Conferences and Workshops
One of the main avenues of professional development that I plan annually is attending conferences and workshops. Doing allows me to network with other other educators, gain new information in the field, offers me the opportunity to share my experiences and expertise by presenting. I plan to attend conferences targeted to health and physical educators and those that also deal with other areas of education. Gaining knowledge and insight from a variety of educators will help be a better overall educator and leader. I plan to attend local, state and national conferences in the coming year including the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Digital Learning Summer Summit, the Health and Physical Activity Institute and the SHAPE America National Convention
Research
Being aware of research as it pertains to education, communities and the youth they serve is essential for offering best practices for my students. Topics of research that I plan to review on a monthly basis include health, physical education, youth sports, coaching, sports medicine, educational leadership, and innovative teaching practices. In addition to reading articles, I plan to present at the Longwood Graduate Research Symposium in April and submit an article for consideration to Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sports Educators
Credentialing and Certifications
Continuing my education and learning shows a commitment to my profession and students. Striving for expertise is a journey that never ends and I will continue to seek out opportunities to increase my knowledge base in health, physical education and teaching pedagogy. My immediate goals for professional development are to obtain the Certified Health Education Specialist credential during the October 2020 cycle and begin the process to become a National Board Certified Teacher.