’s actions and

promote growth and student learning (Costantino, et. al, 2009, p. 56). My teaching assignments

and my students will be ever-changing, but my teaching performance will always directly relate

to my students’ performance; therefore my quest will be endless.

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References

Cipriano, C. (2018). Why we must support SEL for At-Risk Students – Rethink Education.

Retrieved on Nov. 6, 2018 from: https://www.rethinked.com/blog/blog/2018/01/07/sel-

support-for-at-risk-students/

Costantino, P., De Lorenzo, M., & Tirrell-Corbin, C. (2009). Developing a professional teaching

portfolio: A guide for success (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.