The beginning of the school year adds many duties and tasks to your to-do list—welcoming students and families back to campus, hosting Back to School Night and other events, ramping up classes, and much more.
The School Head must also plan the year’s professional development for faculty and administrators.
Quality professional development that’s carefully focused directly correlates to higher levels of student engagement, satisfaction, and performance.
Sending an administrator or teacher to attend a conference or hear a lecture without considering how to translate that knowledge into his or her unique classroom is often ineffective. Instead, professional development can take the form of collaborative learning through hands-on workshops, research groups, instructional coaching, and professional learning communities.
No matter the mission-appropriate form of professional development you choose, all should reflect the following three traits.
It is intentional. Establish professional growth and development as a cultural norm within your school. This means that you, as School Head, must create a persistent and ongoing effort to support faculty and administrative professional development. All efforts should fall in line with the school’s strategic plan and mission, and tie together to better your school’s employees.
It is individualized. Despite evidence that personalized professional development is best for helping faculty and administrators grow in areas where they can help students benefit most, a one-size-fits-all approach is predominant in many schools. Instead of expecting that professional development is the same for all employees, have every teacher create a plan for his or her own professional development journey. He or she should identify how each requested development exercise impacts the goal of improving student learning.
It is lifelong. Lifelong learning for students must parallel teachers’ and administrators’ own lifelong learning. A school employee immersed in professional development every day, every week, and every year brings consistent innovation to his or her work. The future holds hope and promise, and students’ individual needs can be administered with authority and compassion. Furthermore, teachers can effectively demand the highest possible standards from every student because of his or her own immersion in the subject and effective teaching practices.
Keep these elements in mind when creating your school’s professional development strategy. Ensure it aligns with your mission to help better your educators, administrators, and school.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Academic Leadership Vol. 15 No. 2 Five Strategies for Your Professional Development Initiatives
The Source for Private School News Vol. 16 No. 5 Keep Your Professional Development Initiatives Fresh This Summer
The Source for Private School News Vol. 15 No. 4 Report Shows Increased Spending, Emphasis on Professional Development
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
