Commitment to continuing professional development and evaluation of practice

I have always said, I am extremely passionate about teaching. I love being surrounded by eager,  enthusiastic learners.  These learners look up to me to lay the foundation for their careers. They bestow immense trust upon their teachers, to educate and guide them to be to become successful professionals. This in turn adds a huge responsibility on the teachers today to do their job right.  Good teachers create challenging, nurturing environments for their students. Good teaching balances the right amount of knowledge and skills along with a positive attitude towards students,  the subject, and work.

 

While I always explored newer ways to teach and test class activities, the Post Graduate Certificate program in Academic Practice (PGCAP) opened a whole new dimension to me. While it taught, familiarized, and guided me to multiple teaching concepts, ideologies, and learner types, my key learning was and will be how “learning is self-driven”. PGCAP showed us a path and pushed us to explore it, reflect on it, apply it and further reflect on it, creating a cycle of lifelong learning which is now an integral part of my life.

 

As I complete almost one year from finishing the first Bootcamp, I can see the changes in how I approach my class and my observations towards the smaller nuances in the classroom. My mind runs to make mental notes of classroom situations that I need to act upon.  The course has helped me uncover layers of educations systems and styles. But most importantly it has made me aware of how and who I am as a teacher.  I have evolved to become a teacher who is open to criticism, appreciates peers, and is eager to be a part of critical discussions.

 

I do feel I will be hit by withdrawal symptoms when I hand in my final research paper. The constant hustle over the past 11 months to read, write and analyze. The thirst to get knowledge and validate my data and discuss it with my mentor and peer will soon come to an end. Or will it.? Well, if I have to do justice to PGCAP, then  I commit to continuing my professional development and evaluation of practice even after my course completion. Honestly, PGCAP has left me wanting more.  While I see myself applying all my course learning in my classroom, I intend to keep this journey of research and reflection running simultaneously. With my reflective notes, I have identified multiple topics that excite me and I look to dive deeper into them. My reflective notes have also helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. I intend to build on my strength and work on my weaknesses to make me a better educator.

 

Change is the only constant, and we grow by adapting and evolving. I refuse to get stagnant with my knowledge. PGCAP has made me curious about everything and anything.  It has equipped me to make informed decisions and show me the professional / classroom impact of these decisions and I intend to keep this adrenaline going.

 

Lastly, PGCAP introduced me to positive learning communities, which have been my strength and support system. These learning communities have helped broaden my perspective and shape my ideas. I plan to continue being a part of these communities to help me debate, discard and anchor my thoughts and ideas.  

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It is these collective learnings that I take with me as I leave my comfort nest with confident wings wanting to explore the newly opened world of continuing my academic practice. 

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- A student forever -

 

31st August 2021

Mumbai