The Professional Learning and Ethical Practice standard ensures teachers adhere by federal and state mandated certification processes and participate in ongoing professional development with the purpose of continually improving their practice. In order to achieve a successful teaching-learning experience, it is imperative to stay abreast of new developments,  seek self-improvement in one’s field and maintain state required certifications. Three ways to demonstrate successful completion of this standard includes becoming active members of professional organizations, participating in professional development activities and completing/maintain required certification processes.

Professional organizations such as the National Education Association provide teachers with relevant information on state and national educational policy, new education trends, as well as tips and advice from practicing teachers. New teachers can especially benefit from becoming a member of the NEA  since they are likely to encounter  situations and challenges that the NEA addresses, such as classroom management, assessment trends and working with minorities.

Participating in professional development will ensure interacting with peers/cohorts and engaging in continual education and skill development . The national education honorary society Kappa Delta Pi is a great resource providing webinars and state, regional and national events for teachers’ professional development.

An example of well-organized and informative professional development opportunity was The New Teacher Symposium on November 10th, 2018 in Martinsville, VA. The symposium was a wonderful opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations, and workshops about classroom management, utilizing assessment data and hear from some very successful educators, such as Stephanie Doyle, VA Teacher of the Year 2009.

Completing and maintaining required certifications such as CPR/AED or CPS Child Neglect, and Dyslexia training ensures teachers competence and readiness to encounter learners with special needs and staying abreast with safety requirements.

Ethical practice refers to teachers abiding by rules of professional conduct in the school settings as well as in their personal lives.

For more information on Professional Learning and Ethical Practice, please see my reflections in my paper “Learning Environments”as well as in my paper “Planning for Instruction.”