As a teacher, I am always looking for new and innovative ways to capture my student's attention. The curriculum doesn’t change much from year to year but the way that our students learn is changing all the time. It is imperative that we are looking for new and more effective ways to help students access the content that you are teaching and to help build stronger understanding. Teachers in my part of the world are required to demonstrate that we are continuing to develop ourselves as educators and trying to improve and hone our skills. Each year we complete a mandatory Annual Learning Plan (ALP) and submit it to our principal. This plan includes our goals for the year as a learner and how we are going to attempt to achieve these goals. These goals are also discussed during our Teachers Performance Appraisal (TPA) which happen every few years.

<center><<img src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k3Ln19cQFT0/VvragsklLDI/AAAAAAAADXI/3Tm_uxe7J4EMmTzbqHfjYIkCOVQSWBSkw/s1600/professional-development-teaching-profession-1-638.jpg" alt="Image result for professional development"/>
[Source](http://jcsinstructionaltech.blogspot.com/2016/04/professional-development-opportunities.html)</center>

The great part of these requirements is that it forces teachers to constantly be trying to better themselves. This is not only for the teacher's benefit but also to increase the learning opportunities for the students. It only stands to reason that as teachers improve their skills, students will benefit from the increased knowledge through better lessons, assessments and feedback as well as new technologies. Teachers are able to attend workshops and Professional Development (PD) seminars to learn new skills. Schools will conduct PD days dedicated to learning about new and different education strategies, The school board even helps out by hosting these learning events regularly. It is in their best interest to see teachers educating themselves.

>In education, the term *professional development* may be used in reference to a wide variety of specialized training, formal education, or advanced professional learning intended to help administrators, teachers, and other educators improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill, and effectiveness.
[Source](https://www.edglossary.org/professional-development/)

I personally think that these ALP’s are something most jobs should. Why wouldn’t employers want their staff to become more efficient or more skilled at their position? The reality is that without this being mandatory there are many people who might continue on year after year without change. The ALP has not always been required and so there have been times when the amount of Professional development of teachers was limited to in school activities. It is natural for people to become comfortable and complacent in their position. When this happens people have a tendency to continue with the status quo. It is very easy to develop the **“If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it”** mentality.

<center><img src="https://i.imgflip.com/kyb3n.jpg" alt="Image result for if it ain&#39;t broke don&#39;t fix it gif"/>
[Source](https://imgflip.com/i/kyb3n)</center>

 I have seen this time and time again in schools where I have worked. Teachers who are so comfortable in the job that they do that there is very little effort to change. Even some of the best classroom teachers that I have met struggle when it comes to learning “new” ways to do things. There is a feeling that what I am doing works and why should I change it? This is a tough hurdle when it comes to getting these people to buy-in to learning new educational concepts and ideas. Creating and developing teaching units and lessons can be a lot of work and when so much time is invested in creating something that has worked and that you are comfortable with it can be hard to convince someone to go through that entire process again. 

Ultimately, teachers are in control of how they deliver the curriculum in their classrooms and change has to be accepted and embraced. The reality is that change is something that makes many people uncomfortable. Many people have a genuine fear of change and that fear prevents them from taking advantage of new and potentially better ways of doing things. It is not so much that you “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” but rather a fear that adopting these new tricks will make what you currently do obsolete and almost represent starting over. It doesn't need to be this way though. Learning new methods and ideas should be viewed as a way to enhance what we already do. Looking at these things as additions to learning rather than change could help bridge that fear gap.

<center><img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/52cafb80e4b0aeb5eedf6291/53529688e4b0cd2bba3b4c1c/5acbb52188251b534880350b/1523304274685/VbSsSfr.gif?format=750w" alt="Image result for fear of change gif"/>
[Source](http://www.nerdstronggym.com/nerdstrongblog/)</center>

>Our fear of change in the workplace can inhibit our ability to embrace the new and better and focus our attention on something much more disengaging – the unknown.
[Source](https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/3-tips-to-overcome-fear-of-change-in-the-workplace)

I have worked with teachers in the past who are organized and prepared beyond anything I could have ever imagined. In fact, they have been teaching the exact same thing for a significant amount of time and over the years have compiled a tremendous collection of prepared lessons and activities. This has led them to create a system where they roll out their curriculum and lessons like cookie cutter houses. They start at the same place every year and work through the same lessons and activities throughout the year in the same order they always do. If you were in that class this year or 5 years ago, everything you did as a student would be exactly the same.

<center><img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/xT5LMOwBto9xvEC3nO/giphy.gif" alt="Related image"/>
[Source](https://giphy.com/gifs/season-16-the-simpsons-16x2-xT5LMOwBto9xvEC3nO)</center>

Now, I’m not saying this is bad teaching. Actually, some of these teachers are the best teachers I have ever met. I wish I could be organized at the same level. I just can’t help but think how they could enhance and improve on what they are already doing. I honestly think that since they are so on top of what they are doing that they would have an easier time incorporating new knowledge. One factor that is leading to this issue is that teachers get into a groove of teaching the same grade year after year. When teachers have to change grades they are forced to learn new curriculum content and therefore create new units and lessons. This has not been an issue for me as I have taught so many different grades and taken on several different roles over my years of teaching.

<center>![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcRdAj7iZUzwGd6a6Y7LWHwTqPKPRgYhaR8QVbm4zS8h6/image.png)
[Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/en/training-education-development-1848687/)</center>

For me personally, I am always looking for a better way. There are many things that I do each and every year because they are important concepts that I teach but I am always trying to make the content more relevant to what is happening in the world at the time. This makes what my students are learning relevant to them and gives purpose to the content. I try to attend workshops to find better ways to deliver the curriculum to my students and to make me more knowledgeable about the content that I am teaching. I think for me if nothing ever changed in what I was doing I fear that I might become bored with what I do. My advice is that in any job that you do, be it teaching or anything else in life, embrace change. Seek out new knowledge and strive to be the best that you can be in your chosen profession. You will be better for it and those that rely on your skills will reap the rewards of your growth.