Progress Report

Running head: PROGRESS REPORT 1
Progress Report
Bailey Austerman
TED 690- Professor Weintraub
National University
Progress Report 2
Abstract
The Professional Development Quest Portfolio has provided me with learning
experiences that have challenged the way that I view myself as a teacher. This progress
report delineates the challenges and success that I had while constructing this digital
compilation of work. It will also include professional long term and short term goals that I
have created as a result of this compilation process.

Progress Report 3
Progress Report
The Professional Development Quest Portfolio is a digital compilation of teaching
strategies, artifacts from the classroom, commentary on certain teaching practices, and a living
and evolving resume. This course has tasked us with creating a summative report of our time
spent in the Master’s program. This reflection is not only a tool of gathering pieces of our past
learning but a place that we can continue to add and amendment to as we continue our journey
through the field of education. As a form of professional development, this tool can be an aid to
individuals and whole learning communities. No matter the philosophy or requirement for the
PDQP, “the purpose is the same—to improve learning for educators and students” (Mizell,
2010).
The PDQP has provided me a place to express my goals and plans for the future. Going
through the process of dictating ideas and plans has allowed me the time to reflect on my
journey. It is amazing how much I have grown in the last two years and I am excited to see what
the next five have in store for me. The goals that I have for my career are expressed on my
PDQP and allow me the chance to visually catalog my progress towards accomplishing my
goals. Using the tools and instruction that I have been provided at National University will help
me to be successful in accomplishing what I have designed in the Teacher Performance
Expectations, Domain F.
As beneficial as the process of forming a digital portfolio has been, it is not without its
frustrations. One thing that I would like to focus on in the next few years is increasing the
number of artifacts that I have of student growth and my development as an educator. At the end
of the year, I allow my students to take all their work home. This is a process that I want to
Progress Report 4
maintain, however, I would like to save work that demonstrated growth and progress of my
students. Another practice that I would like to begin is having the ability to record lessons so
that I can critique my instruction more frequently. I found this very beneficial with the video
that I posted under TPE Domain C. Having the ability to watch yourself after the fact provides
you with a plethora of information on your practices and instruction. Watching these videos
allows me to question how well I implemented best practices and see it in action.
After creating the digital portfolio, I questioned if an assignment of this nature could be
given to my middle school students. Would they be able to create a compilation of their growth
at the end of the school year? Would they be able to critically analyze their development within
the school year? Is this grade level too early to be developing higher-level products such as a
portfolio? I recognize that my students are young and this is their first year in a classroom
environment that is preparing them for high school style learning. This can be a hard change to
adjust to. However, I have seen my students develop research projects and create websites that
astonished high school teachers. If that is possible, then I strongly feel that my students are
capable of analyzing their growth as a student over the course of the school year.
The creation and implementation of the digital portfolio has influenced my Professional
Learning Community (PLC). My department head, who is also my BTSA induction mentor, has
seen the steps that I have taken to implement the learning that I have gathered throughout my
time at National University. He has challenged me to increase the incorporation of these
techniques that support all types of students in the classroom. In our area, a large majority of
students are English learners or low level readers that struggle with the complex nature of
Medieval History. However, through his support and the support of my instructors, I have
worked to establish a classroom that engages in academic conversation and scholarly research to
Progress Report 5
discuss ideas like the impact of the Protestant Reformation or the benefits of a Civil Service
Exam in Medieval China. Some of these ideas and concepts are difficult for the average adult to
process and I recognize that the inclusion of teaching techniques that I have outlined in my
PDQP is the factor of change in the classroom.
In the twenty-first century, there is a link or video for almost anything that you can think
of. There is no end to the amount of information that we have access to. However, this can
lessen the value of that information and make it difficult to find extraordinary tools to apply to
the classroom. The PDQP allows my peers and I to exchange ideas, techniques, and commentary
on the various Best Practices tools. These artifacts are tried and true. Tested and adapted by
other instructors allows the audience to know what is beneficial and can be applied with only
minor changes. This is a time saving convenience for educators. Hundley and Brock in their
compilation of growth mindset coaching declare, “teaching is a practice, not a perfection” (11).
This philosophy is supported with the concept behind the Professional Development Quest
Portfolio.
To continue the plans that I have to improve instruction practices to benefit the learning
of my students, I will continue to use the PDQP as a resource to improve my teaching. I will use
the tool as an inspector on strategies that work and enhance those that do not produce growth
within the learning environment. It is my goal to create within my students a passion for
learning. As passionate as I am about history and teaching it to my two hundred twelve year
olds, that will not produce a functioning learning environment if I am not using effective
strategies. The PDQP will be a database that I (and any other willing participant) can reference
to as a collection of useful sources. In the long term, the desired outcome is that the
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incorporation of these teaching practices will create local and globally minded citizens that
participate in their communities and work to leave it in a better state for the next generation.
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References
Brock, A., & Hundley, H. (2017). The Growth Mindset Playbook: A Teacher’s Guide
to Promoting Student Success. Berkley, CA: Ulysses Press.
Mizell, Hayes “Why Professional Development Matters,” Learning Forward, 2010.

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Running head: PROGRESS REPORT 1

TED 690- Professor Weintraub

The Professional Development Quest Portfolio has provided me with learning

have created as a result of this compilation process.

The Professional Development Quest Portfolio is a digital compilation of teaching

me to be successful in accomplishing what I have designed in the Teacher Performance

time at National University. He has challenged me to increase the incorporation of these

PDQP is the factor of change in the classroom.

to Promoting Student Success. Berkley, CA: Ulysses Press.

Mizell, Hayes “Why Professional Development Matters,” Learning Forward, 2010.

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