INTASC* Standard 9:

The professional growth and ethical practice InTASC standard is about teachers being eternal learn-it-alls and demonstrating professional behavior throughout that practice (CCSO, 2013). I think of it as applying any new understandings gained through continuous teaching practice, feedback received, appropriate reflection, and/or additional coursework, in a purposeful manner that is considerate of those affected (students, community, peers, etc.). This approach allows for progression toward greater depths of knowledge and connections to students and the community. Connection and progress improve the learning environment for everyone.

A teacher modeling the learning process is an incredible tool to aid in showing students HOW to be learners. This strategy also strengthens relationships with the students through appropriate honest communication, which fosters trust, respect, and connection. 

The modeling of the learning process is just one way of magnifying professional growth as an ethical educator. In achieving standards the best teachers seek to reach and empower students to access the very skills that make for a good leader. Teachers must have leadership skills like communication, critical thinking and problem solving, vision, and passion to be able to translate them to the students. Seeking to understand students’ development process often results in the exploration of strategies for incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL). Understanding how to build these skills allows for teachers to aid students in building the skills (Immordino-Yang et al., 2019). It also empowers the teacher to differentiate more effectively, adopt new strategies, and construct engaging activities, all of which improve the practice of the teacher. Engaging and building the social-emotional skills of students and cultures of school is a priority in Washington State because it “leads to the development of powerful learning habits that included essential skills” (Reykdal, 2020).

Another vitally important example of the requirement to continuously learn is in the area of educational technology and classroom integration, especially in the wake of the pandemic. “Innovations in technology and the recent large-scale shift to remote learning in response to COVID-19…has had an undeniable impact on the educational system and put a focused lens on technology’s purpose and usefulness in supporting teaching and learning during unprecedented times” (Burris et al., 2021). To become stagnant in continuing education regarding educational technology would invite complacency and limit the career growth possibilities offered through the acquiring of new technology skills.

When a teacher creates a habit of seeking learning and applying it with intention, they are demonstrating critical dispositions of practice and creating the experiences that create the pathway to mastery. The “development of the brain is an experience-dependent process” applies to teachers as well as students (Cantor et al., 2018). The practice of continual professional growth and ethical application makes teachers better at their jobs (which is often translated into salary opportunities), consequently benefiting their practice and their students’ learning experience (Timperley et al., 2007). Teachers who are initiating solutions, exercising critical thinking skills, and seeking professional growth opportunities to explore experiences and cultures outside their own are adapting their practice to prepare the students for the demands of an ever-changing world.