PD Magazine 356 OECS PD Magazine NEW (2) | Page 6

To the Reader O ur growth as teachers affirms our conviction that learning is a reciprocal experience, shared by the teacher and students. Our students have helped us to see that being a teacher means being a helpmate. Therefore, our ongoing quest as teachers is to meet the needs of each student, by balancing the demands of content and curriculum with humanity and compassion. What better way to do this than by sharpening our professional development (PD) skills. Professional development is an exciting opportunity for us to invest in ourselves. It allows us to add value to the classroom experience of our learners and to improve the quality of work administered to students/learners ourselves as individual learners. PD is a way of life in the experience of a teacher and should be viewed and accepted as a part of the very fabric that makes the teacher the very professional that we aim to be. Professional development should not be engaged sporadically but should be meaningfully organized to meet our specific needs at the time. How can we share this exciting news? Educators of the OECS, including teachers, have started a ‘movement’ that puts Professional development front and center. The aim is to transform the thinking and practices to ensure that we maximize the opportunities for professional growth available to us. This magazine will describe PD in ways that are relatable and will point out some of the PD practices that we are already doing as well as some new ideas to be implemented. It will give teachers better insight into professional development and it’s importance, and hopes to inspire the teacher to seek out PD opportunities that would help to improve professionally as we strive to become effective and efficient teachers influencing our students’ learning and achievements. The aim is for the teachers to be the driving force in PD; the organisers, facilitators, evaluators. Join the movement! Join us up front and center! From the teachers of the OECS PD Magazine Team. 1