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Professional Learning While on the Job is an Important Teaching Perk

Professional Learning While on the Job is an Important Teaching Perk

An important lesson to remember is that a challenging job will keep you interested. Starting a new job is often tricky and complex because we learn all the ins and outs of the latest teaching position. This keeps us on our toes and makes our minds focused and sharp.

Over time, as we get comfortable in our positions, we tend to go on autopilot and become less engaged unless our jobs have professional learning opportunities built into them.

When you stop professional learning or on-the-job training, you become more aware of other factors like salary, school budgets, resources, workplace morale, etc. It is much easier to obsess over perks and money when you become bored at your job. This is why the ability to continue professional learning is an important perk for any position.

As people, we crave new challenges. Sometimes, we must overcome failure and optimize the learning experience of failure.

Once we’ve mastered something, it will quickly become boring unless there is variety in it that will continue to keep our interest and challenge us.

A school environment with a sharing, learning, and mentoring culture will make a more enjoyable work experience and keep you improving as an educator. No one should want to remain stagnant in their field. This means that if you find yourself without a job for any reason, your skills will be lacking when you conduct a job search.

Professional learning will make you more flexible and adaptable to major changes, such as budget cuts or shifts in technology or teaching methods. This versatility will make you more employable now and in the future.

An old belief in the professional world is old dogs can’t learn new tricks. If you are in a teaching position where professional learning is offered and encouraged, you will prove this adage false.

Continuing professional development in some form is imperative for a professional teaching career. This is why so many school districts require professional development for their teachers.

Although money and perks matter, they are not permanent. The skills and knowledge you learn through your work will last a lifetime. The education you gain cannot be taken away or measured. The skills and knowledge you acquire will allow you to attain the money and perks you desire more efficiently.

So, if you feel you’ve gotten into a rut professionally, seek new ways to learn. Get involved in school committees or special projects, or put in extra effort toward your professional development. If you feel you’ve gained everything you can from a teaching job, perhaps it’s time to move on.