I’m nearing the end of the PIDP, so what’s next? As a fulltime permanent faculty member at Vancouver Community College I am required to do one month of professional development each year. There has never been any shortage of things on my PD wishlist: I regularly attend and present at conferences, attend additional workshops, listen to guest speakers, and even just seek out YouTube videos or blog posts about topics of interest to me. That being said, there are a few things I can envision:

1) Taking additional PIDP courses

I joined the program when it had a lower credit threshold and didn’t require electives. Since the program was redesigned, several interesting-looking elective courses have been added. I can envision taking an additional course here and there as an annual refresher during my PD month (which I usually take in May or June).

2) Finding or creating a community of professional practice

I’d like to connect with other instructors more about teaching. I’m already a member of a couple of teaching-related Facebook groups, but I haven’t found them to be much use for the kind of general, day-to-day support I’m looking for. I’d love to set up an ongoing Zoom meeting with my Music colleagues at VCC, maybe a “Lunch and Learn” where we could get together to talk informally about issues, strategies, or resources of interest.

3) Subscribing to Toolsi

Toolsi is a project developed by Nadia Chaney, a colleague of mine, over the past few years. It’s a suite of online facilitation resources including short videos, a podcast, courses, workbooks, activities, and an online community. I’ve been watching it grow with interest, and I think when I’m finished the PIDP it will be an interesting place for me to migrate to continue my professional development work. Teaching and facilitation go hand in hand, and as the years go by, I’m becoming more interested in the process and craft of teaching, not just course content or being a subject-matter expert.

How we build our own approach to teaching is a lifelong project. I’m lucky to have amazing teachers in my life, especially my mother Linda Morgan and my dear friend Leslie Tilley, with whom I’ve spent many hours discussing instructional strategies, cool assignments, high-minded visions, and grading woes. I’m grateful for these relationships. No good teachers are made in isolation; we need communities of practice and mutual support.

That’s why after nearly 8 years, I’m still motivated to work in education. I needed a career that would never cease to challenge me and present opportunities for growth and connection. I’ve found that.