Many school districts engage their "new" teachers in a socialization/induction process. This process helps these new teachers come to learn the common practices and norms as well as rules, regulations, and expectations associated with their school district. New teachers learn what it takes to work within the school district’s culture and what it means to be part of the district’s community of practices. What is often missing in these orientation then socialization processes is the opportunity for personalization.

Personalization is how the school district changes as the result of the newcomers who join. Through our "Taking Charge of Your Professional Growth," these new community members now have the opportunity to influence their school district. That is, they can now begin to personalize the school district’s culture. Thus, these new teachers are now expected to take up specific roles that support the district’s Vision, Mission, and Values, and do it in a way that allows them to fully and skillfully engage in the art of teaching (or administering).

The goal of this program is to help the new teachers understand that by participating in the district community they get to be more of who they want to be. Their identities are strengthened through and by this reciprocal relationship. Likewise the school district becomes more of what it imagines itself becoming by having these new teachers become the teachers that they imagine themselves becoming.

"Taking Charge of Your Professional Growth" is designed to prepare for this important step of becoming a full-fledged, integral part of the school district community. Participants leave the workshop with a clear vision of who they want to be within the district, an understanding how who they want to be promotes and complements the districts intent, and with a developed action plan and goals to help them get there.

The results: Higher Motivation, Higher Loyalty, Higher Satisfaction, Lower Stress, Lower Staff Turnover