Examining Teachers’ Professional Learning

Teachers are often thought of and treated as competent practitioners upon their entrance to the profession. A growing body of literature, however, demonstrates that teachers experience unique circumstances at particular times in their career and those circumstances lead to the specific learning needs. This chapter demonstrates how the Model of Domain Learning (MDL) helps identify and examine already existing programs, Extended Teacher Education Program, Knowles Science Teacher Fellows, and Reading Recovery, are successful at meeting the particular learning needs of teachers within the stages of acclimation, competence, and proficiency. This chapter also posits how the MDL might help educational professionals interested in the development of teacher practice might differently conceptualize teacher evaluation and suggests the need for more specifically targeted professional development.