For this task, I carried out self-assessment focusing on my desired work-life balance and my short- and long-term professional goals. For that purpose, I used an available template that could be found online. The assessment revealed that the factors that contributed to my work-life imbalanced come from different spheres of life such as family and personal relationships, social life, workplace communication and dynamics, personal habits, and the structure of work that I do. During this self-assessment, I listed the exact factors causing the imbalance and analyzed which of them I could control. Further, I compared my desired work-life balance with the one I could achieve potentially by addressing the aforementioned causes. Also, I worked out my actions in case I fail to meet my goals.
Personal Development Plan
The main contributors to work-life imbalance revealed during my self-assessment were poor self-organization, low time-management skills, and demanding nature of my work. They were confirmed by the feedbacks of my colleagues. As a result, the following personal development goals can be outlined:
Improvement of self-organization and personal discipline (creating time-schedules and to-do lists for one day, avoiding multitasking)
Training to boost time-management skills (using materials, exercises, and techniques available online)
Coping strategies for occupational stress (leisure activities, more active lifestyle)
Professional Development Plan
Resolution of work time problems:
S: Minimizing time spent on simple and medium tasks at work
M: By measuring the time spent currently and establishing desired time goals
A: Eliminating distractions to stimulate progress
R: Will help save time for more leisure and personal activities
T: Ongoing practice for 40 days before estimating progress
Professional improvement (short- and long-term)
S: Becoming a more efficient worker by boosting work-related skills
M: Measured by listing topics for mastering and going through them gradually
A: By more free time dedicated to self-development
R: Will help save time, generate better results, and develop career
T: Ongoing practice for 30 days starting 10 days after the onset of the first goal. This term will be extended gradually upon completion of each 30-day term.
Action Plans for Professional Development Goals
Resolution of work time problems (actions):
Measure the time spent on easy and medium tasks
Measure approximate time spent on distractions during work
List distractions and create strategies how to avoid them
Create reminders to stay aware of distractions
List positive outcomes that can be generated by following the plan
Professional improvement (actions):
Listing work-related skills that require improvement
Finding books, articles, courses, and classes that can be used for self-improvement
Creating a list of topics to master and scheduling work on each with daily plans
Creating time to work of these tasks during leisure hours and adding these activities to daily schedule
Career options and skills:
Leadership coaching (communication skills, leadership theory mastery)
Middle management jobs (people management and communication skills, leadership mastery, teamwork skills)
Recourses:
Coaching training
Professional experience
Online resources
Plan for Meeting Personal Priorities
During tough times and urgent tasks the timeframes for goals will be recalculated and transferred in case of emergencies
Adherence will be met using more flexible schedules compensating for skipped days
The internet will provide resources and information
Networking will be accomplished through the participation in online forums with professionals from similar specialties, reading work-related news sources, and participating in real-life discussions.
According to P, Black and D, William, evaluation refers to a sequence of interrelated actions that have a definite purpose.1 Since education instructors are involved in several multifaceted issues, they should be assessed as professionals.
The standards of evaluating them should be developed by all the stakeholders of the school institution and their evaluation should be based on the extent to which they resolve professional issues proficiently. Since teachers are the main subjects of training, professional development has a direct impact on them.
H, McMillan argues that, the main objective of professional development for teachers and other school staff involves its crucial task in the improvement of the learning process 2. For this reason, the school administrators ought to put great emphasis on the results of professional growth on profession performance, organizational efficiency and the achievement of learners.
All the professional development endeavors should always be subjected to an appropriately designed evaluation plan in analyzing their efficiency. The intricacy of changes in education necessitates that the plan is based on the use of ethnographic research.
This should be done over a long period of time so as to evaluate and assess the connection between individual changes and the systematic transformation in education. Effective professional development enables the acquisition of new knowledge and expertise.
P, Black and D, William asserts that, in one way or another, theres a support structure that follows teachers and other staff within the school institution school in their place of work which provides continued training or some kind of system enabling teachers/staff to continue solving problems in their working environment. 3
As a matter of fact, ineffective evaluation systems within the school institution are exceedingly hectic, of little significance, and an obstacle to the staff drive. According to P, Black and D, William, such unproductive assessment systems are more expensive as compared to efficient ones.4
This is because; they do not improve the performance of teachers as well as other school staff and thus rob off the learners achievements. For this reason, evaluation for professional development should be done in the most effective manner, failure to which it can become meaningless or intensify apprehension between teachers or school staff with their administrators and increase negative competition amongst them.
In other words, ineffective evaluation methods can lead to communication breakdown within the stakeholders of a school institution as it may lead to unnecessary barriers, and destroy an otherwise excellent working rapport amongst the school professionals.
Consequently, the need for efficient evaluation policies within a school should not be underestimated. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders in the education process to be accountable. Thus Professional development programs should be evaluated in order to determine their value in schools, to the instructors as well as the learners.
For the efficiency of all professional development attempts, evaluation should be an ongoing process that is introduced in the early stages of program planning and should persist even after the completion of every development program.
The stakeholders in the education sector are involved in selecting the evaluators who are given the task of evaluating all the programs. The purpose of evaluation enables the evaluators to come up with the research questions used during the evaluation process. The research questions should be formulated with the help of several stakeholders in the development program.
After determining the purpose of the evaluation, the evaluators should then plan the evaluation procedure with regards to the intended results of the school upgrading efforts. The reason for an evaluation and the usage of the evaluation outcomes are dictated by what is being evaluated.
H, McMillan asserts that, in order to ensure an effective professional development program, the evaluators should ask those questions that are directed on bringing out the significance of the program in attaining development. 5 The evaluation of a professional development program has got two main objectives.
The first one is to enhance the programs quality or transform a professional development program which is known as formative evaluation, and the second one involves coming up with the programs general efficiency also known as summative evaluation. In a professional development program, formative evaluation is usually done in intervals.
Here, the stakeholders are asked to give their remarks, which permit the evaluators to effectively amend the programs quality. This form of evaluation ascertains that all the professional development programs meet the expectations and requirements of all the stakeholders. This involves a meaningful endeavor which may entail some classroom activities.
On the other hand, summative evaluation is employed at the end of the whole program. Bruner, S affirms that, more often than not, the research is done at three main points; educator practices, organizational transformations and learners results 6.
At the initial level of summative evaluation, the educators changes that result from participating in the professional development program are assessed. Here, the members are asked to point out the necessary changes according to what they think, what they believe, and their school/classroom activities.
They are supposed to describe their individual professional development and assess if the program meets their individual as well as professional objectives. S, Bruner suggests that this can be done through the use of observations, interviews, questionnaires and other self-evaluation instruments.7
The second stage of summative evaluation is where the school organization changes are assessed. According to research, organizational environment directly impacts on both initial and continued use of improvement strategies. In other words, professional development actions will influence student results in case the organizational environment presents continued support for the efforts.
Positive organizational adjustments lead to successful professional development. Constructive transformation within a school institution can be achieved through the use of observations, interviews, analysis of documents as well as questionnaires. To determine this form of change, evaluators should look for improved teamwork and an enhanced relationship between administrators and the instructors and the overall changes within the school environment.
The third phase of summative evaluation involves establishing the influence of the professional development practices on learning. This is mostly because the majority of school-upgrading attempts are projected to influence the learners success.
Thus, evaluation is obliged to determine the efficiency of professional development with regards to students achievement. C, Calfee and V, Masuda affirm that, by getting comments on the instruction outcomes, teachers as well as other staff within the school institution are able to have sufficient proof on the validity of their actions on learning. 8
Teachers should employ the new practices in case they notice some positive outcomes in the learners. This notwithstanding, measurement of the effectiveness of a program should not be limited to the learners points in standardized tests.
The evaluators should also consider how much the students are responsible for their individual learning and if they employ thorough research in their studies. Professional development assessment should also include nonacademic goals such as curbing student brutality.
According to H, McMillan in this case, the pointer of efficiency should embrace valid forms of evaluation procedures such as determining the rate of dropping out of school and changes in the degree of damage to the school. 9
In general, evaluation of a professional development program is usually restricted to the stakeholders initial response to the content and significance as well as the efficiency of the facilitator. The most important factor of an evaluation process is the long-term influence brought by the professional development program.
A follow-up evaluation should also be carried out after the instructors have implemented the necessary changes. This facilitates to assess changes within the instructional practice, in the professional environment and students success. C, Calfee and V, Masuda argues that, in order to reinforce the adjustments made by the stakeholders of the evaluation process, follow-up sessions and support actions should be programmed as part of the assessment course.10
In conclusion, even though professional development programs are meant to influence the students achievement, they characteristically have an impact on all the other participants who include; administrators, school heads counselors, as well as other staff.
For it to be thorough, an evaluation program should draw its findings from all the above sources as well as from the evaluators. A comprehensive approach, which uses diverse information from multiple sources, should be embraced.
Both quantitative and qualitative facts should be included in this course to provide suitable information. Precisely, this information should comprise facts based on the results from participants, organization, and learners.
Moreover, the assessment outcomes should be presented in a way that is easily understood by all the participants involved in the professional development course. Comprehensible communication of the programs outcomes should ensure that the findings are used to direct school improvement efforts and consequent professional development actions which include teacher training.
The significance of professional development is especially emphasized in the modern reform movement; it was proved that this method positively impacts literacy instruction improvement. The process of reading improvement is rather sophisticated and intricate, requiring attention, observation, and careful learning. Reading scores improvement through professional development covers a number of methodological activities and systematic study of instructions; the method involves the participation of the qualified staff to raise the level of reading instructions.
The program aimed at the increase of reading scores level should contain the following methods:
The disclosure of instructional strategies and their theoretical knowledge;
Constant practice of the learned strategies;
Development methods aimed at the reading skills improvement;
Literacy-oriented activities.
The introduction and development of the mentioned issues in the program of reading skills improvement will bring effectiveness in the plan realization. The principal goals of the reading scores improvement program are considered to be worked out in accordance with the state requirements:
To improve the induction and preparation level;
To provide sufficient support for novice representatives involved in the program;
The development of coaching and mentoring process;
To provide involvement and support for community members as partners and administrators as instructors. (Improving Reading Achievement through Professional Development, 2003)
The plan of professional development identifies basic activities, measures of success, and principle objectives. The data analysis of the program fulfillment will allow evaluating the gradual increase of reading scores.
Professional development is focused on the following aspects: vocabulary reading, increasing reading fluency, unfamiliar words decoding, comprehension strategies reading. The involvement of the presentations in the plan will influence the effectiveness of reading instructions understanding. The problems and difficulties in reaching the necessary level of reading scores lie in misinterpretations of the principle pedagogic practices; the improvement process depends upon tacit and explicit assumptions. To raise the effectiveness of reading scores growth, the methods of professional development are to be included in the learning processes; the program should be developed in a way to encourage the reflection of teaching practices. (Wagaman, 2008)
Professional development is also focused on the lecture methods of reading improvement; this allows promoting the adaptive means of teaching and perceiving the necessary reading instructions and concentrating on the collaboration, which is based on the following principles:
The emphasis of the reflective thought;
Egalitarianism spirit in the teaching process;
The disclosure of basic difficulties in the reading process.
The observation of the principle issues being part of the professional developmental process will result in the improvement of reading scores.
So, the improvement of reading through professional development means the realization and strict observation of the principal methods of the teaching program and requirements of the practices.
References
Improving Reading Achievement through Professional Development. 2003. The LSS Review. Vol. 2.
Wagaman, Jennifer. 2008. How to Improve Reading Skills: Teaching Fluency and Comprehension Skills to Enhance Reading.
Texas Reading First Initiative. Institute for Public School Initiatives. 2008. Web.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
In 2012-2013, 13% of public school students received a specialized education program, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (Woodworth, 2016)
Key principles of the IDEA: freedom of discrimination, safe environment creation, and an interdisciplinary team approach.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was introduced by the US as a special federal law to ensure that schools can meet the needs of students with disabilities (Wilmshurst & Brue, 2018). Every state is required to adopt policies to implement the IDEA, and parents are also to be engaged in the process of discussing a childs learning disability (LD) and needs (Kauffman, Hallahan, Pullen, & Badar, 2018). The key principles of the IDEA are freedom of discrimination, safe environment creation, and an interdisciplinary team approach.
IDEA: Eligible Categories
Specific learning disability (SLD) (Dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia);
Other health impairment (ADHD);
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD);
Emotional disturbance (depressionand anxiety);
Speech or language impairment;
Visual impairment, including blindness;
Deafness;
Hearing impairment;
Deaf-blindness;
Orthopedic impairment;
Intellectual disability;
Traumatic brain injury;
Multiple disabilities (Kauffman et al., 2018).
According to this act, the least restrictive environment should be created to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for eligible children who are aged between 6 and 17 years. The disabilities that are included in the IDEA are presented on the slide. In particular, the mentioned list contains autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotional disturbance, visual impairment, intellectual disability, et cetera (Kauffman et al., 2018).
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
An individual plan of learning in consistence with a students needs and abilities;
Includes annual progress measurements and a collaborative work of the stakeholders (Caruana, 2015).
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) aims at offering an individual plan of learning in consistence with a students needs and abilities. Among the eligibility criteria, having at least one of the disabilities from a special list and the need for specific instructions can be noted. If the disability affects a students academic performance to benefit from the general learning environment, he or she should be given specialized instruction (Caruana, 2015). The goals of the IEP include annual progress measurements and a collaborative work of the stakeholders, who are involved in this program, including parents, school psychologists, special education teachers, grade level teachers, and district representatives. For a 504 Plan, the rules about the team members are less formal since they only mention that people familiar with a student should be engaged.
504 Plan
According to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the schools should provide maximum adaptation to students with disabilities and their full participation in school life;
The adjustments for ensuring major life activities of students should be made.
On the contrary to the IEP that refers to a SE law, the 504 Plan is attributed to federal civil rights, as it is stated by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is to be applied in cases when a child needs extra support for emotional, physical, and psychological challenges (the list of disabilities is wider than for the IEP (Kauffman et al., 2018). The conditions that limit major life activities serve as the indicators that point to the importance of 504 plans. Such conditions can include breathing, speaking, caring for oneself, hearing, performing manual tasks, and so on.
IEPs vs. 504 Plan
The details of the 504 Plan clarify any social, academic, and organizational adjustments in the educational environment, which are not covered by the IEP (Woodworth, 2016). As a rule, an informal document is completed, and a school takes the responsibility for accommodating ones learning. Another difference between the identified plans lies in the review and revision: the IEP should be reconsidered at least once a year, but the regulations for the 504 Plan vary across the states. The disputes related to special education plans can be resolved in similar and different ways. For example, mediation and lawsuit are the two universal methods; due process complaint and resolution session are characteristic of the IEP; and impartial hearing along with a complaint to the office for civil rights (OCR) are more likely to be used in terms of the 504 Plan.
IEPs vs. 504 Plan.
Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs)
Helps in early intervention in children up to age 3.
Hhe services and expected outcomes a toddler or baby should be provided with: the present level of development, functioning, and needs is assessed to how the family can act to best support their child (Wilmshurst & Brue, 2018).
Compared to the IEP and 504 Plan, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) helps in early intervention in children up to age 3. According to Wilmshurst and Brue (2018), it is both a process and document that is used to involve families in the provision of early intervention services. The resources, concerns, strengths, and weaknesses are considered while planning and personalizing the services (Woodworth, 2016). Likewise the IEP and 504 Plan, the IFSP can be revised of it required to meet the needs of a particular child.
General Process for Special Education Identification
The general process for special education identification comprises several stages that are presented on the slide. The Child Find Mandate obliges schools to evaluate and serve children, and the issues that can trigger this are behavior struggles, lacking social skills, school refusal, and problems with emotional regulation. To meet this duty, the districts locate children aged 3-21 if they are suspected of having one or several disabilities. More information can be received from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) (Smeets & Roeleveld, 2016). School referral implies that school personnel notices some deviations, which can act as the basis for determining the eligibility for special education. A childs parents can also make a request to schools, parent referral, for conducting their childs assessment, which should be done in a written form. The consent should be obtained from parents prior to beginning the evaluation process as it confirms their awareness of the procedures being conducted.
General Process for Special Education Identification.
Roles of Stakeholders
Parents should not underestimate their role in the team since they provide critical input, having the fullest understanding of a childs psychological, physical, social, and developmental background.
Therefore, the family should act as the best advocate for the child, monitoring the identification and service delivery (Smeets & Roeleveld, 2016).
School personnel should be attentive to children since emotional and psychological struggles are likely to significantly impact the way children with disabilities learn and interact with others (Hornby, 2015).
The family of a student with disability, who requires special attention, is a resource that can significantly facilitate the process of transition from GE to SE by explaining this process and answering the emerging questions. Parents should not underestimate their role in the team since they provide critical input, having the fullest understanding of a childs psychological, physical, social, and developmental background. In sum, all of the mentioned stakeholders are essential to ensure proper support and meet the unique needs of a particular student.
Each of the stakeholders involved in the identification and implementation of special education programs plays an important role as a team member. In terms of school referral, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, or an administrator may ask for the evaluation if he or she notices alarming behaviors (Smeets & Roeleveld, 2016). Once a program was adopted for a student with disability, support and reporting should be provided by a special education teacher, who is responsible for giving the necessary information to a GE teacher, adapting the curriculum, establishing collaboration with other stakeholders, and completing the records. As for the district faculty, it plays a key role in identifying disability and reporting the suspicions to the schools.
Communication with Families
To communicate with families, it is possible to meet with them or contact by phone or email, which depends on a certain situation (Hornby, 2015).
Some parents prefer discussing their child by phone as it creates a sense of intimacy, but this method is prone to misunderstanding.
Face-to-face communication method serves as the most effective means in the process of special education identification.
Traveling folders is another option: daily notes, a place for homework, and the communication folder.
Every team member must work towards the same goal of designing the most effective and least restrictive learning environment. The ongoing communication among the stakeholders is regarded as a key mechanism that ensures support for a child and leads to consistent results. It is recommended for the teachers to use emails and phones to share good news or make appointments.
The family can be embarrassed by discovering that their child has disability, others may think that teachers do not understand the value of their child. Regardless of a communication method, teachers should strive to provide the continuity of service delivery and interact with parents on a regular basis, not only in crisis periods.
Conclusion
504 Plan, IEPs, and IFSPs are launched and monitored by different acts and organizations, but their goal is to ensure that students with disabilities would learn in the least restructure environment.
To identify, implement, and maintain the programs, not only school personnel but also parents should be engaged in the process of service delivery.
To conclude, the differences between the 504 Plan, IEPs, and IFSPs are associated with the degree to which a student needs support from teachers and parents. These programs are launched and monitored by different acts and organizations, but their goal is to ensure that students with disabilities would learn in the least restructure environment that can meet their specific needs. Proper communication between the team members is the key premise of their effective cooperation.
References
Caruana, V. (2015). Accessing the common core standards for students with learning disabilities: Strategies for writing standards-based IEP goals. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 59(4), 237-243.
Hornby, G. (2015). Inclusive special education: Development of a new theory for the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities. British Journal of Special Education, 42(3), 234-256.
Kauffman, J. M., Hallahan, D. P., Pullen, P. C., & Badar, J. (2018). Special education: What it is and why we need it (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Smeets, E., & Roeleveld, J. (2016). The identification by teachers of special educational needs in primary school pupils and factors associated with referral to special education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 31(4), 423-439.
Wilmshurst, L., & Brue, A. W. (2018). The complete guide to special education: Expert advice on evaluations, IEPs, and helping kids succeed (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
This report aims at identifying my current development and subsequent goals to improve my skills and knowledge. Focusing on my professional development, it is also necessary to note its impact on my organization.
The three most important things learned last year
The first issue I learned relates to my ability to establish appropriate relationships in my working environment by constant communication and learning of Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) profession map ( The CIPD Profession Map par. 1).
The second thing concerns leadership that I learned through teamwork and employee engagement.
The third issue I learned is making adequate and elaborate decisions by being a decisive thinker.
The value-added to the organization/clients/customers over the last 12 months through the professional development
Value added by me to the organization is that I significantly enhanced its organizational culture by offering a range of innovative ideas related to Human Resource (HR) management. In particular, I made relationships between the employees and the employer more open and trustworthy.
The tangible outcomes of the professional development over the last 12 months
As for tangible results of my performance, the job satisfaction of the majority of the employees was increased while fatigue rates were decreased. I consider that these are essential indicators of an effective HR specialist.
Impact of the professional development
The organization, in general, gained from my professional development as the increased job satisfaction, leading to the improved productivity of the overall performance of my company.
Moving forward
Learning and Professional Development Needs
Along with the achievements I accomplished, there are still certain needs to be addressed. My learning needs include the study of effective planning, service and information delivery, and organization development (Martin and Whiting 125). In their turn, my professional needs contain the application of gained knowledge and skills in practice as well as adherence to the strategy of continuous improvement in my working area.
Three main areas or topics to develop in the next 12 months
The first area I want to develop is learning and talent development initiated at different organization levels that is likely to lead to improved motivation of the employees. I will achieve this by conducting various professional surveys and interviews aimed at discovering their strong points.
My second area of development focuses on the design of the organization. The accomplishment of this goal by employing relevant strategies and solutions will contribute to the appropriate execution of objectives set by the organization as well as the implementation of necessary structural changes.
Moreover, I want to improve information and service delivery to managers, staff, and leadership, providing them with timely and reliable information.
The key differences to make to the role/organization/clients/customers in the next 12 months
Broadly speaking, I consider my current role is quite beneficial to my organization. In this regard, I would like to continue to enhance this position by learning and implementing innovative decisions. Focusing on different components of HR performance, including the organization, staff, and customers, it seems appropriate to be curious and collaborative to achieve the best results.
The next review your professional development needs
I plan to review my professional development quarterly to remain an effective and competitive HR expert.
Works Cited
Martin, Malcolm, and Fiona Whiting. Human Resource Practice. 7th ed., Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, 2016.
A professional nurse is an individual who does not only care for patients but also acts as an advocate of a broad range of people of all ethnic backgrounds, religions, colors, or socioeconomic statuses. Becoming a professional nurse also means educating the population about how they can be effective in self-care and self-management. To reach the desired objective, a strategic plan is essential because it could designate the key steps that an individual should take. The current plan aims to discuss the factors that influence the decision of obtaining a BSN degree, discuss the differences between the current RN role and the baccalaureate, determine opportunities for future degree completion, as well as examine the models of socialization. It is also necessary to expand upon the challenges and barriers that a nurse can encounter on the way to reaching professionalism as well ad identify the support systems that could help overcome the barriers.
The factors that influence the decision to obtain a BSN degree include the interest in professional advancement and career development, the opportunity to acquire new knowledge, improve social welfare skills, as well as be a positive role model for others (Asiimwe, Muwema, & Drake, 2019). Important intrinsic motivators include the desire for reaching desire for personal and job satisfaction, which will result from the ability to effectively address the healthcare challenges of individuals requiring help. Also, as the healthcare system changes and evolves, especially at present associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a high need for nurses with Bachelors degrees that could address the emerging public health challenges.
The difference between the role of a baccalaureate and the current RN role lies in a broader range of opportunities, including the financial factor. While working as an RN is possible when having an associates degree, professional nurses with a BSN usually have more responsibilities in the workplace, can be given supervisory roles, as well as also have higher salaries. Since one envisions pursuing a career in health care on a long-term basis, earning a BSN can also be a strategic move because RNs are in lower demand in the modern industry.
The new opportunities available after the completion of the degree imply having a better salary because a BSN diploma will ensure the wider availability of jobs because are in good demand with the rising healthcare needs. In addition, after attaining a baccalaureate in nursing science, a person gets one step closer to a masters degree or a doctorate in case if one wants to become an advanced practice nurse. When working as an RN currently, the opportunity of pursuing a BSN is important because it can advance ones education and facilitate a better position in the workplace. A BSN program will enhance the knowledge in emergency care, health assessment, nutrition, research and evidence-based practice, trends and issues in nursing, as well as family, community, and population-based care, all of which are essential for improving the overall health of the population.
Benners model of socialization suggests that professionals go through a series of different stages that are associated with the acquisition of new skills and knowledge through a nursing experience. The model includes such stages as a novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert, all of which are connected to the experience of the nursing practice (Masters, 2018). I can be placed on the third stage of competence within the model. The rationale for such placement within the model is associated with the fact that I am already effective in analyzing problems and prioritizing some tasks. I also have developed a solid grasp of the key rules and principles associated with the nursing practice. The current TN role has allowed me to experience a variety of clinical situations and draw on prior experiences and knowledge that can also facilitate planning and the altering of plans.
Personal professional short-term goals include reaching the stage of proficiency within the nursing practice. This will allow me to become effective in grasping a certain situation contextually and in general. A solid grasp of the norms and solid experiences can allow one to reflect upon the variations of a norm. By doing so, I will be proficient in implementing the rules and theories as well as looking at the causes that can lead to the development of alternative steps and processes. The next stage would mean becoming an expert and a professional nurse who operates beyond a fixed set of rules. The main long-term goal is associated with integrating myself into the professional practice of a nurse and becoming an essential part of the process associated with helping individuals overcome their healthcare challenges. Ultimately, becoming an expert means to learn constantly and always question the processes that are taking place from a perspective of rigor and objective knowledge. I would like my knowledge and experience to be used as a valuable resource for reducing the burden of disease for the population. I aim to become a mentor and a positive role model for other generations who consider becoming participants in the healthcare process.
The challenges and barriers associated with pursuing the short-term and long-term goals are mostly associated with the problems of adjusting to a new community or group that is unfamiliar. Professional socialization is important because caring for people implies collaboration and the sharing of unique perspectives and experiences between the participants of the process. However, I have found it challenging to adjust to new environments, and it could be complicated for me to fit in with the group of students pursuing a BSN degree. Another personal challenge, which applies to both long- and short-term goals, involves the challenges of feeling empowered and doubting oneself in being successful. Insecurities are complicated to overcome in a short period, and can often limit the care process because a professional lacks confidence in acting upon ones decisions. To overcome the challenges of self-doubt and the issues of adjusting to new environments, it is necessary to have a support system that could provide comfort and encouragement. Learning to build trusting and strong relationships with people is imperative to facilitate a reciprocal process of exchanging support for one another. However, I am also confident that becoming a part of someone elses support system would give me power and confidence in myself and my abilities. Overall, becoming a professional nurse is a challenging journey filled with ups and downs, but it is worth it because the ultimate goal is to be helpful to people and support them when they battle healthcare problems that reduce their quality of life.
If designed and integrated into school workflow appropriately, professional development promotes the improvement of teachers skills and their awareness of contemporary instructional techniques and approaches, which results in better education outcomes and students performance overall. Thus, this paper aims at discussing the causes of teachers negative perceptions of professional development and describing the best-related practices that I have experienced. In addition, the paper will identify three professional development formats beneficial for educators in the context of school closures.
Teachers Negative Perceptions of Professional Development
Despite its complexity and binding character, professional development is an integral element of teachers progress, which influences all aspects of their daily practice. Nevertheless, many instructors typically display little or no interest in this beneficial activity, considering it tedious, lifeless, impractical, and merely superfluous. Such perceptions are mainly produced by several issues that impair the efficacy of professional development. In particular, many developmental programs fail to deliver content that meets the needs of teachers and suits school settings (Glickman et al., 2017). The second problem is that the administration may not provide an adequate amount of time and other resources for professional development, leading to a loss of interest in corresponding activities. For instance, the study by Yurtseven (2017), consisting of educators, indicates that it is crucial for teachers to be provided with the necessary resources and time to proceed with their professional development. Finally, the third concern is associated with the inconsistency between personal and school or group goals. For example, the school administration can focus on improving the students performance on specific subjects that do not fall into the field of activity of a particular teacher.
The Best Professional Development
Within the framework of a professional development plan, school administrators and teachers can participate in various professional learning activities, such as joining professional organizations, reading professional journals and books, and conducting research. During my professional practice, I have undertaken several activities that broadened my understanding of the learning process and enhanced my teaching skills. First, I took part in the assistance seminar for beginning teachers, which laid the sound foundation for my further professional growth. Through careful mentorship and continuous guidance, these programs helped me understand different concerns teachers usually face in their workflow and approaches to effective teaching and classroom management.
Besides, the second activity I should mention is the leadership preparation program, during which I had the opportunity to assume the role of a teacher mentor. This program allowed me to acquire and hone leadership skills, including communication, awareness, commitment to goals, and a sense of responsibility. After completing the course, I could deliver the study material to students more clearly, thereby encouraging them to learn the subject and inspiring them to respect me as a teacher.
Three Professional Development Formats
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the educational landscape dramatically, stimulating social and education-related processes and instructional delivery methods distinctive from traditional. In this context, teachers, instructors, mentors, and administration should focus on applying the most relevant professional development formats that meet the requirements of the challenging situation. The first format I would offer is a network implying that teachers from various schools share concerns, attainments, and other information and participate in collective learning via websites, newsletters, and online conferences and seminars (Glickman et al., 2017). Participants can actively discuss such questions as assessment and evaluation, environmental and global education, the use of technology in the curriculum, class management and school-based research, conflict resolution, and second language instructions.
During school closures, there is an acute necessity in determining the teachers primary needs and objectives to ensure the qualitative delivery of the required subject. In this regard, individually planned professional development is a useful instrument that helps teachers to evaluate their own professional needs, establish personal goals and tasks, arrange and perform activities appropriately, and comprehend outcomes (Glickman et al., 2017). In addition, the plan facilitates assessing skills and knowledge and identifying individual professional gaps needing close consideration to provide better performance. Finally, in complicated circumstances when direct and face-to-face interaction between teachers is limited, teachers should participate in professional learning communities to exchange valuable education-associated information. These communities allow the group of teachers to develop shared beliefs and values, collaborate on curriculum and instructional improvement measures, and engage in collective learning.
Challenges and Solutions
In the context of school closures, the principal challenges would be related to the technological provision, administration support, and teachers motivation and interest in participation in professional development activities. In particular, the first problem is reliable access to a seamless internet connection since the quality of instruction delivery and the opportunity to take part in cooperative efforts significantly depend on this. One of the solutions can be federal aid in the form of administrative and financial support for teachers and schools overall. The second problem is the teachers motivation since, in the new complicated circumstances, teachers can perform their educational duties inadequately and attend professional programs reluctantly, which immediately reflects on students results. In this regard, the school administration should maintain teachers by providing clear instructions and requirements, setting collective goals, and delivering necessary resources.
Conclusion
In summary, the paper has discussed the causes of teachers negative perceptions of professional development and described the best professional development that I have experienced. The negative perceptions are mainly connected with irrelevant content of professional development activities, the inconsistency between personal and school or group goals, and the administration support. Besides, the paper has identified three professional development formats beneficial for educators in the context of school closures and possible challenges and solutions. Specifically, a network, the individually planned professional development, and professional learning communities are the most appropriate formats that can be used during school closures.
References
Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2017). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach (10th ed.). Pearson.
Yurtseven, N. (2017). The investigation of teachers metaphoric perceptions about professional development. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(2), 120-131.
Professional development is closely associated with talents, abilities, and skills that should be gained for reaching professional growth. In addition, practical skills needed are based on various categories of learning from college graduation, training courses, educational practice to final courses. All these components are toughly intertwined into a complex system of knowledge acquisition that further contributes to gaining professional experience. It is also important to note that there are a great number of strategies for professional development that can be effective enough to meet the employers strict requirements.
To be more precise, there is a bulk of nuances to which employers pay the closest attention, and some of them are based on past experiences and current theoretical frameworks. In fact, it is really crucial for a future professional to be aware of what employers expect from them and how potential and promising candidate should look like. Such information is really useful because great competence in existing concepts, as well as knowledge of management psychology, will help graduated students to sustain competition and be applied for a prestigious job.
Major Skills and Capabilities Required by the Employees
The majority of employers often have high expectations of the abilities and skills of graduate recruits. They often look at a potential candidate as energetic, motivated, and adaptable. Some managers may want employees to make a contribution to their company, whereas others are more concerned with developing and training the employers potential. One way or another, one of the most demanded skills include desire to learn, self-motivation, commitment and dependability, working in a team, cooperation and great communicational skills, and, finally, self-management1.
Judging from the above-presented skills and abilities, it should be stressed that not all of them are connected solely to your knowledge and competence, but also to your goals, personality traits, and ambitions. In this respect, employers often pay close attention to individual skills, including strengths and weaknesses, and define competence as a unity of personal characteristics and overall professional performance and attitude to work.
In order to understand the employers, it is necessary to start with self-evaluation to define which skills have been acquired and which ones still need to be gained with regard to modern selecting tendencies. It is obvious that specific technical and professional knowledge is essential, but in order to be considered for a prestigious work, some other skills should be acquired. Particular emphasis should be put on communication skills and the ability to negotiate and work in team2. These integral and universal skills are imperative for succeeding in job interviews. Bearing this in mind, a graduate recruit should consider specific literature on organizational psychology, management, and cultural diversity issues.
Beside personal traits, such aspects as level of education, professional experience, and extra courses taken are also carefully considered by the employers. They use this information as a signal, or predictor of the employees future performance. According to Lesgold et al., the costs to employers of obtaining various kinds of information might overweigh the informations potential usefulness, thereby discouraging employers from seeking information that would better enable them to judge worker qualities 3. Hence, each employer should focus on the analysis of an employer in the course of face-to-face communication or interview.
Analysis of the Skills and Capabilities Developed During the Course
Before considering the skills gained during the course, it should be stressed that some skills I have successfully managed to acquire, such as communicativeness and self-management whereas some skills need to be polished and developed in future, such as teamwork, dependability, and ability to cooperate. Regarding the employers major requirements for a graduate recruit, there are certain skills and capabilities that have been successfully acquired and the ones that are to be gained in the future.
In particular, I believe that knowledge of several languages is a great advantage for my job because it will help me socialize effectively with people from different cultures, particularly with those who have Greek and French roots. Excellent command of English is also crucial because it is the most widely used language in the world, and it is a language of business communication. In addition, a high level of language competence can significantly contribute to my further development and professional growth.
The second advantageous package of skills I have acquired is great self-discipline and the ability to face difficult and challenging situations. My experience in communicating with employers has contributed to my understanding of the major peculiarities and threats of production management. I have realized that professional knowledge and competence are of primary importance when it comes to critical situations, and when the only way out is to act quickly and make immediate decisions. In this respect, I know what it means to provide viable solutions to the trickiest problems because product management is not only knowledge of the major stages of manufacturing, but also readiness to act and solve problems.
Although leadership skills are not popular among employers, I believe they are still necessary to gain because they greatly deposit to the process of decision-making. In addition, great assertiveness and the ability to stand a rigorous competition will make me less vulnerable to the emerging contingencies. What is more important is that the qualities of a leader involve desire to learn, aspiration for innovative techniques, and respect for others. According to Rossiter and Ferguson, leadership entails the ability to socialize effectively with others irrespective of difficulties and challenging situations4. Finally, strict adherence to rules and great awareness of duties and obligations to be taken in the future will make me more confident while carrying out my job.
Gaps to Be Fulfilled While Comparing the Employers Requirements and the Acquired Skills
After a thorough consideration of the skills that should be acquired and the ones that have already been mastered, certain gaps exist that should be immediately fulfilled to increase chances to get the desirable job. I will primarily focus on the analysis of self-motivation and incentives, dependence and flexibility, and, finally, cooperation and working in a team.
As my purpose lies in looking for a job in the sphere of business administration and product management, self-motivation and straightforwardness are inherent components for achieving success. Moreover, these skills are crucial for defining the essential purposes as well as the multiple responsibilities and obligations I will be involved in. In order to develop self-management and self-motivation, the following steps should be taken:
Setting a goal and adhere to it irrespective of challenges occurred;
Establishing short-term and long-term objectives;
Predicting challenging that you might face while performing a particular business operation;
Adjusting to new conditions and circumstances;
Setting objectives for self-improvement as well as to measure to be taken to improve my performance and productivity;
Identifying major and weaknesses of your character;
Evaluating the outcomes and giving reward5.
All these stages should be consistently fulfilled to reach the desirable effect and track progress while performing those.
I clearly understand that flexibility, cooperation, and working in team skills are imperative for a successful adaptation to the employed environment. In this regard, I plan to enhance those abilities by advancing my communicational and problem-solving skills. I also realize that the main essence of successful cooperation lies in listening to each others opinions, sharing experiences, and evaluating the shortcomings of the decisions made. United forces provide more chances for performing managerial procedures in a more appropriate way. I should also admit that constantly working in the team contributes to better allocating the roles and responsibilities and monitoring the overall performance6
Foonotes
Jenner, 2000, The graduate career handbook: making the right start for a bright future. Pearson Education, London, p. 16.
Jenner, p. 17.
AM Lesgold, MJ Feuer, and AM Black,1997, National Research Council, Transitions in Work and Learning: Implications for Assessment: Paper and Proceedings. National Academies, New York.
DA Rossiter, JG Ferguson, 2004, Leadership Skills. Infobase Publishing, New York, p. 8
H Koontz and H Weinrich, 2005, Essentials of Management, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, p. 288.
of TJ Watson, 2008, Sociology, work, and industry. Taylor & Francis, London.
Bibliography
Jenner, S, 2000, The graduate career handbook: making the right start for a bright future. Pearson Education, London.
Koontz, H, and Weinrich, H, 2005, Essentials of Management, Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Lesgold, AM, Feuer, MJ, and Black, AM, 1997, National Research Council, Transitions in Work and Learning: Implications for Assessment: Paper and Proceedings, National Academies, New York.
Rossiter, DA, Ferguson, JG, 2004, Leadership Skills. Infobase Publishing, New York
Watson, TJ, 2008, Sociology, work, and industry. Taylor & Francis, London.
The Professional Development Program (PDP) was a proposal set to recruit college graduates and proximate to offer job placement after training. The establishment was approved to attract and prepare potential graduates for successful management careers in the distribution, retail, and corporate activities within SUPERVALU. The initiative consisted of five new hires whereby four individuals selected Tech Buyers as their commencement and one as a Warehouse Supervisor. The plan was affected by the low numbers of participants and deficit of proficient leadership that piloted Cimmerer, the General Director, to survey the demands from the regional distribution centers and retail stores. The valuation was concerned with the rise of a substantial number of participants in the industrys PDP program. Cimmerers function was to ensure that SUPERVALU had a new structure and discipline, which led to high productivity and the increment of an experienced workforce. I liked the plan because it manifests the importance of experts ideas in the ventures and the anticipation of future challenges.
SUPERVALU was an ultimate food distribution company in the United States based in Prairie, Minnesota. The corporation was estimated to have about 4,400 independent retail food stores in 48 states in America. The establishment also supplied nutrition commodities to corporate-owned stores and other food merchants. The firms mission was to be a world-class distributor and retail food, medications, and inventory through a grocery-driven business. The company aimed to offer education to the graduates on how to retain customer satisfaction by delivering quality services. The administrations devotion to the project led to the transformation in the chronology of wholesaling. Consolidating new business systems that involve pricing, category management, and vendor relation in the enterprise leads to changes in businesses operations.
The programs purpose was to recruit highly talented candidates and provide them with broad exposure to the corporation through job experiences and training. The firm experienced losses that contributed to new changes in the entry-level of the companys setting. The enterprise task force agreed on various requirements that the candidates should hold to minimize losses. The provisions included a college degree, minimum GPA of 3.0-grade point average, two-year experience in the food industry, excellent communication, and interpersonal skills, and robust analytical and leadership expertise. The utilization of PDP in the company proposed distinctive welfare such as building a centralized leadership capability, assisting in the firms diversity, and saving cost, which impacted both the graduates and the institution. In my stand regarding the emergence of PDP, I might have chosen experienced personnel over the graduates since experts can offer new business concepts. The generation of ideas from proficient individuals leads to an increment of production and opportunities for the employees.
In 1999, Cimmerer should have ensured that all the PDP trainees get a premier training and development experience through the firms support. The organization should have facilitated the education by furnishing experienced mentors, coaches, and program sponsors who are responsible for coordinating the people and resources required for the triumph of SUPERVALU. The production level in SUPERVALU needed a substantial number of participants for the business to thrive effectively. The Participants needed the determination to create business ideas to help the company compete effectively despite the accumulating objections.
Some of the future challenges that Cimmerer needs to anticipate in his professional development include the demand for advanced technologies, deficit in financial support, and shortage of professional training, which will affect the staff and employees. According to (Fleming, 2022), commitment and sustainability is a strategic approach used to develop and implement crisis
mobility plans to support an organizations mission. Cimmerer should organize a reliable leadership that is innovative and inclusive to achieve organizational resilience and stability when crises invade. Anticipation help businesses to overcome challenges and develop new strategies which promote exhibition while decreasing failures. It is crucial to hire skillful personnel in the SUPERVALU industry to help in the decision-making procedures and execute risk management tactics for the businesses.
Reference
Fleming, R. S. (2022). Crisis Preparedness as a Sustainability Strategy. In Innovative Leadership in Times of Compelling Changes, 251-264. Springer, Cham.
The current trends in the people practice profession show that today, the most demanded personal qualities in this field are the flexibility of thinking and the ability to behave in accordance with the situation. A true people practice professional can and should quickly adapt to the changing conditions and build new skills on the go, as well as see the “big picture” and be able to strategize their actions.
Thus, I see my personal development as not only the improvement of formal intelligence (measured by traditional IQ) but also the cultivation of emotional intelligence (measured by EQ). Emotional literacy should become the same norm for everyone as the ability to read, and, as a professional, I must master emotional intellect. I strive to develop my self-awareness and self-control, empathy, interpersonal skills, and the ability to motivate myself and others and lead people. To do this, I read evidence-based academic literature on this topic, as well as engaged in volunteering projects such as event planning for animal shelters and community support work.
The role of the people who practice professionalism in business and management activities is growing. Such a professional not only works with staff but also participates, together with senior management, in creating an internal personnel management policy and is responsible for its implementation. Often, a people practice professional becomes a conductor of new ideas, introduces management to advanced methods of personnel management, and develops a mission corporate culture of the enterprise. In addition, these competencies include creating a favorable psychological climate in the team, holding corporate events, assisting in the adaptation of new employees, creating a personnel development program, organizing, and, if necessary, conducting training. In order to improve my knowledge of managing human capital and organizational culture, I have attended free online courses on Stepik and Khan Academy platforms. The information I learned during these courses helped me grow my knowledge base and provided me with new insights into the field, which I can apply to my own experience and practice as a professional.
I like to think that I implement the concept of statesmanship in my actions as a people professional. The moral act of statesmanship calls on the personal qualities of a leader and their ability to dare and take action. Purposefulness, adherence to principles, and awareness of their relevance to society are integral qualities of a leader, and I always try to foster these traits in myself. I think that leaders capable of being statesmen are essential for the successful management of modern enterprises in conditions of high uncertainty and high speed of ongoing transformations. It is these leaders who can effectively carry out modernization and introduce innovations.
Thus, I try to be open-minded, motivate, and inspire my peers not only through my words but with my actions. The main task of a leader is to “ignite,” inspire, and arouse readiness for action, and intelligence or logic alone is unlikely to cope with this. According to Longenecker and Mallin (2019), to achieve this effect, the leader should possess emotional intelligence and 360° communication skills. These traits give the leader the power to influence people in different ways. As Issah (2018), “a key determinant to the level of success is the degree to which the leader is able to communicate a need for the change to members of the organization” (p. 2).
I foster this commitment in myself by attending seminars and training as a speaker or coach, showing my expertise in the field, and providing people with the basis for positive change. It helps me see the most common issues and problems people experience in their working environment and strengthen my own practical skills by educating others.
The long-term goal that I have set for myself is to continue my education in all the ways possible. Lejeune et al.’s (2017, p. 1086) study results confirm “the importance of setting learning goals and including informal learning activities.” I try to attend as many offline additional courses and vocational education programs as possible to keep up with the constant changes in the field of people practice. Online courses, while convenient and comfortable, often do not provide many practical experiences and assessments, focusing more on the theoretical base. I have always thought that almost every person engaged in intellectual work understands the need for self-development. Summers (2017, p. 21) suggests that “rationalization is a profound challenge to our moral assessments of actions and agents and to our self-understanding and self-improvement.” By meeting and engaging with other professionals, I establish a strong network and exchange experiences, learn new information about the field, and gather insight on how to further facilitate my self-development.
References
Allen, S. et al., 2018. Exploring a model of servant leadership, empowerment, and commitment in nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 29(1), pp.123–140.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2022) Ethical practice and the role of people professionals: Factsheets, CIPD. Web.
Issah, M. (2018) “Change leadership: The role of emotional intelligence,” SAGE Open, 8(3), p. 215824401880091.
Lejeune, C., Beausaert, S. and Raemdonck, I. (2018) “The impact on employees’ job performance of exercising self-directed learning within Personal Development Plan Practice,” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(5), pp. 1086–1112.
Longenecker, C.O. and Mallin, M.L. (2019) “Key leadership skills of great sales leaders,” Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, 34(3), pp. 7–10.
Mitra, J., 2020. Entrepreneurship, innovation and regional development an introduction, London, UK: Routledge.
Shore, L.M., Cleveland, J.N. & Sanchez, D., 2018. Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), pp.176–189.
Summers, J.S. (2017) “Post hoc ergo propter hoc: Some benefits of rationalization,” Philosophical Explorations, 20(sup1), pp. 21–36.
