Donald Robinson II

Teacher-driven growth can help foster camaraderie, collaboration, productivity, and teamwork within a school organization.  When teachers feel empowered, they are more likely to be proactive and engaged in developing their approaches to teaching...and connecting with the youth.  Also, the PLC can be an environment and framework for teachers to be inspired to be innovative, creative and willing to try new approaches to their teaching methods.  When teachers lead, teachers can feel like they're being heard by their administration.  Trust is then strengthened, and a unified vision can be nurtured and supported.

In this CTE world, Professional Learning Communities help teachers with proactive measures for dealing with barriers, both in the classroom and with the students personally.  The cohesion explained in this module, from a physics concept, makes sense from an energy perspective.  As one learns from others, it helps everyone; once shared experience from one or a few group members is brought forth, the entire group benefits as a result.

PLCs are a great way to have community learning from members with a shared experience take place.  Common ground always is a thread for people to have synergy, and obtain goal-reaching… >>>

Working in a PLC appears to be a very fruitful, professionally rewarding endeavor.  A PLC can help empower teachers and school staff other than administrators for each person's professional and even personal development:  if it is conducted in the way described in this module.  Theoretically, the PLC is the peer-to-peer group that teachers need, and similar efforts are conducted in other industries to help foster morale, cohesiveness, cooperation and teamwork in the staff.  Our school is structured in a way that is somewhat non-traditional, as we don't have a classic PLC structure in our environment, but we do encourage each… >>>

Career development is an ongoing activity.  No matter where someone is in their career journey, there is always the opportunity to learn, grow and increase one's knowledge, skill base and experience.  As seasoned veterans of the workforce begin to wind down their careers, a novel notion is the ability as an instructor to pass down this experience of the job search to students who are beginning their careers.  As I myself have gone through career changes, it is rewarding to be able to share those experiences with students, and to be able to witness their growth into successful pathways that… >>>

The retention and transition stages are prime examples of what lifelong learning looks like.  With a quotient emphasizing job-based learning and work-based skills, students can learn what it means to say, "you never stop learning."  Nor is it truly a failure to pivot and change careers.  At some point, I plan on sharing my worklife journey, as I have had experience in municipal government, transitioning into tech, then leading to teaching, which has helped me get to the point of where I am today.  Which I am grateful for sharing my expertise with the bright students of our school who… >>>

In career development, all of the stages are important in their respective significance.  However, the preparation and commitment stages are the most crucial of them.  These stages are like the final leg of a race.  The whole purpose is to get to the finish line, and one cannot finish the race without making it through that final stretch, let alone running the entire distance and seeing that through.  

Preparing for interviews, writing resumés, building networks and following up after the interview are all the steps for building interpersonal communication and relationships in the working world.  Whether a student is pursuing… >>>

The Assessment and Investigation stages are critically important for students in their understanding of career paths, and their learning in terms of the skills they are gaining and the academics being taught in the classroom.  A major component to anyone's successful career development is self-awareness, which combined with gaining experience can tremendously build one's confidence by exponential numbers.  In our school, we are teaching and coaching our students through the material taught in class, and activities such as internships and our efforts in work-based learning.  As the students get more experience, their growth in confidence can be tangibly seen, and… >>>

Global/Multicultural Fluency is a very important part of workplace culture.  As the world has become global, through the Internet/World Wide Web, we have become more sophisticated in reaching others.  Now, through means like social media, networking platforms and email, we can reach anyone in the world.  And places like America have become more multicultural than ever before.  But for other reasons, diversity leads to prosperity.  Since we live in a world where people come from various backgrounds and situations, sensitivity to someone's experiences can take a worker, or team leader, or manager, a long way in terms of interpersonal relationships… >>>

Career management is a great way to get students to think about, and plan for, the type of work and careers they want to pursue from the start of their adulthood.  This module in CTE illustrates a complete and comprehensive strategy development method for students to be focused in the careers they prepare for.  Through SMART goals, career interviews, career action plans and the six stages of modern career development, a student can fully engage in his/her own future, thus providing a strong springboard in life early on.

Professionalism can be developed effectively in the classroom, and CTE is the perfect environment to make this effort relevant.  Just as we adults understand we need to be to work on time, be diligent in our efforts, and provide an exemplary effort in our duties, students can learn and build on these workplace habits in school.  Getting to class on time, doing the work both in class and for homework, actively participating to develop communication and decision-making skills, all are components of building habits that can be lifelong assets for a student's working life. 

Habits formed now will lead to… >>>