Texas Continuing Education Units- Enhancing Students Education

By Walter Bailey


With the dynamic nature of the teaching profession, the need for teachers' professional development has become extremely important. After all, it is the quality of the teaching that influences the shaping up of young minds and motivating them in the right direction for their own, as well as their country's better future. Texas continuing education units impart a variety of skills and qualities necessary for the provision of the right education to students.

What is the need for teacher's professional development? It is out of doubt that a vast majority of our Primary-School-educators especially English educators are not aware of communicative English Language skills. Exploring quality issues is quite dark to them. One can always wonder where the educators are. Where are the students? Where is the curriculum?"

Even though we teach new students every year, we teach the same lessons, we see the same problems, but we get bored with what we do. Reviving our knowledge, competency and emotional base give us the opportunity to add interest and excitement to what we do and to get us out of our comfort zone and try something new and different.

By the five years cycle of education, students are supposed to learn how to master the 4 basic skills of English. More clearly, they become confident in understanding what the educators say in the classroom, they will read and understand from the text; they will speak English in the classroom and outside the classroom. Such students should also be able to write freely on familiar topics using simple words and sentences.

Professional development training for teachers can take up several forms. For example, a development program can be made as simple as observation of master and teacher. It can also be just attending a personally selected teaching workshop. Also, an individual can choose to participate in a mentor training program. This type of training can be made for both fresher as well as experienced educators for upgrading their skills. Many times, PD sessions are arranged in schools. Such all-staff workshops strengthen the unity and the bonding between the tutors.

On the personal front, be sure to adopt a set of procedures at each professional development opportunity you attended and always take notes. Apart from taking notes, you should also red-pen and list things you need to do on your return to school. While at school, prioritize the ideas from your action notes and create an action plan.

Some experienced educators often feel that there is nothing for them to learn of these opportunities. They see them as a 'chore' and a 'waste of their time.' This is a negative approach. The positive way to look at PD is to see it as an opportunity to meet other teaching colleagues who, like you, work at the coalface of the classroom.

Remember, if you want the best for your class, use what you have learned to keep yourself enthused and interested in what you are doing. This will allow you to give your best to your students. That's the mark of a successful teacher.




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