Standard 8: Educators Contribute to the Profession

Much like standard 7, I believe that standard 8 speaks to something most teachers would like to do given sufficient time for planning and reflection. As an early career educator, I feel that my ability to offer many of the things described in standard 8 (such as professional development or college instruction) is limited. However, having worked as a child and youth counselor for five years prior to this career change, I feel there is prior experience I bring to education that is worth sharing. I am lucky to work in a school that values this type of prior experience and am grateful to have colleagues who are seasoned teachers who are willing to ask my thoughts on challenges that my experience might help with. 

As my professional experience and learning as a teacher expands, it is absolutely a professional goal of mine to share that learning in more formal capacities. This could look many different ways, but in the long term I would love to contribute by educating at the college level with not just future teachers, but future EAs and school based child and youth counselors as well. I feel that when we consider how educators might contribute to the profession, collaboration and co-education with other professionals who work in schools has the potential to be invaluable, and I would love to be a part of that process.