Encounters with Professional Development
Jake Kimball
Abstract
Have you got 10,000 hours to spare? That is a widely held estimate of how long it takes to reach elite status in a professional field. But all hours are not created equal. It requires deliberate practice: planning, concentration, collecting feedback, revision, self-reflection, etc. 10,000 hours, also referred to as the 10-year-rule, is a long journey. Many of those hours may be spent “punching the clock” after an adequate skill set is attained. How does one sustain the drive to innovate, to enhance one’s craft, and engage in continuous professional development? In this session we will work towards moving from mediocre to master.
Bio-sketch
Jake Kimball is the founder of the Young Learner and Teens Special Interest Group and has worked for many years professionalizing TYL in Korea. His research interests include program evaluation and curriculum issues. After 17 years teaching EFL in Korea, he is also keenly interested in teacher development. Jake is an associate professor of English in the English Department of Semyung University.
