1. Skip to navigation
  2. Skip to content
  3. Skip to sidebar

Rethinking Professional Development: Tools for Today’s Administrators

Professional development (PD) is no longer just a one- or two-day institute held at your school where a presenter rolls out silver bullets guaranteed to work with your students. In today’s environment you don’t have to hear the words “waste of time” in relation to PD or see teachers doodling in notebooks to pass the time.

Today, professional development can provide customized skills and training specifically designed to promote and enhance your professional teaching abilities. PD can range from traditional face-to-face format and online learning to peer coaching and collaborative teaching or professional learning communities.

You will find free PD all over the Internet or you can locate providers who will customize their PD for your unique circumstances. Of course, free doesn’t always mean effective and customized PD doesn’t necessarily offer ongoing coaching.

As an administrator, you are in the best position to determine what is most effective for your teachers and staff. Asking for teachers’ feedback and recommendations can offer significant compelling whys and buy-ins when the time for training arrives.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

—Margaret Meade, anthropologist, writer, and speaker

Performance Learning Systems, Inc. offers a wide range of PD programs. Please visit our Web site for more details: http://www.plsweb.com/Professional-Development/Professional-Development-Services

Read on to discover how to explore and consider PD opportunities for your teachers and staff.

If time and money are not an obstacle for you, multitudes of PD providers are available to you at the click of a mouse. Of course, most schools and districts have limited resources and will shop for the best customized PD to suits their teachers’ needs.

Before you contact potential vendors, you will save time and money if you are prepared with answers to the questions below.

  • What type of PD do our teachers/staff need?
    ο For example, support for high-risk students, new applications in a specific content area, teamwork, collaboration, etc.
  • What is the solution we desire?
    ο This answer will be based on the type of PD you want.
  • What type of PD training will be most beneficial to your teachers/staff?
    ο For example, bringing a trainer to your school, a blended face-to-face/online training, etc.
  • What type of ongoing training, solutions, and coaching do you desire?
    ο The biggest challenge with PD is making sure it is ongoing and effective with your staff.
  • What long and short term solutions do you want each member of your staff to implement?

You may also wish to compose a list of questions for the vendor. Questions may include:

  • How will you customize/differentiate your existing content for my teachers/staff?
  • What ongoing support do you offer after the presentation/workshop concludes?
  • How can you provide us with updates to research findings and applications?
  • Do you have possible reflection and support questions we can customize and use?

Once you have chosen a vendor and held your PD training, you need to remember to follow up. PD training is only effective if there are reflection opportunities and ongoing support. Follow up is not difficult; it should become a habit at regular staff meetings or in cohort groups. Your school probably has support groups, teacher mentors, or instructional coaches in place. When your staff is faced with challenges, you should continue to offer them support and provide them with thoughtful and reflective questions to consider.

Did you know?

Quality and effective PD is standards-based, values the principles of adult learners, is collaborative, aligns with school-improvement goals, and provides reflection opportunities (National Middle School Association, 2004).

According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), teachers should have opportunities to develop professionally and National Board certification should promote teacher learning among the candidates (Lustick & Sykes, 2006).

Effective PD programs should include active learning activities (i.e., demonstration, practice, and feedback), collaboration on student learning, and ongoing support to improve learning and teaching (National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, 2009). http://www.dropoutprevention.org/effstrat/professional_development/overview.htm

The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) sets its purpose as “every educator engages in effective professional training every day so every student achieves.” Their standards include “Organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district,” “Requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement,” and “Requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration” (National Staff Development Council, 2001).

Taking It Further

For more information on the benefits of teachers supporting teachers and the role of PD, visit http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin297.shtml

References

Lustick, D., & Sykes, G. (2006). National board certification as professional development: What are teachers learning? Retrieved May 24, 2010 from http://www.nbpts.org/UserFiles/File/LUSTICK-SYKES_NBPTS_FINAL_REPORT_D_-_Lustick.pdf

National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. (2009). Professional development. Retrieved May 24 2010 from http://www.dropoutprevention.org/effstrat/professional_development/overview.htm

National Middle School Association. (2004). Research summary: Professional development for teachers. Retrieved May 24, 2010 from http://72.41.27.99/Research/ResearchSummaries/Summary22/tabid/249/Default.aspx

National Staff Development Council. (2001). NSDC’s standards for staff development. Retrieved May 27, 2010 from http://www.nsdc.org/standards/index.cfm

©2004-2012 Performance Learning Systems Inc.