RUNNING HEAD: A Look Forward – My Five Year Plan 1

National University
TED 690 – Capstone
A Look Forward – My Five Year Plan
Brian Malfavon
 A Look Forward – My Five Year Plan 2

Abstract
In this paper I will describe the steps I will take to develop in my profession with a five year

plan. I will use Hayes Mizell’s Why Professional Development Matters to explain why I decided

to focus on those goals within each year.

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Hayes Mizell describes professional development as a strategy to strengthen educator’s

performance levels (Mizell, p.4). Furthermore, Mizell states that professional development

increases the skills educators need to address major learning challenges (Mizell, p.5). As a new

educator, I know I will face many challenges throughout that include subject content,

instructional methods, and advances in technology, changes in law, and procedures, and student

learning needs. In my five year plan, I will express my plan and my rational behind each chosen

goal.

In my first year, I want to graduate National University with a Master’s in Education.

Throughout this first year, I want to understand who I am, how far I have gotten, and who I want

to be as an educator. This might translate to using my PDQP as a source of organization,

reflection, and self-assessment. Mizell states, “teachers…continually expand their knowledge

and skills to implement the best educational practices” (Mizell, p.4). In order to expand my

knowledge and skills, I need to reflect on my current practices and develop more goals to help

me reach the pinnacle of my best teaching practices.

In my second year, I want to complete my BTSA program and clear my credential.

Mizell explains that professional development usually entails a formal process such as

conferences, seminars, or workshops, but it also can occur in informal contexts such as

discussions among work colleagues or observations of work (Mizell, p.5). I chose the completion

of my BTSA program because throughout the program I will be conducting informal

professional development tasks, such as meetings with my site supervisor and other assignments

that relate to my growth towards the Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs).

In my third year, I want to enhance my differentiation skills. I found that there are

professional development workshops and conferences with the organization TeachThought. I

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hope that I can expand my learning as an educator to cover other important topics such as

learning needs, accommodations, and teacher strategies. As the year goes on, I will attempt to

attend various workshops that focus special needs and ELL students.

In my fourth year, I want transition towards implementing the new California Next

Generation Science Standards. SmartNGSS is a project organization of professionals who have

worked with the International Science Teaching Foundation to create a teaching framework that

promotes high-quality science education (SmartNGSS, N.d). I am eager to begin learning more

about the NGSS framework and its relation to the constructivist learning process. My

understanding of the new curriculum will enable me to meet my student’s needs.

In my fifth year of teaching, I wish to join the National and California science Teachers

Association (NSTA and CSTA). The reason why I want to join these to associations is because I

want to participate in as many professional development meetings as possible. The CDE states,

“In order to truly change practices, professional development should occur over time and

preferably be ongoing.” (Gulamhussein, 2013) I hope that joining these associations will

continue to expand my professional development resources, whether they may be informal or

formal.
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References

Gulamhussein, A. (2013, Spring). Teaching the Teachers: Effective Professional Development.

Retrieved December 5, 2018, from

http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/research/teaching-teachers-effective-

professional-development

Mizell, H. (2010) Why Professional Development Matters. Retrieved December 5, 2018, from

https://learningforward.org/docs/default-source/pdf/why_pd_matters_web.pdf

SmartNGSS (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.smartngss.com/

TeachThought (n.d.) Retrieved from https://wegrowteachers.com/about/