What's your strategy for staying current on teaching trends?

As a teacher, I prioritize professional development to stay updated on research, teaching strategies, and technologies. Collaborating with fellow educators helps me gain fresh perspectives and refine my instructional techniques. I rely on research-based practices to make informed decisions in the classroom. Integrating technology aligns with my teaching goals. Seeking feedback and reflecting on my practices through surveys and self-reflection guides my growth. Embracing lifelong learning drives me to explore emerging educational theories and engage in self-directed learning.

There is such a thing as "too much of a good thing." Joining online communities can be powerful, but it can also be overwhelming and ultimately lead you to start implementing random strategies that sound good but are not intentionally used in your lesson development. My advice here would be to make sure you have a framework or mental model for knowing when, where, and how you should use some of the remarkable strategies in these online communities. It is important to remember that a great teaching strategy can do more harm than good if not used correctly.

In my experience there is a wealth of knowledge out in the working teaching world relatively untapped. Above all experience counts and sometimes old ideas wrapped up and modernised allow us to re look and think our teaching strategies

From my experience in school leadership,I have noted with concern that teachers are struggling with classroom management and learner discipline. They need to understand the type of learner in order to be relevant in managing their teaching and learning. Strategies to cope with daily classroom struggles is needed.

These are excellent but as a caveat can be expensive for a lowly teacher or hard to access in a working day so professional development needs to be in small bite sized events

Experimenting with new methods can be powerful only if a few "conditions" are put in place ahead of time. 1. There has to be time set aside for reflection on the execution of the new teaching strategy. 2. There has to be a path for feedback. You need to have a second set of eyes watching and helping evaluate the effectiveness of the practice. You also need to gather feedback from students about how they were impacted by the new strategy. 3. There needs to be a way to collect data. 4. There needs to be a framework for processing "failure" in case the method you are trying does not work. We encourage our teachers to take risks and sometimes fail, but only if they take the time to figure out why they failed and then try again one more time

It is imperative to continue your own journey and to continually seek opportunities to follow your passion. It keeps knowledge fresh and stimulates new insights to share with your students. Personal growth is essential to your own professional satisfaction and ability to remain in the classroom.

In my experience, it is vital to continue to grow, develop and reflect from learning. This personal growth can bring so much value to the classroom as well as the school climate. To move forward and become better means to shift the mind to help explore new topics, feed the curious mind, and keep motivated. This in turn facilitates growth and development in others. Recently, I took courses through Harvard Health Publishing on Cognitive Fitness and Positive Psychology, I often read Harvard Business Review articles and share them with others. Our brain can constantly learn, and what we are good at now can be shifted to more tomorrow, but it’s up to us to pursue this growth and development.

For me, this is the foundation of my framework for staying current on new and relevant teaching trends. My approach is to read and soak up strategies and innovative practices from industries outside of education and then look at how they intersect or build upon current teaching practices. This allows me to think differently about interacting with students and teachers. It also helps me to help create stronger "real-world connections" between the content and its impact on students' lives.

To enhance our growth as educators, it is important to not only engage with professional texts and collaborate with respected experts, but also to value the input of our students for all of our teaching and learning moments. These unique individuals, who share space with us every day, offer intuitive, profound insights that should guide our actions. By actively observing, attentively listening, and taking decisive steps, we can tap into their desires and requirements, thus fostering an engaging and rewarding learning atmosphere. These instances of truly hearing and understanding our learners generate the most captivating, challenging, and unforgettable experiences for everyone involved.

I find it helpful to do many of the things mentioned in the article: *I listen to podcasts-Melissa and Lori Love Literacy *I’m currently reading “Shifting the Balance” and pulling out talking points for PLCs & in-school PDs *I lead the Literacy Committee at my school, so we set 3 goals for the school year and are building: data, PDs, & coaching around these. *I stay in touch with teachers from previous schools regarding literacy practices they currently have in other school districts and areas of my state to compare practices and learn new ideas. *I’ve observed literacy classes in my own, as well as other schools and reflect on the great practices I observed. *I’ve followed up with open-source state promoted phonics programs.