Professional organizations are a great way to build connections with others professionals in your industry. In many professions isolation tends to become the norm as people are tied to their desk and working on multiple projects at the same time. One way that professionals can gain perspective and met other professionals in their industry is to join professional organizations. These organizations can have either state or national affiliations and should be about promoting the profession and introducing best practices. One of the pitfalls that the teaching profession has is that of isolationism, it is very easy for teachers to stay in their classrooms and lost touch with their school and teaching colleagues. This then leads to stagnation which can be very toxic to careers.
Networking
One great benefit of a professional organization is the ability to network with other professional in your field, this helps to build a sense of belonging to a larger community. It can also be a great place to find new ideas and methods that can invigorate your teaching practice or challenge concepts you have. Professional networking can also be a great way for teachers to build connections with other schools and other programs. For those new the professions professional organizations can be a great way to find a mentor to help guide in your first few years as a teacher.
Career
Professional organizations can help build your professional network, but this can also lead to new and greater positions. While the majority of teachers will spend most of their careers in the classroom many move on to various leadership roles such as department heads, assistant principals and principals. Professional organizations can be a great way to start building the connections that can lead to these types of upward or lateral career moves.