Professional Learning Networks

 Happy Thursday!

Photo Source: GIPHY.com

I hope your week is going well. I cannot believe it is the middle of March already! This is my first week back from spring break and I just submitted 3rd quarter grades today. I am looking forward to the forth quarter with my first group of students. We have lots to cover still and we will begin test prepping next week. My students are starting to get a little nervous for their first state testing experience in the upcoming weeks! I have been looking up some fun activities and ideas for test prep for my kids and this brings up the topic of Professional Learning Networks (PLN) this week!

What are Professional Learning Networks?

According to an article on Edutopia, "A PLN is a network of connections that educators create and engage in aimed at enhancing their professional development (PD). PLNs provide great spaces for teachers to exchange ideas, collaborate and share resources, and engage in meaningful discussions about teaching practices and trends in education." I believe this is the best way to sum up what a Professional Learning Network is in education. To learn more about building your PLN check out this link!

As an educator, I am constantly collaborating with my team to better my teaching skills and abilities to help my students be successful. However, I also enjoy learning from others online to find new resources and share them with my 3rd grade team. This week I learned about four growth areas from Dr. Torrey Trust that support professional growth of educators. She shared short and sweet videos on social growth, affective growth, cognitive growth, and identity growth. All of these areas are extremely important to me as I am a first-year teacher. I believe the most relevant area of growth is affective. Dr. Trust shares, "other benefits for teachers include affective growth, so teachers can feel emotionally supported when they are able to connect and learn with others." This year I have had some trial and errors with lessons, but I communicate with my team and am always open to feedback. Not only do I hear feedback from the staff at my school, but I have also been learning new ideas to try from colleagues in my courses through Dominican University. I love being able to adjust my lessons and continue my education to provide the best learning environment for my students. 

A previous PLN I participated in this year was by creating a professional Twitter/X page. This lead me to interact with a Twitter Chat and learn from other educators. I had a positive experience and loved interacting with others through the digital community. I look forward to participating in more Twitter Chats, but this week I want to learn more about myself and my personality.

Personality Test 

The first personality test I took was the FiveThirtyEight. I have included a picture of the results below. 

Photo Source: Results from FiveThirtyEight

I believe these scores are pretty accurate from the website. My highest score was for agreeableness. This is one of my biggest personality traits in my opinion. I get along with just about anyone and I am always hearing what others are saying. I am open-minded to any suggestions or comments made by others. Also, I tend to make friends easily. The next highest score was conscientiousness. It stated, "People like you work hard, and your boss probably loves your well-planned productivity." I think this quote from the website sums me up pretty well. I always have a detailed plan day by day. I also am a people pleaser. 

Then I took a Five Factor Test. This was a very similar test to the first personality test I took. The percentages were very similar, so I would say these tests are reliable. My results showed: Extraversion (80%), Openness to Experience (60%), Conscientiousness (82%), Agreeableness (85%), and Neuroticism (48%). 

The last test I took was over Leadership Skills. Although, I am only in my first year teaching I have been considering leadership classes to pursue in my future. My leadership results are attached below. 

Photo Source: MindTools

A strong leader is a great communicator, positive, flexible, organized, and are reliable. These are some of my best strengths while being a leader. I became a leader at a young age from being a leader in sports and school clubs. I think this is part of my journey to becoming a leader in my school district as well. As I am learning more about my career each day, I would need to be more understanding of problem and solution. As I gain more years in my professional, I think I will feel more comfortable suggesting new ideas and resolutions to a problem or conflict.