Teacher Education and Professional Development

Overview of Teaching Education and Professional Development College Programs

Teaching education and professional development postsecondary programs are continuing education programs that cover technological applications in the classroom, integrated learning methods, combating problem behaviors, information literacy, teaching creativity, effects of poverty on education and bullying prevention.

Certificates and Teaching Education and Professional Development Degrees

Technical schools and mainstream colleges and universities offer academic programs in teaching education and professional development.  Teachers can continue their education and increase their professional development by getting advanced certifications and degrees like a Doctorate degree of Philosophy in Education, Master’s degree of Teacher Education and Professional Development, Certificate in Educational Leadership and Administration and/or a Certificate or Diploma in Teacher Education Professional Development.

Teachers at all levels (e.g. elementary, middle school, secondary) can also enroll in teaching education and professional development courses that take between 20 and 60 hours to complete.  Instead of a degree, teachers who complete development programs get a certificate of completion.  Depending on the postsecondary school teachers get the certifications from, the courses can costs from $100 to $200 dollars each.  Fortunately, some school districts will pay for the development courses.  Before registering for a course at an accredited college or university, teachers should contact their school districts human resource office and ask if the courses are reimbursed or if the school district pays for the courses upfront.

Teaching Education and Professional Development Courses

Undergraduate and graduate teaching education and professional development courses are available from online colleges and in classroom settings. Types of online and classroom teaching education and professional development courses are:

• Character development in the classroom
• Dropout prevention
• Collaborative classroom
• Service learning
• Preventing school violence
• Self-esteem for educators
• Stress management for teachers
• Discipline with dignity
• Educating special needs children
• Mastering grantsmanship
• Teachers and the law
• Teaching gifted and talented students
• Peer mentoring and coaching
• Preventing gang activity in schools
• Reaching today’s students
• Strategic lesson planning
• Teaching and learning with groups

Skills Gained from Teaching Education and Professional Development Courses

When teachers and educators continue their education and strengthen their professional development they remain current about teaching and learning procedures, policies, tools and strategies.  Other benefits they receive are:

• Overcome resistance to change
• Give and receive positive feedback
• Build effective communication skills
• Stay abreast of new education laws, trends and developments
• Network with peers
• Eliminate cultural prejudices
• Understand importance of intervening on gang and bullying early
• Create online classroom instruction pages
• Improve management skills in and out of the classroom
• Continue to improve upon existing leadership skills

Job Prospects for Teachers Who Continue Their Education and Professional Development

Teachers who value lifelong education give themselves increased opportunities to land quality work both in and outside the classroom.  Many of these teachers can go on to work as learning and development trainers for major corporations.  They can also work for government agencies as software and curriculum trainers.  Whether or not they work solely in the classroom, they should see a 13 to 19 percent job growth from 2008 through 2018 according to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.