Key points:
The best teacher professional development is an empowering experience that equips educators with the skills and knowledge they need to grow and thrive in their careers. While traditional lecture-based sessions still exist, an increasingly common approach is to offer a dynamic range of opportunities, from practical workshops and interactive learning experiences to flexible, self-paced online learning.
Historically, professional development often involved hours of passive listening, with minimal opportunities for interaction or collaboration. This traditional approach failed to model the effective teaching practices that educators are expected to use in their own classrooms. Today, however, this model is increasingly being replaced by a more attractive, choice-based approach. Schools and districts are recognizing the importance of tailoring professional development to the specific needs, interests, and career goals of their educators. By moving away from one-size-fits-all programs, they are creating opportunities that are more relevant, meaningful, and empowering for teachers.
Three Focus Areas for Successful Professional Development
To create effective professional development programs, schools and districts are encouraged to consider several factors that can significantly impact the growth and success of their educators. By focusing on relevance, fostering relational connections, and ensuring that learning is recurring, administrators can create development initiatives that not only resonate with teachers, but also lead to significant long-term improvements in teaching practices.
1. Relevance
Professional development is most effective when it is aligned with both the broader goals of the school or district and the individual aspirations of each teacher.
Rather than forcing all teachers to follow the same mold, productive professional development offers personalized opportunities that allow educators to look for areas in which they want to grow professionally. For example, a novice teacher might need help learning effective classroom routines, while an experienced educator might be interested in learning about a new educational technology.
Tailoring professional development to meet these diverse needs ensures that each teacher can engage in learning that is directly applicable to their unique professional challenges and goals.
2. Relational
Professional development provides the opportunity to build relationships among participants. Teachers thrive in collaborative environments and professional development can do the same.
By creating opportunities for educators to connect, share ideas, and build networks, professional development can foster a sense of community and mutual support. This focus on relationships not only enriches the learning experience but also encourages the continued exchange of ideas and best practices long after the session ends.
3. recurring
Professional development has a lasting impact when it goes beyond a “one thing” approach. While single-session trainings remain common, they often fail to sustain behavioral changes.
Schools that commit to a continuous learning model that includes follow-up sessions, ongoing practice, and training are more likely to be effective in developing their teachers.
This recurring approach ensures that professional development is not just a checkbox to tick, but a process that supports long-term growth and development.
Establish professional development for schools versus districts
Designing effective professional development is often a little different at the district level and at the individual school level. While schools focus on the specific development needs of their teachers, districts balance individual school needs with broader district-level strategic goals.
Recognizing the differences in how professional development is implemented at these levels will help create programs that truly support educators.
District Professional Development
At the district level, professional development is typically guided by a strategic plan that outlines the district's long-term goals. With potentially hundreds of schools under its umbrella, each school district faces the challenge of providing the necessary resources and guidance to balance district-wide initiatives with the professional learning needs of individual schools.
This requires flexibility in approach and a strong, clear vision that is often set by the superintendent, board of education, or other senior leadership, such as assistant superintendents or directors of curriculum and instruction. In some districts, professional development may be managed by specific departments, such as Human Resources or even an equity office.
Professional development at the school level
At the school level, the focus of professional development is often more tailored to the immediate needs of teachers and students. Principals, instructional coaches, and instructional leaders are responsible for setting these priorities.
Before establishing a vision for professional development, school leaders are encouraged to engage in conversations and collect data to understand their teachers' specific needs and wants, as well as the school's broader goals.
This collaborative approach helps identify the most urgent areas of development and ensures that the professional development provided is relevant and meaningful. By involving teachers and other stakeholders in the planning process, schools can create a professional development path that aligns with their unique challenges and goals, ultimately leading to more effective learning sessions.
Lasting impact with aligned professional development
Districts seeking to create useful and sustained professional development can do so by aligning their efforts with both school-specific needs and district-wide goals.
When districts provide relevant content, encourage relationship-building between teachers and facilitators, and provide recurring support, professional development not only helps teachers grow but also strengthens the district's overall strategy, leading to lasting improvements across the board. the schools.
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