The Heart of Professionalism

How do you learn? What keeps you current — in your practice, in your thinking? How do you decide what is relevant?

I was mulling over these questions, and more recently, while helping my nephew prepare for an English exam, happened upon this quotation from J. D. Salinger’s classic novel, The Catcher in the Rye:

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.

I was struck by the valuable lessons imparted by authors whose works I have read and who have influenced my thinking. That sent me leafing through other classic novels that I devoured during my secondary and early post-secondary studies.

To me, relevant learning endures. It sticks with you and continues to shape your ideas and your actions. Learning that is ongoing informs our decisions and encourages our growth as professionals in a like-minded community.

The profession has committed to ongoing learning as a basic tenet. It’s one of our standards of practice. And the variety of learning activities in which teachers engage helps to inspire public confidence in the profession. That is why ongoing professional learning is a strategic priority for the College.

Not only are we focused on promoting the variety and volume of learning activities — from Additional Qualification courses accredited by the College to workshops and courses offered by employers, teacher federations and subject associations — we are committed to continually improving as an organization.

As a professional regulator, the College is a member of several associations and organizations dedicated to advancing the work of regulators in the public interest. Many of our staff regularly make presentations at annual conferences and regional symposia of regulatory associations, such as the Canadian Network of Agencies (CNAR) for Regulation and the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR).

Relevant learning endures. It sticks with you and continues to shape your ideas and your actions. Learning that is ongoing informs our decisions and encourages our growth as professionals in a like-minded community.

I am privileged as CLEAR’s president-elect to prepare to lead its board of directors, to contribute to the continuation of courses CLEAR offers in board governance, executive leadership, regulatory investigation, and to delve into issues of transparency, public protection and professional standards. Additional information on the work of both of these organizations may be found at cnar-rcor.ca and clearhq.org. As an organization, we are enriched by the network, by the exchange of ideas, by the identification of best practices, and by the education opportunities that strengthen our service.

Ongoing learning does that. It is the beating heart of the teaching profession. Like a treasured novel, it continues to nourish our thoughts, generate ideas and guide our decisions.