I have a question: Are any of you doing your Professional Development Dossier? I want to do mine this year, it will be my third year of teaching and would like to submit by February. I need help and am very overwhelmed. Where did you start on it? How long did you give your self? Could I do some of t now (during the summer)? These are just a few questions I have. Please help me!:help:
I haven't started mine. This upcoming year will be my second year. But at my school (actually in my district) they have "classes" for teachers who are working on their dossier. They actually help you with the entire process and you work with all the other teachers at your school who are working on it. I am sorry I can't directly answer your question, but maybe they have something like this at your school.
Are you with APS, because I know they have that up there? I did my student teaching up there. But then I moved down to Carlsbad and they don't really have anything like that in place. I'm hoping I can find some teachers in the district that are working on it, because no one in my building is doing it, or even had to do one.
I just got a newletter from the AFT-teacher's union about workshops for those doing their dossier. I'm doing mine this year as well. Check their website.
I teach in Los Lunas. It is part of the Mentor Program (NEA). I thought it was a state requirement to provide a Mentor program in each district.
I completed mine in February last year and passed. You cannot begin strands A or B because in A you need to teach a lesson and in B you need to keep track of two current students' progress. C has to do with collaboration and professional development, so you may want to use something from previous years (I did), as long as you have evidence. You need to start collecting students' work immediately for Strand B. Choose about 4 or 5 really different students (even though you only need 2, some may move away and leave you in a bind). What really helped me was joining a study group with the union and going to the dossier overview. The study group really kept me on track. I spent about 70 hours working on it from August to January. Give yourself a lot of time so you aren't rushing at the end. Go to http://www.teachnm.org/ to read what is involved and don't get intimidated! Take it one step at a time and you will pass. Good Luck!!
