Professional Development: All Educators Permitted
















Seth Daub, FAEMSP President-Elect, Catalina Elementary School Principal, Orange County


LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Professional development based on individualized needs and interests is the motivational drive for teachers at Catalina Elementary School to receive their Ph.D. in professional growth. 

“Willingness to grow”, “continuing to master their craft” and “wanting to support student learning” are just a few phrases that describe the dedicated team at Catalina Elementary School.  Catalina Elementary, in Orange County, serves over 750 students each day in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, all qualifying for free and reduced lunch.

WHAT IS HOT AT THE BOX OFFICE, THIS MONTH?  Each month teachers select a professional development training that best fits their needs based on the offering of that particular month.  School-based monthly professional development opportunities are for teachers led by teachers who are selected to lead in an area they excel.  In addition, teachers are encouraged to attend district, state and national professional development opportunities, based on their professional and/or suggested interest or in line with their deliberate practice plan goals.  This being said, the opportunity to send approximately 20 teachers to the FASA Pre-K-2 Conference in October became a reality. (The event takes place on Oct.16 at the Aloft Orlando Downtown. Register here.)

Being a supporting agent for teachers to attend school, district, state or national professional development opportunities drives our school-based initiative of building teacher capacity and increasing student achievement.  A child’s education is broader than what is learned during the hours that they are in a classroom each day.  A child’s education begins at birth and is heavily built upon during the child’s primary years in the school building.  This being said, it is also believed that as an educational community, we serve to support all children and families to provide the foundation that is needed.  All children learn differently and as educators, we need to ensure we provide a learning environment for each student to be successful.  Through ongoing professional development positive and supportive learning environments that:
  • reflect differentiated instruction for all students,
  • are vibrant with student work amongst the walls,
  • provide engaged students and teachers and
  •  offer rich and rigorous student-lead conversations, based on the depth of the state standard.
All of which can be provided for teachers through professional development and ongoing career-based learning. 

IT’S A RED CARPET AFFAIR!  At the conclusion of the school year, teachers are awarded their Ph.D. during our end of year culminating professional development extravaganza. This event is used as a follow-up method and shares the professional development best practices that were learned throughout the year.  Teachers share with colleagues through hands-on and interactive evidence ranging from school to state-sponsored professional development opportunities.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…I'll leave you with this final quote, from a great leader with whom I imagine you are familiar, by the name of Walt Disney. “Whatever you do, do it well, do it well so that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”  Educators across the country will continue to benefit from ongoing professional development as we continue to raise the bar to offer a rich educational environment for all students to be successful.


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