PROFESSIONAL LEARNING 1

Professional Learning Framing Statement

By Kathy Smith
Master’s Portfolio ED698
Dr. Elizabeth Hartley, Ph.D.
Oct. 22nd, 2022
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Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice

The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate

his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners,

families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each

learner.

Professionalism Framing Statement

As teachers, we should constantly look for ways to improve our craft to increase our

students' success. By continuing my education through these master’s level classes, I have been

engaged in many learning opportunities that have helped me continue my lifelong path. The

research class in which this artifact (Appendix A) was created gave me a firm foundation for

researching needs within my classroom and addressing them in a well-educated manner to

improve student growth and success. As Perrone (1991) discusses, “the best source for teachers

to learn more about teaching and learning, growth and development of children, materials, and

methods, is through an examination of their own practice and their own classrooms” (p.100). I

continue to learn from my students and build my skills, based on the needs of my students. As

stated by Wong & Wong (2009), “the professional educator is always learning and growing. The

professional educator is on an endless journey to succeed with students by looking for new and

better ideas, new information, and improved skills” (ch. 25). This statement resonates with me. It

will continue to drive my professionalism in the art of teaching.

The artifact (Appendix A) I chose to attach is the research project I did for my ED626

Classroom Research, which is included in the MAT program through the University of Alaska.

This professional learning, as defined by Hammond, Hyler, & Gardner (2017) “is effective

professional development as structured professional learning that results in changes in teacher

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practices and improvements in student learning outcomes. The research question I based my

project on was how implementing mini mindfulness lessons daily improves engagement, focus,

and behavior throughout the day. I chose this artifact because it shows my ability to acknowledge

a need within my classroom, research the options that might be available to help my students,

compile data, develop a conclusion, and implement my findings. I believe that this applies to the

professional standard. I identified a problem, researched options, and was able to plan

accordingly for my class which then presented positive results. I relate to a statement by Bandura

regarding this experience, a teacher with a “strong belief in their efficacy is more likely to put

forth consistent effort, to persist in the face of obstacles, and to keep trying relentlessly until

every student succeeds (Bandura, 1997).

Mindfulness was something I had noticed for a year, or maybe even more, that could

potentially be used within my classroom. I had often thought about it and wanted to implement

it formally, but I had not taken the time until this research class. This project pushed me toward

finding a way to implement it so that I could assess the benefits or lack thereof. My findings

showed that it was positive in my classroom, and I currently use it daily. Mindfulness has helped

set the stage for my daily lessons this year in my classroom. My students continue to

acknowledge the mindfulness tools we use, which are a factor in their daily lives. For example,

just a few weeks ago, we struggled as a group; I have a few students who have a 1:1 adult with

them all day, and they were struggling; I began our lessons by reading one of the Spot books by

Diane Alber. Each morning, we discuss what we learned from each book. The first one I read

was A Little Calm Spot (Alber, 2020). This book talks about how to find a calm spot when you

are feeling upset, worried, scared, etc. This immediately became a part of our classroom on just

the first day, as evidenced by using their calm spots (bright colored stickies I gave to each
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student). If I noticed a student starting to escalate, I would calmly walk by and remind them

about their calm spot. I watched one take a breath, focus on his dot, and was able to move on.

The research I did for this project was extensive, and the writing took much effort and

pushed me out of my comfort zone. However, it showed me that my thought process regarding

the needs of my students, not only academically but also emotionally, is the right direction to

choose. I am confident in this approach as described in this statement by Wong & Wong (2009)

“A professional educator is someone who, without prompting, supervision, or regulation, has an

ongoing growth plan to achieve competence and strives continuously to raise the level of each

new group of students” (np). By implementing mindfulness, I am helping my students to learn

life skills that can follow them throughout their lives in a positive way and potentially impact

their families as well. I will continue my professionalism by searching out information, training,

collaboration, and new ideas to help my students achieve the most that they possibly can.
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Reference

Alber, D. (2020). A little calm spot: A story about yoga and feeling focused. Diane Albert Art

LLC.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

Darling-Hammond, L., Gardner, M., & Hyler, M. E. (2022, October 21). Effective teacher

professional development. Learning Policy Institute. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from

https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/effective-teacher-professional-development-

report

Perrone, V. (1991). Expanding student assessment. Association for Supervision and Curriculum

Development.

Wong, K. & Wong, T. (2009) The first days of school. Harry K Wong. Kindle Edition.
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Appendix A

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C0l48v-I2x1Hxeac2q_xiCINwmwhfPmy/edit?

usp=sharing&ouid=111028359848791010163&rtpof=true&sd=true