David Bollish

July 9, 2014
Supervision and Instruction
Chadron Summer 2014
Dr. New
Professional Development Plan Review:
Second-Grade Teachers PDP: Balanced Literacy Plan
Directions:
UsingDanielsonsHandbookforEnhancingProfessionalPracticechapter5,
evaluateeitherofthetwoprovidedProfessionalDevelopmentPlansamplesoroneof
yourchoice.BesuretoanalyzethesampleinlightofDanielsonsareasofSelf
Assessment,GoalSetting,ActionPlanning,CarryingOutthePlan,Reflectionand
Closure,andSharingResultswithColleagues.
YourReviewshouldbeapproximatelyfourpagesinlengthinordertocoverthe
issues.Asusual,APAstyle.
ProfessionalDevelopmentEvaluation
ThroughoutDanielsonstextandoursupervisionofInstructioncoursefrom
ChadronStateCollegeweaswellasDanielsonhavereferredtopersonalreflection,
professionalinquiryandselfevaluationaskeycomponentstobothprincipalshipand
qualityteaching.DanielsonStatesthatAtoneofinquiry,onethatemphasizesall
teachersobligationtoengageinongoinglearningandtheresultingjoyindoingsois
essential(Danielson,2008,pg.18).ProfessionalDevelopmentPlansserveasexcellent
datadriven,reflectiveandgoalsettingformatforteacherstoorganizedata,behonestand
criticaloftheirownworkaswellasreceivefeedbackfortheirefforts.Infact,andin
accordancetoDanielsonandselfreflectiveassessmentorworkmustbedrivenfromthe
individualsintenttoimprove(Danielson,2008).Thisreviewincludesateacherwho
doesanexcellentjobofpresentingherplaninaprofessionalandpersonallyreflective
format.AsaprincipalIwouldfindthistobewithadoubt,asuitableformatand
presentationofanindividualsProfessionalDevelopmentPlanasitisreflective,based
longitudinalimprovement,andhascleargoals,objectivesandimplementationplan.
SelfAssessment
IfoundthisexamplebyaSecondGradeteachertobeanexcellentformatand
exampleofpositiveselfreflection.Ispeciallynotethatthereflectionwascriticalyet
positive.Danielsonaddressestheissueofcriticalselftalkorcriticalreflectionalso
havingdetrimentalimpactsontheteacher,heremindsthereaderthatthepurposeofself
evaluationistogrowandimprovenottoteardown.Ifeltthatthroughoutthe
professionaldevelopmentplandesignedforsecondgradeliteracywaswelldown,

reflectivedrivenbypersonalimprovementandsupportthatwouldhaveadirectimpact
onstudentoutcomes.
Thisplanutilizestospecificcomponentsthatdemonstratetheteacherscontinually
andprofessionalreflectionofhergrowthanddevelopment.First,shespecificallyreflects
onherownclassroomtactics,admittingthatsheissearchingforamoreengagingmethod
toexplorewithherstudents.Shealso,keepslongitudinaldata,reflectingforthreeyears
whilesheimplementsandgrowsinherchosenprofessionaldevelopmentofguided
reading.Thecontinualinternaldialectdrivescontinualimprovement,andallowsfor
recordablegrowthofherselfandherstudentsandthusly,measurableaccomplishmentsof
specificgoals.
GoalSetting
Theteacherdoesanexcellentexampleofarticulatingspecificpersonalgoalsthat
relatetobothherprofessionaldevelopmentandspecificallytoherstudentsimproved
success.Thestatingofthesegoalsinmannerthatallowsthemtobepersonalyetfocused
onstudentoutcomesisverywelldoneandtheultimateobjectiveofaProfessional
DevelopmentPlan.Also,whileaddressingspecificbigpicturegoalsshealsoaddresses
stepbystepobjectiveswhichwillserveasshorttermgoalswhichmayalsobemeasured
fordataandtracking.Hergoalsaresupportedbydistrictandpersonalrational,student
support,planforimplementationanddetailedschedule.Lastly,herobjectivesaddress
herdevelopment,implementationandherstudentsoutcomes,thisprovidescontext,
support,andnotablepointsforreflectionthroughoutthedevelopmentalprocess.
ActionPlanning
TheActionplanforthisindividualisspecificallylinedoutinboththeobjectives
andthroughherincludeddatamatrices,whichexpressthedatecompleted,timeline,
collaboration,andactivitycompleted.Sheutilizesoneoftheabovementionedmatrices
todocumentandkeeptrackofeachofherclearlyoutlinedobjectives.Theseobjectives
areproperlyaddressedandserveasauseableroadmapfortheteacherassheworks
towardsimprovingandimplementinghernewinstructiontechniquesintotheclassroom.
Finally,shealsoincludesanannualrearreviewprovidingaplatformforreflectionandto
furtherdocumentbothherandherstudentsgrowthregardingandpertainingtothenewly
developedmethod.Thisoneyearreviewalsoincreasesandagainpromotesher
acquisitionoflongitudinaldata.
InanalysisIespeciallylikedthewayinwhichsheincludedcollaborationinher
actionplanbutIwouldliketoseeamoredetailedreviewofthefeedback.Theteacher
doesagoodjobofrecordingprofessionalcollaborationdoesnotaddressanyofthe
feedback,Ibelievethatincludingbothpositivesandnegativesagainprovidesmoreroom
forselfreflectionandprovidesamoreclearimageofthedevelopmentalprocess.In
short,Ibelieveincludingdocumentationofthesemeetingsandfeedbackisessentialto
thedevelopmentalprocess.

CarryingOutthePlan
Theteacherdoesasoundjobofchunkingandimplementingtheplan.Shealso
veryefficientlyusesheractionplanmatricesasbothdocumentationforplanning,andfor
documentationofimplementationoftheguidingreadingmethods.Itseemsbothefficient
andwelldoneandhadherreflectionandclosurenotbeensowelldoneIwouldhave
likedtoseenamoredefinitivenarrativeandassessmentofthedataandorprogressfor
boththeinstructorandherstudents.
ReflectionandClosure
Thethirdgradeteachersclosureandreflectionwasasolidnarrativewithaclear
intenttodiscuss,bothherpersonalgrowthandachievementsaswellasherstudents.
Thereflectionanconcludingsegmentofherplanservedasaclearsummaryofherplan,
itsobjectives,andtheresults.Sheincludesbothsuccessesandfailuresofherselfand
realisticassessmentsofherstudentsprogressandgrowth.Theseexperienceswere
addressedintermsofdatasummariesrelatingtoherdesignatedobjectivesandgoals.
InacriticalsenseIdofeelthatshefailedtoincludestudentsetbacks,asshe
talkedexclusivelystudentgrowthandimprovement.Perhapsstudentoutcomeswere
strictlypositivebutitdoesseemthattherewouldbesomestruggleswithimplementation
oratleastsomeminordrawbacks.WhileIfeltthatshedidanexcellentjobofbeing
positiveyetstillhonestandcriticalinherownworkIwouldhavelikedtohaveseenher
discussstudentadversityasitwouldhaveprovidedImorerealisticevaluationand
narrativeofthechildsroleintheinstructorsdevelopmentalprocess.InadditionIwould
havelikedtoseenmorequantitativedatarelatedtowardsherstudentsincreasedinterest
inreadingorlengthofdiscussions.Whilequalitativedatasufficientlysupportedher
developmentalplan,Ibelievethatnextstep,inhernextplan,whichshementionsherself
wouldbetoincludenumericaldatatofurthersupportherdiscussionofsuccess.
SharingResultswithColleagues
Thisexampleincludedaverybriefdiscussionabouttheelementofcollaboration.
Bothheractionmatricesandherreflectionincludedextremelybriefandvague
confirmationsofprofessionalcollegiality.AspreviouslymentionedIbelievethather
collaborationcomponentshouldhavebeenmoreindepthandincludedgreaterdetailas
wellasspecificexamplesoffeedbackorotherteachersexperienceswithsimilarmethods
toprovidemoreofabaselineandcontextforprofessionalsharing.WhileDanielsoneven
addressestheissuethatprofessionalcollaborationisnottheanessentialcomponentof
ProfessionalDevelopmentPlans,hedoesofferthatanincreaseincolleagueconversation,
feedback,supportandparticipationinPDPsmostdefinitelyhighlyrecommendedaswell
ashelpful.

Theteacherbrieflyrecallsanincreaseinprofessionalconversationsandthe
networkingandsharingofideasrelatedtoherprofessionaldevelopmentmodality.This
seemedatbesttobeastretch,andcertainlyqualifiesastheweakestelementofthe
DevelopmentPlan.Whileitsimportantthatteachersarehavingprofessional
conversationsandsharingprofessionaldevelopmentexperiencesandknowledgethis
seemedincrediblyinformalforaprojectofthismagnitude.Itseemsthatasan
administratorassigningorpairingupindividualswithsimilarplansandallowingthemto
operateandworktogethercouldbeadvantageousandalsoprovideagreateropportunity
fordatacollectingwiththedevelopmentasawholeorwithspecificimplementation
techniques.Also,itseemsthatforthoseteacherscompletingtheirfirstPDP,pairing
themwithamentorteachercouldpotentiallynotonlyincreasethesuccessoftheplanbut
alsotheprofessionalfeedbackaswellasprovidedguidanceandsupportthroughoutthe
process.Again,whilecollaborationisnotnecessaryitishighlyrecommendedby
Danielson(Danielson,2008).
References:
Danielson,C.(2008).Thehandbookforenhancingprofessionalpractice.Usingthe
frameworkforteachinginyourschool.Alexandria,Virginia.AssociationforSupervision
andCurriculumDevelopment.
Burmaster,E.(2005).ProfessionalDevelopmentPlan:EducatorsToolKit.Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.WisconsinDepartmentofPublicInstruction.