By Deanna Gerjol
I remember graduating from my Bachelor of Education program with a wealth of knowledge about teaching practices, but knowing comparatively little of what implementing these practices would look like in my own classroom.
After my first week of being in a long-term occasional role, it became very clear to me that learning about being in the classroom is not the same as actually being in the classroom. Luckily, I was immersed in a department that genuinely fostered both student and teacher learning. I quickly realized that in order to truly thrive in my practice, my learning shouldn’t stop just because I’d graduated.
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After being hired as a permanent teacher at the same school, I learned about the province-mandated program that new permanent teachers must take part in to better support the transition into teaching. The way that my school board implements the program is from a perspective of learning and growth, and as such, we are afforded an array of professional development opportunities in our first permanent year of teaching: from subject-specific sessions, to assessment and evaluation, and everything in between. Having been away from university for a few months, I was excited to once again be immersed in a setting for my own learning.
In that first year of teaching, I went to every professional development opportunity I had access to, from orientations to union information meetings, along with days dedicated to learning more about my subject area as a new teacher. These learning experiences were extremely informative, of course, but they had a few unexpected benefits as well.
1. A Bigger Toolkit
With most teacher education programs ranging from just one to two years, there’s a lot left to discover once you are actually in the classroom. Much of what I had previously learned about teaching my subject area was broad enough to be applied to any grade within my qualifications, which meant that I had very limited knowledge of teaching specific courses for specific grades.
By having the opportunity to access PD sessions that I had chosen based on my own needs and interests, I was able to deepen my knowledge in the areas I didn’t have access to in my teacher education program.
For example, my teaching timetable contained both the college and university level of Grade 11 English—a course, that in my province, is centred around Indigenous voices. As a non-Indigenous person myself, I knew that there was so much I had yet to learn (and unlearn), before I could support student understanding of these voices. As a result, my Department Head encouraged me to take advantage of several professional development opportunities that related to implementation of Indigenous texts in the classroom.
Outside of school, I also accessed a workshop on community circles which was led by some of our board’s Indigenous and English consultants. It not only broadened my understanding of what teaching English courses could look like, but also what understanding Indigenous voices could look like, too.
Within our school, my Department Head was even able to bring some of our board’s Indigenous and English consultants in to meet with our team and help us further develop our courses. We were provided with personalized feedback on what we were doing well and ideas for what we could implement to improve our lessons. The consultants had so many resources and recommendations that we would have never known about, had we not invited them in.
2. Networking Opportunities
At every professional development session that I’ve attended, I have had the opportunity to network with colleagues from within my school board. And at many of the sessions catered towards first-year teachers, I was able to meet other new teachers who specialized in my subject area as well. I think there is a lot of value in having time to converse with educators at similar stages in their careers, as there’s a level of mutual understanding that can feel so validating.
In other PD settings, I’ve been able to meet a variety of teachers who all share a common interest: the desire to continue learning. Getting to collaborate, learn with, and learn from these teachers has always been so enlightening. I can honestly say that I’ve gained so much just from casual discussions with other educators.
Although it may be intimidating to initiate conversations with a group of teachers you’ve never met before, there is a lot of value in doing so. Plus, it’s likely that you will cross paths with them more than once, so taking the time to introduce yourself to your peers could be the first step in fostering a professional relationship with colleagues you may work with, or at least see again, down the road.
3. Learning Through Collaboration
Being part of a collaborative department has been such an eye-opening experience for me. In our department, we understand that working together is always more effective than trying to do everything on our own. As such, we’re constantly sharing new strategies with each other, whether it be an intriguing activity that an educator posted on Instagram, an article about how to mitigate the use of AI, or the learning we take away from our professional development opportunities.
By being able to attend professional development sessions and pass on what I’ve learned to my colleagues when I returned back to work, I’ve felt as though I have been able to contribute more to a department that has already done so much to support me.
4. A Pleasant Change in Routine
It’s no secret that the job can be exhausting, no matter how long you’ve been teaching for. As a result, I found that accessing days of learning offered a buffer in my transition from being a full-time student to a full-time teacher. I noticed that after a good day of professional development, I often felt refreshed, inspired, and empowered to return to work, share my learning, and use that new knowledge to be a better teacher.
At the end of my first year in the classroom, I stepped back and noticed a tremendous amount of growth in the teacher I’ve become. Rather than being someone who felt severely inexperienced in a sea of “veteran” teachers, I became the teacher who vowed to continue learning so that I could be someone who others admired and could turn to for resources and ideas. And now that I am heading into my third year as a permanent teacher, I can say with certainty that I’ve benefited so much from accessing all of the learning opportunities that have come my way.
These experiences helped me become more confident as a teacher, both in my classroom and in professional settings in general. I learned about the value of having professional discourses with colleagues, and how these moments are crucial in helping us continue to be the best teachers we can possibly be.
If you are a new teacher, I encourage you to access professional development opportunities in all the ways you can—even if they’re after work, online, or at a location other than your school. If you are supported by your department and school to access these resources, great! If you are not, I encourage you to advocate for yourself in order to take advantage of the learning you deserve.
Deanna Gerjol is a high school English teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Toronto Metropolitan University, and her Bachelor of Education from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. In her spare time, Deanna enjoys blending her passions for technology and writing through posting poetry online.
