6 Steps for Self-Discipline When You Study

6 Steps for Self-Discipline When You Study Have you ever heard the quote, Self-discipline is the difference between choosing what you want now and choosing what you want most? Its a quote that tons of people in the business world follow religiously in order to get exactly what they most desire from their companies. Its a theory that many people use to get themselves out of bed to get to the gym before going to work. Its a mantra that athletes use to do that last set of squats, even though their legs are burning and they want nothing more than to quit. But its message of endurance and self-denial is perfect for those students looking to gain an edge on their competition by acing the ACT in order to get into the college or university of their dreams or those students who simply want to score their highest on their midterm or final exams.   Why Self-Discipline Is Important According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of self-discipline is the  correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement. This definition implies that certain regulation or stopping of ourselves from certain behaviors is important if we are going to improve in some way. If we are relating this to studying, it means that we need to stop doing certain things or start doing certain things while studying in order to get the positive results we crave. Regulating ourselves in this way is incredibly important because it can build self-esteem. When we achieve the goals we set for ourselves, we get a boost of confidence which can improve many aspects of our lives. How to Have Self-Discipline When You Study Step 1: Remove Temptations Self-discipline is the easiest when things that distract you from your studies are out of sight, out of earshot, and out the window, if necessary. If you find yourself tempted by external distractions like your cell phone, then by all means, turn the thing completely off. Nothing is going to happen in the 45 minutes that you are going to sit down to study (more on that in a minute) that cannot wait until you have a scheduled break. Also, take the time to remove the clutter from your study area if clutter makes you crazy. Unpaid bills, notes to yourself of things you need to accomplish, letters or even pictures can pull your focus off your studies and into places it does not belong when you are trying to learn how to write a stellar essay for the Enhanced ACT test. Step 2: Eat Brain Food Before You Begin Studies have shown that when we are  exercising willpower (another word for self-discipline), our  mental energy tanks slowly get  emptied. Forcing ourselves to give up what we want in the now for what we want later physically zaps our reserves of glucose, which is the brains favorite fuel. This is why  when we are sitting diligently ignoring our cell phones and pushing back our need  to check Instagram, we are more likely to head to the pantry for a chocolate chip cookie than we would be if we were not practicing self-discipline at all. So, before we ever sit down to study, we need to be sure to indulge in some brain foods like scrambled eggs, a little bit of dark chocolate, maybe even a jolt of caffeine to make sure that our glucose is steady enough to NOT drive us away from the learning were trying to do. Step 3: Do Away With Perfect Timing There is never a perfect time to begin studying for your test. The more time you give yourself the better off you will be, but if you sit around and wait for the  perfect  moment to start studying, you will be waiting for the rest of your  life. There will  always  be something more important than reviewing the SAT Mathematics test questions. Your friends will beg you to go out to the movies to see the final showing of the seasons top film. Your family members will need to be driven on errands or your parents will need you to finish cleaning your room. If you wait until everything is just right- when everything else is accomplished and you feel  great  - you will never find the time to study. Step 4: Ask Yourself If I Had to, Could I? Imagine that you are sitting at your desk. Behind you is an intruder with a weapon pointed at your head. If the only thing between life and saying goodbye to the world as you know it was studying for the next several hours (with scheduled breaks), could you do it? Of course, you could!  Nothing in the world would mean more than your life at that moment. So, if you could do it then- drop everything and give studying everything you have in you- then you can do it in the safety of your own bedroom or library when the stakes arent quite that high. Its all about mental strength. Give yourself a pep-talk. Tell yourself, I have to do this. Everything depends on it. Sometimes, imagining a real life-death scenario works when youre staring at 37 pages of differential equations. Step 4: Give Yourself a Break And by giving yourself a break, we definitely dont mean abandoning all self-discipline and settling down in front of the TV. Schedule mini-breaks into your study session strategically. Set a watch or timer (not the phone - thats turned off) for 45 minutes. Then, force yourself to study for those 45 minutes, making sure that nothing interferes with your work. Then, at 45 minutes, take a scheduled 5- to 7-minute break. Use the bathroom, stretch your legs, grab some brain food, reorganize, and get back at it when the break is over. Step 5: Give Yourself Rewards Sometimes the answer to being self-disciplined lies in the quality of the reward you give yourself for exercising willpower. For many people, the practice of self-discipline is a reward in and of itself. For others, especially those who are just trying to learn to have some willpower when studying, you will need something a little more tangible. So, set up a reward system. Set your timer. Practice studying for that final  for 20 minutes with no interruptions. If youve made it that far, then give yourself a point. Then, after a short break, do it again. If you make it another 20 minutes, give yourself another point. Once youve accumulated three points- you have managed to study for a full hour without surrendering to distractions- you get your reward. Perhaps its a Starbucks latte, one episode of Seinfeld, or even just the luxury of getting onto social media for a few minutes. Make the reward worth it and withhold the reward until youve met your goal! Step 6: Start Small Self-discipline is not a natural thing. Sure. Some people are more self-disciplined than others. They have the rare ability to say no to themselves when they want to say yes. What you need to remember, however, is that self-discipline is a learned skill. Just like the ability to make a perfect free-throw with a high percentage of accuracy  only comes after hours and hours on the court, self-discipline comes from the repeated exercise of willpower. Dr. Anders Ericsson, a Florida State University psychologist says that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something, but â€Å"You don’t get benefits from mechanical repetition, but by adjusting your execution over and over to get closer to your goal. You have to tweak the system by pushing,† he adds, â€Å"allowing for more errors at first as you increase your limits.† So, if you truly want to become an expert at having self-discipline while studying, you not only have to practice the skill, you have to start small, especially if you repeatedly give in to what you want now instead of waiting for what you want most. Start by forcing yourself to study (I have to style) for just 10 straight minutes with 5-minute breaks in between. Then, once that becomes relatively easy, shoot for fifteen minutes. Keep increasing the time you manage self-discipline until you are able to focus for the full 45 minutes. Then, reward yourself with something and get back at it.

How to Help Students Take Notes

How to Help Students Take Notes Students often find taking notes in class a difficult proposition. Typically, they dont know what they should and should not include. Some tend to try and write everything you say without really hearing and integrating it. Others take very sparse notes, giving them little context for when they refer back to them later. Some students focus on irrelevant items in your notes, missing the key points entirely. Therefore, it is important that we as teachers help our students learn the best practices for taking effective notes. Following are some ideas that you can use to help students become more comfortable and better at note taking in the classroom setting. Scaffold Your Notes This simply means that you are giving your students clues to the key items you will be covering when you lecture to the students. At the beginning of the year, you should provide the students with a fairly detailed scaffold or outline. They can then take notes on this scaffold as you talk. As the year progresses, you can use less and less detail until you simply list out the key topics and subtopics you will be covering. However, it is important to note that you should give students a chance to read through the scaffold before you actually begin your lecture. Always Use the Same Key Words As you are lecturing, highlight key topics and ideas in some way. At the beginning of the year, you should be very clear when you are covering a key point that the students should be sure to remember. As the year goes on, you can make your hints more subtle. Though, remember, the goal of teaching is not to trip up your students. Ask Questions Throughout Asking questions throughout your lecture serves a few purposes. It keeps students on their toes, it checks comprehension, and it highlights key points you want them to remember. However, with that said it is important that your questions do cover key points. Introduce Each Topic Before Presenting Details Some teachers lecture by providing students with a lot of facts and expecting them to connect them to the overall topic. However, this can be very confusing. Instead, you should introduce the topic and fill in details always showing how it relates to the topic. Review Each Topic Before Moving On As you wrap up each key topic or subtopic, you should refer back to it again and restate one or two key sentences the students should remember. Teach Students to Use a Two-Column System In this system, students take their notes in the left column. Later, they add information in the right column from their textbooks and other readings. Collect Notes and Check Them Take a look at what students are doing and give them feedback to help them improve. You can do this right away or after they go home and finish out their notes from the textbook. Despite the evidence which shows that students need help taking notes, many teachers do not see the need to help them by scaffolding and using the other ideas listed here. This is very sad, for listening, taking effective notes, and then referring to these notes when studying helps reinforce learning for our students. Note taking is a learned skill, therefore, it is important that we take the lead in helping students become effective note takers.

Risk Management Brochure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk Management Brochure - Assignment Example The sum of murders dropped by 19% from forty seven in 2008 (Holmes, 2012). In Colorado Springs, homicide dropped from twenty three in 2008 to nineteen in 2009. In Denver, thirty of the 2009 killings – almost 80% - have been resolved, as stated by Mary Dulacki, the coordinator of records for Denver Police. It is believed that one of the factors that has contributed to the reduction in murders is the improvements in crisis or emergency medical services - doctors and paramedics are nowadays keeping individuals, who were deceasing in the past, alive. An overall view of every reported offence throughout 2014 in Colorado is shown in the above figures. The statistics has been organized to make it simpler to get both the combined total of reported offences plus the total of offences reported for every 100,000 individuals in Colorado, the data is further split into different categories (property crimes and violent crimes) to give more perception to how prevalent offence is in the region (Holmes, 2012). It is clear that the crime rate in Colorado averages 55 percent more than the remainder of Colorado while he crime rate on a nationwide scale is 48 percent more than. Also, it is apparent that the violent crime occurrence in Colorado is 17 percent greater than the average crime rate in the remainder of the country. Similarly, a crime that involves property holds 56 percent greater than the Nationwide’s average. Both figures associate with how secure businesses and residents are while conducting daily activities in Colorado region. Over the years, Colorado has had extreme issues of murder in spite of the actuality that, in several ways, society is getting more secure. The violent crime rates have decreased considerably over the last decade, and the rate of murder in 2004 is far more than that of 2014. Nationally, the murder rate in Colorado is in the center of the pack amongst states of

United Nations, focused on international law Essay

United Nations, focused on international law - Essay Example At the end of World War II, fifty-one countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security established the UN on 24th October 1945. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN and its membership totals 191 countries.Each member country has to obligate to all the requirements of the UN charter. This charter is an international treaty designed to protect future generations from the scourge and curse of war and written to affirm fundamental human rights. The purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, are to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these ends.The United Nations comprises of six main bodies. Five of them - the General Assemb ly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat - are based at UN Headquarters in New York. The sixth, the International Court of Justice, is located at The Hague in the Netherlands.The General Assembly makes decisions on the key issues and world's most pressing problems, and is represented by each member nation with the account of one vote each. The Security Council carries out decisions pertaining to international peace and security. ... There are certain other UN offices and programmes that work to improvise the living conditions of the world and the people on the whole. Two such important offices to mention are United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The UNESCO was founded in November 1945 with the aim to build peace in the world through knowledge, social progress, exchange and mutual understanding among peoples. The UNICEF was created in December 1946 by the United Nations to provide food, clothing and health care to European children facing famine and disease in the aftermath of the Second World War. Their mandate is to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. The UN provides the means to help resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on matters affecting all of us. In this process, all the Member States have a right to be heard and to cast a vote, irrespective of their size, wealth and economic positions, political views and social systems. UN and International Law As per its prime objective of maintaining peace and security throughout the world, and managing and resolving any conflicts arising out of international disputes, United Nations has undertaken the progressive codification and development of international law by forming a comprehensive body of international law. The over 500 conventions, treaties and standards resulting from this work have provided a framework for promoting international peace and security and economic and social development. They legally bind states that

Belonging Essay Essay Example for Free

Belonging Essay Essay As human individuals, we search for a niche to which we belong. It is ingrained within human nature to want for acceptance, for inclusion. This primal instinct drives our actions, often altering the perceptions we form of both others and ourselves. Barriers to belonging can negatively affect us psychologically and personally. Our individuality may be questioned due to social, cultural or historical influences. However, the effects of external pressures will be minimal if an individual is already confident in themselves. A study of the collection of poems, ‘Immigrant Chronicles’ by Peter Skrzynecki and the book ‘The Island’ by composer Amir Greer explore the multiple facets involved in the dynamic process of belonging or not belonging. If we are able to have a place in which we belong, our sense of self can be sustained. The heritage and experiences which an individual has within a culture cannot be forgotten; instead they may even become stronger. When placed in a new and confronting environment we can draw on past routine to provide comfort and security. The poem, ‘Felicks Skrzynecki’ written by composer, Peter Skrzynecki, uses poetic devices to explore how an individual can maintain a sense of belonging due to a strong cultural identity. Multiple descriptions throughout the poem display how Felicks is not affected by his lack of belonging to Australia, ‘Did your father ever try to learn English?’ instead he remains confident in his sense of self and is able to develop a distinct identity as shown through the metaphor â€Å"kept pace only with the Joneses/of his own mind’s making†. The commitment which he has for his garden, ‘walked it’s paths ten times around the world’, highlight how he has been successful in creating an environment to which he belongs and is happy and content. Felicks remains unaffected by the way he is judged by a society, for example his ability to draw upon past memories and experiences with his polish friends. Belonging to a place and culture remains ingrained within us, even when in a foreign environment. By establishing a strong connection to place an individual can maintain a sense of self; a strong bond will continue to enrich an individual’s lifestyle. Lacking a place to belong to has adverse effects on a sense of individuality. The poem ‘Felicks Skrzynecki’ explores difficulty of integrating into a contemporary Australian society. The persona within the poem is unable to form a connection to his past heritage displayed with the repetitive use of the exclusive pronoun ‘his’; ‘his garden’, ‘his polish friends’ and ‘his house’. The disconnection between father and son is highlighted through emotive simile, ‘loved his garden like an only child’. The strong juxtaposition between the two emphasises their differences and the struggle which the main person has. He is caught between two cultures, his Polish Heritage and the Australian society, and is unsure of which he belongs to; ‘words he taught me, remnants of a language I inherited unknowingly’. The main persona in the poem, ‘Felicks Skrzynecki’ suffers psychologically because he is unable to discover who he is or find a place to which he belongs. The sense of dislocation in Australia stems from conflict of a polish heritage he cannot remember. Lacking a sense of belonging to place inhibits the ability to form a sense of self; furthermore these negative experiences can accumulate and be detrimental to individuality. The choice of whether to belong, or not, is complex. Instinct drives us to crave for the acceptance of others; and to integrate into a society. The traits which make us unique and interesting individuals can be alienating and preventing belonging. Composer, Peter Skrzyneckis poem ‘St Patricks College’ is a personal recount of his experiences as a migrant undergoing education in Australia. The persona in the poem experiences a disconnection to the place and culture, which negatively affects his wellbeing. The mothers desire for her son to be seen as equal to others, through a common ‘uniform’, compels her to enrol him in an upper class school. Symbolism throughout the poem establishes the mothers need for her son belong as she is, ‘impressed by the uniforms of her employers sons’ The persona is clearly uncomfortable in his school, due to differences between he and the other students. Repetition of his mothers words, ‘What was best’ j uxtaposes with the personas opinion, ‘the darkness that surrounded me wasn’t â€Å"for the best† ’. As demonstrated in ‘St Patricks College’ not belonging will have adverse effects on an individual’s sense of self. Similarly in Amir Greders Picture Book, ‘The Island’ the alienation of an individual due to physical differences is  explored. The first impression which we form of others is based on how we see them and these physical differences can create barriers to belonging. Greder has incorporated a range of visual techniques to explore this flaw in humanity. The islanders are portrayed through illustrations as brutish, with stout legs, broad foreheads, blunted noses and large hands. The distortion of their features contrasts strongly to the newcomer who is naked, thin and small. Highlighting his vulnerability; in comparison to the fully clothed and pitchfork wielding islanders, ‘he wasn’t like them’. The islanders fear of the newcomer, who ‘haunted their days and often their dreams’, is enhanced by emotive exagge ration of their facial expressions. Gossip about his dissimilarity is made into a story to scare children, for example the school teacher who gives lectures ‘about savages and their strange ways’. The text aims to be didactic whilst displaying flaws in human nature. It forces the audience to question the moral values of those ‘monstrous’ figures. The islanders isolate him completely from their community ‘locking him in the stables’. Distrust of those who look or sound different causes groups of people to act in a harsh and inhumane manner. Individuals who are unable to conform whether it is due to physical differences or choice may be isolated or discriminated against by the society. When trying to belong it is integral that we first are able to define ourselves. This occurs through connections and experiences with places, people and cultures. Both Peter Skrzynecki and Amir Greder have explored the multiple aspects which are involved in the formation of an individual’s identity and various barriers to belonging, which prevent inclusion and acceptance. All three texts explore the issue involved in the migrant experience, issues of dislocation and lacking identity. The human experience is constantly being challenged by external pressures. Nevertheless when an individual is able to establish who they are, without relying on others, they become an independent individual. These individuals do not require a place or group to feel as if they belong, and instead belong to themselves.

Claudius Is Me :: essays research papers

O wretched state! O bosom black as death! O limed soul, that, struggling to be free, Art more engaged! Help, angles! Make assay. Claudius, What have you done? I regretted all of this. It is a big mistake, and I wish I could go back in time. I was so mad for power, wealth, love and money, that I killed my own brother, King Hamlet by pouring a small bottle of poison into his ear. I don ¡Ã‚ ¦t know how did his son, my nephew, Hamlet knows about my sin. I did it so superstitious, and carefully at night when no one was around. Hamlet sent a play for us to see. It was a trap, which he called a "mouse traps". He knew it all along. The play was just a test, to see how I will react. But I can ¡Ã‚ ¦t let anyone knows about me killing the King. I have to do something. Sending Hamlet to England doesn ¡Ã‚ ¦t work, instead I got a letter from him that he is held by the pirates, it is time for plan 2. Laertes will found out that Hamlet had killed Polonius, and will go for revenge. H amlet will lose for sure, because Claudius is an expert in swords fight. I can ¡Ã‚ ¦t stop now or I will be killed instead. O Gertrude, it is my entire fault that you got involved. I always loved you. You will always be protected by me, no matter what happened. Ophelia has gone mad, Hamlet seeing things, Polonius ¡Ã‚ ¦s death, Rosencrantz ¡Ã‚ ¦s and Guildenstern ¡Ã‚ ¦s deaths. One problem linking to another, and it is all started since I killed King Hamlet. When Hamlet get back to Denmark, the first thing that I am going to do is to set Laertes and Hamlet up to fight together. Laertes will avenge for his father ¡Ã‚ ¦s death, Polonius and his sister ¡Ã‚ ¦s madness, ophelia. I will put a poison pearl into the drink that Hamlet will drink after me. That way, he will be killed. Laertes ¡Ã‚ ¦s sword will be dipped with deadly poisons that will kill anybody instantly. It is

Reflective Journal Assignment

Reflect on your portfolio of professional development in order to demonstrate how your practice has developed across the year. BY PhDKaur Reflective Journal Assignment 3 i) Reflect on your portfolio of professional development in order to demonstrate how your practice has developed across the year. it) Reflect on the GTC research ‘How does collaborative Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers of the 5-16 age range affect teaching and learning? † Reflect on the role of the professional teacher in the light of the GTC professional standards and the National Standards forQualified Teacher Status. You should link this paper to reading on teacher professionalism and opportunities for professional development. Professional Tutor: word count: 2000 Part 1 Introduction The challenge of achieving progression for a group of students, each representing individual learning backgrounds and different levels of ability, has been an area of considerable professional develop ment. If students are expected to make different rates of progress, then their experiences in the classroom must be tailored to their individual learning n pupil learning. Thus, differentiation arguably nas the greatest impact onMy teaching groups represent a diverse range of abilities and needs including English as an additional language (EAL), disabilities, or academic talent. Differentiation is synonymous with the umbrella term ‘personalised strategies for learning' and encompasses Assessment for Learning (AFL) and inclusion. Convery and Coyle (1993) demonstrate the significance of differentiation as the entitlement of every learner to have his/her individual needs and abilities catered for, and the teacher's responsibility to find effective ways of managing those needs matching them to appropriate teaching and learning styles.However within the current education system, individualised learning for all in a class of 30 pupils is compounded by inadequate behaviour for learni ng and constrained resources. Professional development My initial perception of the purposes and strategies of differentiation consisted of an expectation that all learners were expected to achieve the highest levelled learning objective, through a system of differentiated instruction. I struggled to understand what differentiation meant in practice and where it aligned with my personal perspectives of education and classroom values.The lack of clarity around regarding my expectations of differentiation meant that although I planned for progression in lessons, I failed to appreciate its value in learning for the individuals in the class. In practice, differentiating by outcome involved whole-class activities, with prior assessment data determining pupils' individual targets. Pupils expected to achieve the ‘most' learning outcomes did not, as I focused on supporting pupils of lower ability, thus different groups of pupils did not make sufficient progress.The dynamic model of le arning processes (O'Brien and Guiney, 2001) greatly nfluenced my philosophical and professional perspectives of differentiation. This 3D model encompasses a holistic view of the learning process, where pedagogical, emotional and cognitive factors must be synthesised in order to enable the learner to develop autonomy and self-awareness. The model states that differentiation should not be construed for pupils with SEN, nor should it be a purely reactive response, with teachers intervening when learners experience difficulty.I adopted the model as a framework for my planning, a key strength being the goal in achieving autonomy for the learner, as differentiation targets the development of elf-awareness. In practice this meant providing challenge and choice-making opportunities, through problem-solving activities, questioning knowledge as objective truth and reflecting upon the answers that students can or cannot give when confronted by uncertainty.The model suggests that questioning th eir own beliefs is most likely to be achieved through interaction with others, a beneficial approach as the pupils at Highbridge Academy needed to develop social skills such as team work. Shitting my tocus trom a ‘pupil-labour premium' mindset to gauge the success ot learning activities i. e. he pupils were able to achieve the task set, towards an attitude whereby I consciously planned the development of pupils' self-awareness was a crucial step in my professional development.An example of where this belief was put into practice was a lesson developing the concept of density with a Year 7 group. Students were given a list of possible activities they could complete to learn about density. The activities included: using a water table to explore properties of various objects, measuring the volume and mass of objects and calculating their density, reading about density in the textbook and watching a video showing density xperiments. The activities were based on visual, auditory, k inaesthetic, and tactile learning styles.Students had to choose and complete a minimum of two activities, from two different learning styles. These ‘choice boards' were organized so that students chose options focusing on several different skills. Reflecting upon the lesson it was clear that the ‘buzz' created in the classroom was not entirely due to the novelty of the lesson format but due to the structured activities encouraging independence and self-realisation of their own skills. Some pupils, whose prior data indicated they would not achieve the higher level learning bjectives, were able to achieve higher levels than expected.The following lesson, I used a similar format, grouping pupils together and observed that many pupils naturally gravitated towards certain roles (e. g. recording, observing, organising). In order to develop team-work skills and awareness of how teams work it was important that I made pupils aware of these roles, especially those that did not co me naturally to them. The creation of an environment involving mutual support of each other's learning was a turning point in shaping my classroom culture. Upon reflection it is obvious that this insight required me to move onto less didactic ethods of teaching.Schon (1983) values the capacity of teachers to ‘step away and undertake ‘reflection-on-practice', enabling teachers to gain confidence and intuitively respond to needs by reflecting. Following a series of ‘choice board' lessons in the 7K Forces unit I consciously planned activities which encompassed the wider skills, knowledge and understanding of science and pupils' learning experience. Thus my view of differentiation developed to encompass a long-term goal of enabling pupils to become confident, self-aware learners. Conclusion Many views of differentiation are teacher-centric, viewing the process as created by he teacher.My study of Wgotskys zone of proximal development (the gap between the actual develop ment level as determined by independent problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with peers) reinforced the need to plan the teacher-student dialogue in order to focus on emerging skills and abilities and to give students control in shaping their learning experiences. (Ugotsky, 1962). The teacher- student relationship and the pedagogical environment created, shape the quality ot learning experiences for the learner, now and in their future.My experience shows hat responding to learner's needs intuitively is a key component of AFL and differentiation. Differentiation should not be considered a concession to lesson planning, but underpin an entire teaching approach. It is equally the responsibility of the pupil and the teacher, as pupils must be prepared to identify when they need support in their learning to become independent learners. However, in order to contribute to the end of having learners become self-determining members of their community at the levels they a re most capable of achieving, then they require opportunities to exercise choice in their learning choices. art 2 The GTCE's 8 codes of professional practice highlight a series of aims that distinguish the teaching profession' (GTCE professional standards, 2009). Initially, I associated being a professional with a pre-determined product and brand image than with pedagogy. My superficial interpretation of teacher professionalism comprised of adopting behaviours in accordance with a ‘paradigm' of teaching that I assumed was expected from me from my peers and mentors. The QTS standards were a reference guide but provided a purely mechanistic outline of accomplishments validating my aptitude to teach.Current research regarding effective CPD Researching other viewpoints of professionalism and my experiences over the training year has shaped my professional ideologies and perspectives. Fundamentally, teaching centres on the concept of the ‘reflective practitioner'. Schon (1983 ) called it the knowledge acquired through ‘reflection in action', and my experiences have highlighted four essential characteristics: competence, craft, collaboration, and continual reflection.These are reflected within my goals, abilities, standards and the development of the these qualities will directly impact the effectiveness of my teaching, Pratte and Rury (1991, p. 2) defined teaching as ‘a craft profession, built on a conscience of craft, rather than a conventional ideal of professionalism'. They argued that teachers need embodied knowledge to perform their Jobs, ‘something that they learn by doing and that is experientially learned, rather than acquired in a systematic, highly formal fashion'.However, research has shown there should be a personal entitlement to professional development throughout a teacher's career, one that is not link 2005). ed solely to school targets but personalised and structured (Cordingley The use of the term ‘reflective pra ctitioner' logically entails that CPD must also be ooted in extended reflection. However, Schools often rely on ‘one-off workshops to achieve these aims, a shortcoming highlighted in an Ofsted 2009 CPD report. These approaches to CPD appear insufficient to foster learning which fundamentally alters what teachers teach or how they teach (Boyle, Lamprianou and Boyle, 2005).To support effective CPD and to ensure that acquired knowledge and skills are consolidated, implemented and shared with other teachers, research advocates collaborative CPD programmes. Sharing the expertise, knowledge and skills of teachers in the same school, in other schools and using consultants to provide in- chool programmes of support can tackle specific needs (Ofsted, 2009). Levin and Rock (2003) claim that teachers involved in collaborative CPD can become more reflective, critical and analytical when they think about their teaching style in the classroom.Little (1993) lists four categories of professio nal interaction that builds a culture of learning in practice where teachers: Engage in focused discussions about teaching and learning Observe and evaluate the teaching of their colleagues Engage in collaborative planning and design of lessons Actively teach each other and take leadership roles offering workshops This distinguishes a professional culture, where it is the responsibility of the community administrators to assure quality of the teaching staff, from that of a bureaucratic culture where administers are responsible.One of my professional goals is to strive for innovation in my practice. Collaborative CPD has been shown to foster an environment of active risk-taking where teachers try new ways of working, moving beyond the safe and familiar' (Humes 2001). This can often be stressful when confidence is undermined by a lack of experience. Cordingley et al. (2005) suggested collaboration provided ‘moral support to teachers s they work through making difficult changes'. In order to adapt and learn from experience, essential for developing the capacity to bring about purposeful change, higher order thinking is required.Resnick (1987; cited in Land and Jonassen 2008) stresses the importance of the social setting to cultivate the disposition to engage in metacognitive strategies, closely aligned to Wenger's (2007) concept of a ‘community of practice' a notion of teachers' adapting and learning from experiences gained through the actual practice of teaching and their mutual involvement in ‘study groups'. Such study groups would encourage risk- taking and provide an effective locus for learning about and inquiring into the teaching of thinking and related topics (what Shulman and Sherin (2004) refer to as a ‘big idea'). Cordingley et al. ) recommend the use ot research literature as a springboard for experimentation within CPD groups carrying out exploratory lesson planning. This promotes understanding and use of the relationship betw een abstract theoretical knowledge and experiential knowledge gained through direct classroom experience. Crucially, this ‘big idea' connects to the broader professional concerns and rofessional lives of teachers. It provides a platform where teachers can become more knowledgeable about the theory and practice of learning and teaching, motivation, and contemporary issues in education beyond their academic obligations of the PGCE.Additionally, teachers maintain an awareness of educational matters beyond the immediate scope of teaching. In light of this research and my experiences I have identified the following key areas for professional development next year. Firstly, I will develop self-evaluation, observation and peer review skills, professional dialogue and feedback. Secondly I ill dedicate an hour a week to reading professional Journals and texts. This can have very beneficial results, especially if what is read is reflected on in peer discussion.Thirdly I will focus on de veloping resources with colleagues, which should guard against isolation and repetition of ideas and work. I believe researching existing effective practice will help me as an NQT, to keep an eye on the wider world of education. In conclusion, effective CPD requires structured, peer-centric reflection. This does not depend solely on the school's provision but my own efforts in reviewing my progress and targets throughout the formative NQT year.