The state of affairs surrounding America’s public schools calls for improvement and reform in a variety of ways. The world is changing at a rapid pace, and America’s children have been shown through many studies to be falling behind in many academic fields. Will they be prepared to meet the challenges and demands of the changing world?

One of the ways in which America’s educational system can be improved vastly for the next generation is an increased emphasis on professional teacher development. It is clear and obvious that reform and improvement of American educational system begins with teachers. Research has shown educator quality to be the most important influence upon student achievement.

Many states already have requirements for teacher professional development. Yet as the studies show, not enough has been required or done.

Whether you are a new teacher, or a teacher with decades of experience, professional teacher development is a very valuable experience. Ongoing professional development keeps teachers up-to-date with regards to innovative research on how children learn. This field is always under a constant state of discovery, and therefore teachers must always be acutely aware of such advances.

Teacher Professional development also allows teachers to gain knowledge or access to new curriculum resources and emerging technology tools for the classroom. This is especially important in the contemporary world of education as technology has and will play an increasing role in the education of students.

Teacher professional development takes on many forms. Professional teacher development programs are a valuable way for teachers to immerse themselves in their self-improvement as professionals. Working in the education field, teachers should be expected to be lifelong learners. Such programs will allow them to embrace this concept even more than they already do.

Professional teacher development is also a very effective way to express the frustrations and difficulties that teachers encounter in their classrooms. By collaborating with a group of educators and voicing opinions and experiences, teachers can come together to find solutions for such difficulties.

As it has been evidenced by numerous professionals and case studies, mentoring and coaching from experienced teachers is critical to the successful development of new teachers. Orientation programs create opportunities for new teachers to learn the best practices of the profession and analyze, and reflect on their teaching methods. Enrolling in a professional teacher development program will create the opportunity to find instruction and interaction with mentors possessing very extensive experience in the teaching field.

Professional teacher development is an essential for teachers to function successfully in their work. Teacher professional development should be viewed as an absolute necessity not only for professional reasons, but also for moral reasons as well.

Teachers have a moral obligation to be the best professionals they can be, to nurture young people’s minds, and expose them to vital skills that will make them successful and thoughtful adults. The role that teachers play in our society is crucial, as they shape future generations that determine the course of our nation. Professional teacher development will create a better tomorrow for educators, students, and all of society.

Author Bio: Vince Welsh is CEO of Teacher Education Institute. TEI offers rigorous, graduate-level professional development courses for K-12 classroom teachers. For more about TEI, professional teacher development, teacher professional development visit http://www.teachereducation.com

Category: Education
Keywords: professional teacher development, teacher professional development