ABSTRACT
Professional competence and growth occur when teachers are willing to explore their own assumptions and take time to understand more about why they work in ways they do. This chapter encourages the people, as a beginning teacher, to appreciate science teaching as challenging work characterised by ongoing and shifting dilemmas. It also encourages the people to be patient while at the same time encouraging them to recognise that our teaching context provides a rich opportunity for relevant and useful professional learning. A teacher's knowledge of self-identity and their sense of personal adequacy are essential aspects that define the personal' in professional practice and greatly influence the type of learning experienced by students. The key to continued professional growth is a willingness of teachers to continually interrogate and make sense of both their professional practice and their professional knowledge. It is reasonable to expect that their learning needs and interest will undoubtedly shift as they progress through their careers.
