Professional Development and Teaching

Most educators assure that being a good teacher is a consequence of professional development. Howley & Howley (2005) postulate a worth for analysis paragraph in one of their articles, which shows this idea.
"Policymakers and educators see professional development as a way to improve the quality of instruction in the classrooms across the nation (...) it would seem that the right kinds of professional development would improve instruction, and that better instruction would result in higher student achievement." (Howley & Howley, 2005, p. 1)
Analyzing this paragraph, it can be said that people authorized to make decisions and changes in the curricula and educators themselves believed that professional development improves the quality of teaching, and eventually, it upgrades students’ accomplishments.
Apart from what it has been mentioned before, discourse markers are a common feature in the article. Discourse markers can be defined as a word or a phrase that is relatively syntax-dependent, for example so, but, because, or. Concerning their function, “and” is generally used to add information or when enumerating the object or item of a list. The discourse marker “or” involves mentioning a last item in a negative sentences and/or when enunciating another option. When thinking about the marker “but”, it is clear that its function is contrasting ideas. Finally, the word “because” is used when explaining reasons.
Returning to professionalism, the authors Howley & Howley (2005) state that the data – based improvement, or in other words, the improvement of professionalism by recording and analyzing data of every day routine, is grounded in management approaches. As the word management shows, this project or plan involves getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling.
All in all, in this article professionalism is viewed as the key factor for a better instruction and students’ achievements. In order to achieve the desired goal, it is necessary that the plan or project is based in managerial approaches.
References:
Howley, A., & Howley, C. B. (2005). High-Quality Teaching: Provoding for Rural Teacher’s Professional Development. The Rural Educator. October 2007, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4126/is_200501/ai_n13591361