Professional Development

I believe that a person should never stop learning, especially if that person is a teacher. I believe that if a teacher stops pursuing knowledge, then the teacher should retire. Science, Literature, and History are being developed and created daily. Our collective knowledge base is expanding daily. Teachers should maintain a desire to know and learn more, and have a desire to pass that knowledge on to others. However, beyond the desire to share knowledge, teachers should inspire others to seek knowledge.

Teachers can inspire others to seek knowledge by seeking knowledge themselves. I have continued my education in a variety of ways. I have chosen to enhance my knowledge through formal education and by attending professional development opportunities. I began the formal education during the COVID-19 pandemic via Sophia Learning. I began pursing business related courses. I then transferred those courses and my transcripts to Purdue University Global to pursue an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business Administration. I have learned many interesting facts already, and have had several good discussions with the Director of Operations of De Beau Microschool. Those discussions have added depth of knowledge and understanding to the text.

In addition to the formal education, I have pursued professional development. The first professional development course was a training program to learn more about Irlen Syndrome. Through the course of the training program, I was taught how to screen individuals for Irlen Syndrome, and received certification. I wanted to learn more and become certified as a screener because Irlen Syndrome has had an impact in my life. My child was diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome when she was in third grade. She used an Irlen Overlay for academic work for many years. She is now in eleventh grade and has recently received her Irlen Lenses. Through the training course, Dr. Jeri LaVigne performed an Irlen Syndrome screening on me. I was surprised to learn that I needed an overlay! However, I could immediately tell a difference when the overlay was placed on the reading passage. I use my overlay, especially when working on a computer, and am considering the lenses.

The second professional development opportunity was a webinar with Dr. Temple Grandin. I had the opportunity to ask questions and respond to questions via a chat box. Through the webinar, Dr. Grandin shared some of her experiences growing up with Autism. She also helped to answer many questions and offer possible solutions and interventions for students. I appreciated that she specifically spoke about exposing students to a variety of opportunities and explorations so that the student can find an interest and potential career. I also appreciated that she specifically said that she could not do Algebra, yet she was able to achieve a doctorate degree. One of her recommendations was to have students find their niche and create a portfolio of work to show potential employers. She advised us that her portfolio of work was what prompted employers to hire her.

Below is a photo of Dr. Temple Grandin and me during the webinar. (Please note: other participants' images and names have been cropped out or marked over.)