My Journey Through The Provincial Instructors Diploma Program:

During my first few months of teaching I received a very nice compliment from my Department Head. She told me, “I was a natural instructor and doing a wonderful job with my students”. She however, suggested I would be an even better instructor once I have completed my PID. I could not have agreed with her more. Unfortunately, in my department there is no real training or guidelines for new instructors to follow. I was given a class to teach with a skeleton like curriculum; it had no substance or direction. I realized as an instructor I needed to develop my own support materials and my own brand of instruction. I remember thinking to myself, “fake it until you make it”.  It became very clear to me I needed instructor training.

            So I enrolled in the PIDP 3100 Foundations in Adult Education course online. The course introduced me to many learning theories and models, the core of adult education. After a lot of reading and many papers I began to have an understanding foundations of adult education. The course created a hunger for more knowledge and I couldn’t wait to take my next course. As a full-time instructor and a part-time hair stylist I struggled to find time to take course or an intake that worked with my schedule. One year after taking my first course I enrolled in and completed PIDP 3210 Curriculum Development course. This course brought me a great understanding of how to create curriculum documents and actually read the curriculum documents that I had encountered in the Hair Design Department. The 3210 course was really a turning point in my thinking and understanding of all things instructional. I began to really get it.  Again, I couldn’t wait to take the rest of the PIDP courses.

            One year later I realized that I had not taken any further PIDP courses. I had been teaching back to back, putting my professional development time and holiday time on hold.  Suddenly there was a short fall of work in the department and I had plenty of banked time to be utilized for professional development. In 2015, I enrolled and completed PIDP 3220 Delivery of Instruction, PIDP 3230 Evaluation of Learning, PIDP 3240 Media Enhanced Learning, PIDP 3250 Instructional Strategies, and soon to be completed PIDP 3260 Professional Practice.  It has been a busy and incredible journey, one that has shaped and developed my career as in instructor beyond belief. I have grown and improved my instructional abilities in so many ways.

            I have learned how to create an inclusive classroom, where I can not only welcome everyone but also find ways to help everyone learn in a way that works for them. I have learned to put the students at center stage in their learning. I believe students must take ownership and responsibility for their own learning.  To me the most important thing I’ve learned and now become my mantra is “there is no such thing as a bad student, just a student that has not been engaged or challenged in the right way”. Since taken the PIDP program I have found myself trying really hard to reach the students who are struggling in the program. Most importantly, I have realized I now have the tools to help them.  I really credit the PIDP for developing, refining, and preparing me for my teaching career.