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| Image Source: Cox, 2019 |
Professional development is one of those things...it’s only going to be as good as you make it. For that reason, there are educators who (unfortunately) year after year complain about the workshops and courses that they have to do and really don’t take the initiative to improve their own practice. There are others who strive to find workshops of value and set goals to work towards. I’m entering my second year as the professional development committee co-chair and what an eye-opening experience that has been! Firstly, before being a part of this committee I really was clueless about the amount of blood, sweat and tears that our colleagues go through to plan and implement enriching professional development opportunities. Secondly, as I mentioned above, there are passive and active participants. Motivation to partake and continue to learn is probably the most important element of professional development. Many of Janelle Cox’s “15 Professional Development Skills for Modern Teachers” (retrieved 2019) point to the fact that professional development is a very autonomous process.
It could be argued that doing the teacher-librarianship diploma alone is self-motivated professional development. Even if I never step foot in a learning commons as a teacher-librarian, I’ve learned so much in the course for this program that has improved my practice in the classroom. I think that professional development is so much more than the five mandated days every school year. It’s just as much a reflective practice as it is an active one. Every school year I reflect on something I find challenging to teach or something I feel that I can improve upon and I set a goal to work on that one thing, and some goals last more than one school year. A few years ago it was differentiated math instruction. This year it’s an improvement upon and formalization of student conferencing for formative assessment. As a result of setting these goals I have a purpose to my professional development and seek out workshops, resources and other like-minded colleagues that support my success.
One of the biggest factors in pushing me forward in my practice is finding a small group of colleagues with similar goals. Working with colleagues that have similar values has raised my own professional development to the next level. Collaborating on ideas to implement in the classroom, getting feedback from those who are already doing it and seeking out resources that they’ve used has been the most valuable for me in my learning. The theory that we learn best from our peers is supported in TeachThought’s article “10 Simple Ways to Engage In Lifelong Learning” where four of the ways explicitly involve working with others: “keep smart company”, “teach others”, “join a study group” and “find a job that encourages learning and collaboration”. (TeachThought, 2019)
Video source: TeachThought, 2019
Works Cited
Cox, J. (Retrieved 2019). 15 Professional Development Skills for Modern Teachers [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.teachhub.com/15-professional-development-skills-modern-teachers?k12-news
TeachThought (2019, February 2). 10 Simple Ways to Engage In Lifelong Learning [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.teachthought.com/learning/10-simple-ways-to-engage-in-lifelong-learning/
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ReplyDeleteWow, thanks for sharing! I especailly loved TeachThought's article about "10 Simple Ways to Engage in Lifelong Learning." I will definitely be bookmarking that to come back to on days when I feel uninspired or lost. I think sometimes we decide that a change or a plan needs to be big, so I love that this list reminds us of all the small and simple ways we can continue to be learning and growing.
ReplyDeleteQuite a few schools that I've worked at have required the staff to create a Professional Development Goal each year. I found these to be super useful in helping push me in my teaching. Does your school do them/would you consider them?
They sound like a big deal, and there are a lot of steps, but they are actually quite simple and useful. Basically, in September a doc would get sharing to everyone and we would all copy it and fill it out. It gave prompts to guide us in creating a goal, building a network of people we can go to for support, and accountableility - how will we know if we've achieved it? Staff met with an administrator to discuss is (a casual 15 minute chat), where they give some advice or guidance. There was usually a mini-check in (or a reminder to review your goal) midway through the year, then another in person check-in at the end of the year. It sounds like a lot, but it was actually quite casual. I found it really helpful to keep me accountable to myself - I had wanted to take my class outside more, and had a goal to teach one or two lessons outside a month. Well, last year, we had terrible weather, and I just couldn't justify it (and I was new to a homeroom teacher position, so I was overwhelmed enough just trying to keep the class on track in the classroom!). But, since I had invested in this goal at the beginning of tthe year and did care about it, it pushed me to try and make it work. I came up with a solution - we would go on walks once a week. So every Tuesday morning (unless there was an event that morning or it was way too cold/rainy), my students and I would put on our jackets, grab umbrellas, and go on a walk around the campus. We'd take different routes, occasionally stop at the playground, sometimes students would race each other, other times we would stop and notice the sounds we hear and the things we saw. As the students got used to the routine, I would sometimes incorporate class activites into the walk - they had to find examples of shapes on the playground to photograph and explain; they had to use similes or metaphors to describe something they saw or heard on the walk. It was a really great routine in our class. And on those weeks when I felt way too busy to do it, the students would remind me "It's Tuesday. We have to have our morning walk!" Their enthusiasm would remind me why I had this goal and how important it really was.
-Kelli
Hi Kelli, I love your goal to get outside! A colleague and I have been doing a lot of outdoor ed "experimentation" in the last couple of years and it's amazing. The kids that bounce off the four walls of the classroom thrive outside! The fresh air and physical activity is so important for their young bodies and I feel that sadly kids aren't getting enough of that anymore.
DeleteMy school doesn't do formalized goal-setting. I do think it's a good idea and I also think it would be motivating for many, however I also believe the admin would get major kickback from the resistant people! I wonder how the schools that do it convince the veterans that it's worth it?
I agree - the outdoors made such a HUGE difference in the class dynamics. In May and June we actually would often go outside for social studies classes to read out textbooks and discuss colonization and residential schools. Being outside for those heavy topics made a huge difference in the conversations we were able to have - it was deep and thoughtful, but being in nature just gave ti a different energy.
DeleteI have no idea how the admin convinced people to do it.. as far as I knew, it was always done. I think since it's just the two or three 15 minute meetings (and the goals could really be anything), people just had to get on board.
-Kelli
Well done post. You've collected a few examples of strategies to explore and develop your own professional development goals. You've outlined some important communities for connecting, including at your school, your district and online. You've described some important reminders about making your own professional development work for you, and investing some time and energy into being more active, rather than passive. As well, your description about goals and working towards new ones each year is a very solid strategy. Good links, connections, labels and discussion.
ReplyDeleteI agree that doing this diploma alone is professional development! I keep finding myself in the midst of coursework, and although I think I need a break soon, I do appreciate how it forces me to consistently learn and interact with other teachers! I find I am more conscious about what I am doing as a teacher when I am doing my course work.
ReplyDeleteI agree that finding a small group of peers is so important in our learning. Do you feel like you have found that where you are currently working? My collaboration with my other Late teachers across the district has proven to be invaluable!
I am very lucky to have landed at a school with an amazing and supportive staff. Funnily, when I took a position there it wasn't because I wanted to leave my previous school but solely to get closer to my own children's school to make my life more manageable! Now I can't imagine working anywhere else. I've met one person in particular who happens to be the same grade as me and we've become really close friends but also collaborative partners. Working that closely with someone, we really push each other to the next level and because we work together so much we can undertake some pretty major projects with the kids. She has a background in special ed and now with my new expertise in literacy we can really support each other in those areas as well.
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