THOMA MASTER’S PORTFOLIO 1

Professionalism Statement

Being an effective teacher requires an artistic combination of creative lesson planning,

enthusiastic implementation and a high level of professionalism at all times. Professionalism

comes in many forms; the way we interact with our students and colleagues, how we interact

with the community, and by how we choose to develop our own understanding of effective

educational practices. Learning is a continuum, something that is constantly occurring as we

explore the world around us and we cannot become better teachers if we do not take the time to

learn about innovative teaching practices. An effective way to do this that I take full advantage

of are professional development opportunities offered by my school district. A study conducted

on 6 states “concluded student achievement gains were higher in states with comprehensive state

policies addressing teacher quality,” (Budde, 2011). Budde discussed that this could be due in

part to the fact that “teachers who received quality professional development implemented more

active teaching, which, in turn, increased student achievement,” (2011).

I not only take every professional development opportunity that is offered to me, I utilize

the resources offered in these classes to keep detailed records of the resources that I have gleaned

information from. This annotated bibliography of my professional development resources helps

me to remember what I have learned and to reflect back on when I am struggling to discover

effective practices for certain students or situations. I feel that is important to not only build my

own knowledge base, but also to share that knowledge with others. The above bibliography

allows me to more easily share knowledge that I have gleaned with others. This form of

professionalism benefits the entire school community. “Teachers in these collaborative

professional cultures share a sense of professional togetherness, face difficult work with can-do

attitudes, and help each other with what could potentially be overwhelming laundry lists of
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tasks,” (Harpe, 2014). Further, Strahan (2013) conducted a study of six low-income schools,

discovering that student achievement increased steadily over several years after the schools

implemented regular collaborative professional development.

Contributing knowledge and resources to the community outside of the school is another

way that I continually foster professional relationships. Another way I do this is by creating and

adding to this detailed bibliography of books related to Alaska and its culture, both historically

and modern. This enables me to learn about the community in which I teach, help other

educators learn about the culture, and immerse my students in curriculum based on the culture

they are most familiar with. “When families, community groups, business and schools band

together to support learning, young people achieve more in school, stay in school longer, and

enjoy the experience more,” (O’Keefe, 2011). Contributing to the community fosters my positive

relationship with its members, creating a more positive learning experience for everyone.

References

Budde, T. T. (2011). Iowa teacher quality professional development funding, professional

development strategies, and student achievement (Order No. 3457015). Available from

Education Database. (873394711). Retrieved from

https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/docview/873394711?accountid=44766

Harpe, D. E. (2014). The relationship between teacher collaboration and student

achievement (Order No. 3687044). Available from Education Database; ProQuest

Dissertations & Theses Global. (1667470705). Retrieved from

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https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/docview/1667470705?accountid=44766

O’Keefe, B. (2011). 5 steps to better school/community collaboration: Simple ideas for creating

a stronger network. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-community-

collaboration-brendan-okeefe.

Strahan, D. (2003). Promoting a collaborative professional culture in three elementary schools

that have beaten the odds. The Elementary School Journal, 104:2, 127-146. Retrieved

from ProQuest.