Individualized Professional Development Plan for New Teachers

Name: Alana Curtin

Elementary or Secondary: Elementary
Major: Physical and/or Other Health Impairments/ Conductive Education
Minor: N/A
Semester Student Teaching Completed: Spring 2015
School Building: Palmer Elementary School
District: Grand Rapids Public Schools
Grade/Subject: Kindergarten
School Building: Conductive Learning Center
Grade/Subject: Young/Early Childhood Group
List any memberships to professional organizations for teachers:
Association of Conductive Education in North America (ACENA)
o Member and Assistant Membership Director
List any workshops or conferences that you have attended in the past 2 years:

Fire Up! Student Teaching Conference (GVSU, March 2015)

o Five Shows a Day (Christine Webster)
o Mind Over Gray Matters (Monica Michael)
o The First Five Years- Learning and Thriving (Ashley VanDort)
o Sticky, Icky & Tricky Situations in Teaching- What They Dont Teach you
in College (Wendy Colsen)
o I Sure Wish Id Known That Sooner! (Charles Bultman)
Professional Development In-Service (Conductive Learning Center/Oakland
Schools, April 2015)
o Assistive Technology- Supporting Students with Physical Impairments
(Jan Ashcraft, Dawn Jones)
Professional Development In-Service (Pet Institute, May 2014)
o Art in the Classroom; Art Therapy
Cerebral Palsy Research: On the Cutting Edge (CP Research Consortium of
Michigan, Wayne State University, January 2013)
o Distinctive databases for etiological investigations: MOBAND, OWL,
NCCP, ELGAN, UM registry, and other databases (Steven Korzeniewski,
PhD)

o Hypothermia and Cerebral Palsy in term and near-term infants (Seetha

Shankaran, MD)
o Fetal Infection and Inflammation in Cerebral Palsy: Insights from
Molecular Imaging and Nanotechnology (Roberto Romero, MD)
o CP case control study using newborn blood spots: latest results (Nigel
Paneth, MD)
o Cognition in CP: Adapted Cognitive Assessment Laboratory Update (Seth
Warschausky, PhD)
o Communication and CP: What do CFCS scores tell us? (Mary Jo Cooley
Hidecker, PhD)
o The NIH PROMIS: Measuring Health Related Quality of Life in Children
and Adults with CP (Anna Kratz, PhD)
o Research in interventions and QOL: Introduction to breakout (Edward
Hurvitz, MD)
Classroom Discussion Professional Development In-Service (Palmer Elementary,
March 2015)
o Classroom Discussion (Angela Cook)

List any articles published, presentations given, awards received, committee

assignments, or research conducted within the past 2 years:
Deans List (2011-2015)
Magna Cum Laude
Technology in Conductive Education. April 2015. Print.
What are your areas of strength?
Enthusiastic, energetic, and patient in the classroom
Organized and structured in planning and teaching, yet flexible when needed
Maintaining a positive professional behavior (appearance, punctuality, attendance,
and communicating with staff, students, and parents)
Dedicated toward planning based on the individual needs and goals of each
student in the classroom
What are your areas in need of growth?
Further develop management techniques to efficiently manage the classroom and
maximize instruction/learning time
Plan questions in advance with a range of both low and high level questioning and
regularly stretches questions to ensure effect classroom discussion
Self-evaluate lessons to clarify any problems, misconceptions, or issues that need
to be readdressed to create the most effective lessons for all learners
What are your immediate plans for professional development (within the next 1-2
years)?

Finish my undergraduate at Aquinas College and receive my Elementary

Education certification, P.O.H.I. endorsement and International Conductive
Education certification.
Obtain a position on the board and be an active member in ACENA (Association
of Conductive Education in North America)
Continue to further attended conferences, professional development events, and
obtain resources regarding development of physically impaired children,
specifically cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and traumatic brain injury

What are your future plans for professional development (3-5 years)?

Pursue my Masters of Education Degree

Take Speech and Language Pathology, and hearing impairment courses in hopes
to complete and obtain Speech and Language Impairment and Hearing
Impairment endorsements
Network and consult with fellow educators both in general education and
conductive education to share knowledge, experience and resources
Pursue dream to create conductive education options in hospitals for children post
surgery