We recently shared three dimensions that all meaningful professional development initiatives share. Those three traits—intentionality, individuality, and lifelong—help ensure your leaders, faculty, and staff get the most knowledge and insight from any learning opportunity.
Today we’re following up with three more dimensions of meaningful professional development. Keep these in mind as you structure your learning programs and finalize your budget for teachers and administrators.
It is collegial. When teachers and administrators learn together in a group, they’re better able to implement change that positively impacts students. Now, this isn’t to say that one professional development topic or experience serves everyone equally. But, for leaders and teachers who want to learn about the same thing, a group session can have numerous benefits. They can bounce ideas off one another, and then continue to reference what they’ve learned long after the session. They can continue to refine their activities based on what works in practice and what doesn’t. They can learn from one another through conversation and observation, creating a cohort of like-minded professionals who can rely on each other for years.
It is student-centric. Everything we do at school is for the benefit of our students—and today’s students look very different than those from 10 to 15 years ago. Family stresses vary; the future looks different; and school expectations in many different areas have increased. Students today live their lives differently. For instance, if students can Google facts, how can teachers impart information while helping students build critical thinking and analysis skills? Professional development must be focused on helping leaders, faculty, and staff deliver the school’s mission to today’s student.
It is always evolving. The changes mentioned above require you to constantly assess your professional development strategies and initiatives. Ask yourself: Is what our school offers to teachers and administrators the best use of their time? Will it deliver the biggest benefit to your school? Take the time to acknowledge your school’s strengths and weaknesses in areas from administration to curriculum, and develop strategies and ideas based on your findings. Once new methods are implemented, analyze the impact of those changes to discover what is effective and what isn’t.
Professional development should be an ongoing focus at your school. Keep these traits of meaningful professional development in mind to create the best possible experience for your whole school community.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for School Heads Vol. 17 No. 1 Three Dimensions of Meaningful Professional Development
The Source for Academic Leadership Vol. 15 No. 2 Five Strategies for Your Professional Development Initiatives
Additional Resources for ISM Members:
I&P Vol. 41 No. 12 A Renewed Perspective for Professional Development
I&P Vol. 41 No. 16 Professional Development: Five Worst Practices
