by NCTM President Henry (Hank) Kepner
NCTM News Bulletin, January/February 2009 (PDF)   

One of the most important professional responsibilities of teachers of mathematics is an ongoing commitment to professional growth. Successful teaching produces student learning. So it clearly makes sense to build a plan that meets your self-identified needs and is directly tied to improving your effectiveness as a teacher.

Being intentional about professional improvement entails creating a plan. When developing a clear, well-defined professional development plan, you might consider improving your knowledge of the mathematics content that you are teaching, expanding your knowledge of instructional methods that will promote your students’ learning, or exploring the appropriate use of various classroom assessments. At this point in the school year, it is helpful to do a self-assessment to determine your areas for potential growth activities in the summer and the 2009–2010 school year. Also, this is the time of year when your administrators are likely to be building their professional development plans and budgets for the summer and next year, and they may be seeking your input.

Tailoring a professional development plan that targets your needs will take reflection, advance thought, and careful identification and selection of professional development opportunities. Try making a "to learn" list. What aspects of mathematics or pedagogy do you need to enhance? Go through your "to learn" list item by item and investigate your options. Consider those that offer individual instruction, such as structured courses, as well as those that offer a collaborative approach, such as regular interactions with a professional learning community (PLC).

In addition, identify an appropriate degree of change to expect from a professional growth plan for one school year. In Growing Professionally, an anthology of professional development articles recently published by NCTM, one author suggests that 10 percent growth is a reasonable target (Leinwand, 2007). Prioritize your list and make decisions about what is most important for you to focus on during the upcoming year.

Throughout my career, there were times when my "to learn" list focused on my content background. My goals included two key components: (1) to get to know an area of mathematics in a deeper way and grasp its connections to concepts that I already knew well, and (2) to learn how to help my students master the new concepts while avoiding misconceptions and using the new ideas to refine their thinking.

NCTM offers resources and events to help you. For example, if you included effective use of instructional technology on your "to learn" list, then explore the Illuminations Web site. If you are seeking resources to use with a PLC, try using NCTM’s  enhanced journal articles, which offer guidelines for using an article as a professional development experience. For a wide range of mathematics content topics, consider participating in an e-workshop or an NCTM conference.

On a personal note, let me say that I always shared my learning experiences with my students. Most were intrigued and pleased to know that their teacher was learning too—and that at times I struggled, was behind in assignments, and needed more practice!

Improving students’ achievement by connecting with their needs, environment, and community must be a focus of any professional development plan. As someone who places enormous value on the collective knowledge of our profession, I encourage you to engage in collegial dialogue about your professional growth with likeminded colleagues as well as those with differing perspectives. Sustained and focused professional growth does not happen accidentally. It requires self-assessment, action, and reflection.