Professional Development Goals for Teachers | Overview & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com (2024)

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These teachers are participating in professional development on using data in the classroom.

Types of Professional Goals for Teachers

When most people think of what teacher professional development is, they probably imagine all the teachers in a school gathering on their professional development day and listening to a presentation. While that does occur, there are many other aspects of professional development that teachers can partake in.

• Technology - The use of technology is seriously deficient in schools partly due to budgetary constraints, but mostly due to teachers' lack of understanding of how to use and implement technology in the classroom. There are so many ways for teachers to get quality professional development in the area of technology in the classroom.
• Publishing - Publishing papers and research in professional journals isn't just for Ivy League professors. Teachers from every discipline are welcomed and encouraged to participate and publish their work or findings. It can help other teachers connect with colleagues that have similar ideas or philosophies.
• Presenting - Sometimes the best way for some teachers to learn is by listening to a colleague who is in the trenches with them. Presenting at workshops or conferences can not only help other teachers, but allow the teacher to grow as a presenter, which is key to teaching.
• New Practices - As the decades roll by, the world changes and so do the way students learn. Using an outdated teaching method to try to engage Gen Z children will return poor results. It's important to keep current on the teaching trends and philosophies that are working with the most current generations of students. A method that was successful in the 1980's might not be the optimal practice in 2021.

How to Make SMART Teacher Goals

SMART is a system that lays out the attributes of successful professional development and helps teachers to focus on what will help them in the classroom as well as be feasible and realistic.

• S - The S stands for specific which means that the goal needs to be specific and not too broad. A specific technology goal could be the desire to learn how to implement tablets in small reading groups.
• M - The M stands for measurable and means that there should be a way to measure the outcomes and the success of the professional development goal. If the teacher is implementing tablets in small groups, they might gauge the success by measuring the student's progression in their reading skills.
• A - The A stands for attainable. If the goal being set is unattainable, then the teacher will likely give up and stop putting in the effort. The attainability should be based on the overall goal as well as the time frame that is given. A goal might be attainable in three years but unattainable in a single school year.
• R - The R stands for relevant and could be the most important of the attributes with regards to teaching. If all the other attributes are in place, but the goal isn't relevant to modern ay teaching then the entire goal is a waste of time. If a goal is to learn better ways of using the physical textbooks in the classroom, the goal is irrelevant because textbooks will soon be thing of the past.
• T - The T stands for timeframe which means that there should be a definitive start and end time for the goal as well as time sensitive benchmarks along the way.

It's important to remember that when a teacher is deciding on their professional development goals as an educator, it is important to remember that defining their goals is a process.

Teacher Professional Goals Examples

There are so many ways for teachers to set goals and some will focus on certain aspects of teaching more than others. Each attribute of SMART can be used to help develop those goals.

Goal	S	M	A	R	T
By the end of the second quarter, I want to implement a portfolio assessment in my English class and use the system to assess their progress.	The goal is specific to a portfolio assessment	It's measurable through test scores and comparing data.	It's attainable since portfolios use the same work they normally would produce.	It's relevant because traditional assessments are being swapped for alternative assessments.	It is time based because it sets the goal of beginning by the midpoint of the year.
I want to introduce a whole class online polling activity and track how it improves understanding over the course of a unit.	This goal is very specific.	It is measurable through data from the teacher and the polling software.	It's very attainable with all the different, free polling sites that can be used.	It's relevant because it uses technology implementation.	The timeframe is set to a given unit.

The Importance of Career and Personal Goals for Teachers

But what benefits come from professional development beyond getting a certificate renewed? There are many benefits that go beyond simple classroom application as well.

• Learning New Skills - Professional development allows teachers to learn new skills that they can apply in and out of the classroom.
• Networking - Since professional development is often goal oriented to specific areas of the teaching profession, it allows teachers who teach the same age groups or subjects to meet each other and share ideas. It's amazing what other teachers do successfully that their colleagues might not know about.
• Sharing - Sharing the things that work and don't work is a huge benefit of professional development. Writing a professional article or showing off some amazing technology skills gain serious clout with colleagues and help them teach better in their own classrooms.
• Expanding Horizons - Teachers can dramatically expand their knowledge base by learning things like a new educational method or mastering a new piece of technology equipment. Sometimes expanding horizons can lead to unlocking many new skills and practices.

This teacher is learning how to use audio and digital technology in his classroom.

Lesson Summary

Teacher professional development is learning that teachers engage in beyond their formal education. Profession development is done through a series of personal goals that are set by educators to meet their professional needs as well as the needs of their students. Teacher professional development is done by learning new classroom technology, publishing articles, presenting on topics and learning new educational practices.

Teachers develop professional development goals through a process using SMART. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timeframe. When teachers develop their professional goals, they should meet the requirements laid out through SMART. Professional development is very important for educators because it allows them to learn new skills, network with other educators, share their ideas and broaden their teaching horizons.

Professional Development Goals

Some teachers do not really give a great deal of thought as to what their professional development goals are. Most find workshops that look interesting and hope that their principals will give them the time off to go, or in some cases, teachers are given professional development by individuals brought in by the school or school district--whether they ask for it or not. And that's as far as it goes. But thinking about what your goals really are will help you to develop in the way that you want to.

When thinking about your professional development goals, understand that there is a process involved. This process usually involves defining the things for which you want or need to increase your skill set. In addition, the process can involve exploring avenues within your profession that you have not yet planned for. Sometimes, when trying to figure out what your goals are, it can be helpful to sit down and make a list. Start with the things you're really good at, and then work your way to the things you want or need to learn how to do. This will usually give you some direction.

Let's look at some common goals that are often overlooked:

1. Becoming More Technology Savvy

This one is overlooked much of the time, when in fact it is very important. New technologies are constantly emerging, so it is important for us to keep up with the latest trends and issues in the field. Maybe you want to learn to use a Smart Board. Maybe you need to upgrade your computer skills and learn to do things like keeping a grade book online or integrating the Internet into the classroom. Countless school districts are now purchasing laptop computers for their students, so it is important that you know how to use them.

2. Publishing a Journal Article

Believe it or not, you don't have to hold a Ph.D. in order to publish. Take a look through some professional journals. Many, many people who have published articles in those journals have undertaken research on their own without completing a doctoral dissertation. In fact, many of them are teachers in the field just like you! Is there something you want to know? Is there something you want to do some action research on? Publishing an article in your favorite journal will give you tremendous clout in the field.

3. Leading a Workshop at an Education Convention

Like publishing, offering a workshop on a subject you know well gives you clout among your peers. And chances are, if you have been in the field for any length of time, you have a favorite method that you can share. Giving a workshop also helps you practice your presentation skills in the adult world, which is something that many of us could benefit from working on. And who knows who you might meet or have a chance to network with while you're doing it? Many people even get paid for doing things like this!

4. Learning About a New Educational Method

You know the old saying, 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks.' Well, in our field, this just isn't true. Again, read your journals; if there is a new method you want to know more about, be innovative and let your principal know about it! He or she may just think it's a good enough idea to send you off somewhere to be trained on it. And then when you get back from training, you can teach your colleagues about it. All of us in education know that nothing lasts forever. Fads come and go all the time. So take the opportunity to incorporate something new into your teaching!

Lesson Summary

Let's review. Professional development for educators is any kind of formal education, specialized training, or advanced learning activity that helps teachers improve their skills or professional effectiveness. When creating your professional development goals, you'll want to think about what new skill set you want to learn. In this lesson, we covered just a smattering of the opportunities that are out there for professional development. It's fine to merely read a journal article and report on it to your peers, calling that professional development. But how far is it going to get you, and who will you meet by doing it?

Put your brain to work and think of a couple of really robust goals, and then be sure to let your colleagues and supervisors know about them. They may want to jump on board, too, and you will be seen as an innovator within your school, rather than just another teacher who balks at the words 'professional development.'

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