Educators, administrators, and those in higher education who are committed

to ensuring quality experiences for students across the ages (and for new
growth opportunities for themselves too) should be excited for the year ahead.
There’s no question that 2018 will bring light to a variety of topics and issues
that could monumentally affect the way we teach and the way students learn.
Read on to learn about some of our predictions and trends in education that
we’re seeing and anticipating, and be sure to follow the embedded links to
explore the topics in more depth.

1. Opportunities to develop programs for Career & Technical Education (CTE)

and associated high-quality apprenticeships and best practices will emerge;
e.g., health, automotive, and mechatronics programs. A bill passed by the
House in 2017 focuses on improving CTE programming, recognizing that not
all programs are equally well resourced or supported. The education field will
need to carefully balance early career opportunities in these fields with
program features that set students up for long-term success as fields evolve
over time. For an interesting look at the tradeoffs in these areas, check out
this article in The Atlantic.
2. Opportunities for practicing teachers to participate in residency-based
preparation programs for pre-service teachers will continue to grow, including
the use of the gradual release model in teacher preparation clinical
experiences. Residencies are commonly designed to support areas of high
need (secondary math and science, special education) that result from
extensive teacher turnover, particularly in major city school districts. The
creative partnership between districts, graduate programs of education, and
non-profits that fund stipends for the candidates can result in teachers who
stay in the system for longer periods, providing students with increased
learning opportunities from experienced teachers.
3. Teachers and school leaders will see opportunities to become trained mentors
and leaders in providing induction programs with mentoring and support
through the early years of an educator’s career in both the teaching and
school principal professions. Programs such as those offered through The
New Teacher Center have been around for quite a while but renewed
attention to issues of turnover and attrition in the field continue to focus efforts
that support new teacher retention. Programs are available at the school,
district, and state level that foster ongoing reflection and mentoring
opportunities for early career teachers and administrators.
4. Information on building the skills of paraprofessionals who work alongside
teachers in classrooms will really develop. As paraprofessionals continue to
work with some of the most marginalized populations in classrooms, building
their skills and capacities for this work is crucial for ensuring quality
 educational experiences for all. Finding creative ways to embed professional
development opportunities within and throughout the school day and year will
continue to be a goal for districts around the country.
5. Leveraging technology in education will be of paramount interest to teachers
and educators; e.g., Flipgrid, a video discussion platform is being employed
with young children in schools. It is amazing how quickly young children
engage and embrace learning with the opportunity to incorporate technology
into their practice. Tools that foster oral, audio, and written skills are of interest
to young learners and allow them to express themselves beyond the capacity
of their writing abilities. Much work with critical thinking can also be done in
this manner when tools such as Seesaw blogs or flipgrid are used to support
learning.
6. Interest in information on trauma-informed practices will continue to increase
across education as teachers and other education professionals seek
resources for responding to traumatic events that affect children of all ages.
Studies show that 25% of children under the age of 16 have experienced
trauma in their lives. Children bring their lives with them to school, and
schools and teachers are learning to adapt classroom management
strategies, instructional supports, and school climate to support children who
have experienced trauma to help them build their resilience over time.
7. Educators will need to adopt more inclusive practices in education—practices
designed to enable a child with a disability to be involved in, and make
progress in, the general education curriculum. Inclusive education is not a
new concept, but educators continue to progress in their knowledge about
effective ways to support students with a wide range of needs in the least
restrictive environment possible.
8. There will be a continued focus on student achievement and its connection to
school/teacher evaluation systems. States have designed and redesigned
systems that look closely at teacher evaluation through the lens of student
achievement on various assessments (some local, some state, some
national). There are many thoughts on the validity of assessments as linked to
teacher or school evaluation, and this is a conversation that will continue for a
long time!
9. Career pathways for teachers that build on exemplary classroom practice will
be highlighted; e.g., mentoring skills, teacher leadership roles. Teaching is
often considered a “flat career” because there are few steps forward in the
profession outside of leaving the classroom for administrative positions.
Because not all teachers are interested in those types of roles, teaching has
slowly embraced some positions that are informal (like new teacher mentoring
in some places) or formal (TOSAs—teachers on special
assignment, instructional coaches) that create a new space for additional
 professional growth and development. These roles honor the capacities of
teachers while building on their expertise to support curriculum, instruction,
and new teacher growth in schools.
10. The existing teacher shortage—especially in special education, math,
and science, and in schools serving students of color, low-income students,
and English Learners—will continue through 2018 and will increase, based in
part on the predicted increase in the school-going population in the upcoming
decade. Additionally, as the baby boomers move towards retirement, the need
for teachers will continue to grow. While this is not a new problem, the
challenges are present across the nation and will likely have to be tackled on
multiple fronts at once to result in true change.