Standard #9:  Professional Learning & Ethical Practice.   The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

9(a) The teacher engages in ongoing learning opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners with engaging curriculum and learning experiences based on local and state standards.  (Performances)

9(g) The teacher understands and knows how to use a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies to analyze and reflect on his/her practice and to plan for adaptations/adjustments.  (Essential Knowledge)

9(o) The teacher understands the expectations of the profession including codes of ethics, professional standards of practice, and relevant law and policy.  (Critical Dispositions)

In my words: I will continue my professional development/learning as a teacher, working to always improve my professional career, critically evaluate my teaching, and work alongside other instructors to learn and grow.

Gallery of Artifacts:

Backwards thinking – PD Day 1

Rethinking the post-high school goals.

The Importance of Feedback

Mason City High School Staff Norms

Simon Sinek Video – Think ‘Why’ First. What is the purpose?

Mason City High School Data Teams

Poverty Training during Professional Development

Standards-Based Grading System: Understanding 3’s and 4’s

List of Artifacts:

Poverty Training - Today our Professional Development was held in the high school auditorium, bringing both middle and high school together for a presentation and mini-training on poverty.

Concerns from the Community – Standards-Based Grading - "When I think about my school experience, I think of multiple choice and true-false and fill-in-the-blank. I think of a score at the top of the page. What kind of feedback is that?"

First Day of FCMS Professional Development - PD Days are on Wednesdays at Forest City Middle School. There's a shortened schedule, and students are let out at 2, which means from 2:15-4 is an all-staff meeting/professional development/teacher prep time.

Data Teams - Mason City High School has Data Teams, which are essentially groups of teachers within the same discipline that work together throughout the year to better their teaching, create challenging assessments and classroom activities, meet standards, collaborate, and motivate one another.

Professional Development, Continued - There's a lot for new teachers to soak up in the weeks before school starts--this I've learned in my PD/Inservice (Professional Development) Days.

Starting Professional Development at MCHS - People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. This was the opening premise and strongest point I took away from today's Professional Development at Mason City High School (MCHS).

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