Self-Assessment Statement: Professional Activity

Lois Oestreich
January 2016

Because I am a hard-core constructivist, my professional activity focuses on ways to

increase effective teaching and engaged learning. Because I am a covert (some would say
overt) narcissist, my professional activity also allows me to foster and maintain my elementary
school teaching and administrators licenses as well: a perfect storm!
The big question remains: in the past three post-tenure years, have I engaged in a
sufficient number of meaningful professional activities to maintain my rank as an associate
professor? Well, it all depends what defines sufficient and what counts towards professional
activity.
Reflection note: My first response is no. There are many articles Ive not read or finished
reading; many of the readings and research I conducted did not translate into teaching practice
or course design. However, I actually have completed a few activities that count as professional
development.
A portion of my professional activity focused on current with state and national effective
teaching standards. I exclusively teach EDU majors courses. As a result, course design, content,
and instructional delivery methods must lead students to clear understanding of what these
standards mean to them as future teachers. This is one area that has received my full attention.
I have annual conversations with other Utah elementary teaching preservice programs in
through elementary teaching majors meetings. Through this group, I participated in the two-year
Tuning program. Once that work began, I was invited to participate in the colleges DQP. Our
department decided to continue to use DQP and Tuning (I use the term department to mean,
me). Tuning and DQP activities have concluded, however, evidence of both can be found in the
Education Departments annual program review.
At this time in my professional life, I feel that it is important for me to push professional
consumerism on the backburner and become more of a contributor to local and global faculty
issues. Rather than simply attending workshops and instructional sessions, I purposefully search
for ways to collaborate, share, and present. For many years, the Education Department has been
actively involved with the National Association of Community College Teacher Education
Programs (NACCTEP). I have presented papers and conducted workshops with a department
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colleague and as a member of a national board. This spring I will fly solo! Two years ago, I was
invited to construct a national webinar addressing articulation issues confronting community
teacher education programs. The project became one of the most challenging professional
activities I have tackled primarily because the audience and the fact it was a live broadcast.
Reflection note: I resigned from the NACCTEP Ambassadors role because of Faculty Senate. It
was necessary from a time perspective. However, I deeply regret pulling away from the
organization for nearly two years. When an opportunity to submit papers for the March 2016
conference appeared, I jumped! Preparing for the presentation has opened the research
floodgates in wonderful ways and I feel as if I can professionally breathe once again!
Professional activity (and service) allows me to partner with local elementary schools on
a variety of levels. Residual effects of a principal internship in a West Valley City elementary
school are still evident through targeted connections between students and inclusive classrooms
as well as the ability to analyze course content through the eyes of an employer.
Reflection note: This past two years has been a professional activity desert. Service has
overshadowed professional activity. In many ways I have disconnected with our students because
Ive not taught EDU 1010 for over a year. Thankfully contact with elementary school programs
has provided a thread of professional connections to my discipline.
One of my many failings is a continual need to be busy. Couple this with the fact that I
have a wide-variety of interests and you have a recipe for incredible professional activity or
disaster! In addition to teaching and Senate service, I have been moonlighting as the Faculty
Teaching and Learning Center Advisory Board Chair for the past year. As such, my professional
development took a slight U-turn from pedagogy toward systems, organizational structures,
business models, and holistic aspects of faculty development needs for our college. This is where
my own professional practice has been enriched. Every conversation has led to ideas of how I
might improve my own course structures.
Reflection note: This summer I have a stack of ideas from FTLC Board meetings. I will pay
attention to this information in light of how I can improve the EDU courses under my care. Who
knows where that path will lead? Hopefully, I will not fly into a brick wall.