Professional development is necessary in growing the effectiveness of instruction at our school. An evolution in our vision of professional development will produce the results we have not previously seen in earlier structures. In order to maintain the growth of all educators on different levels, a more developed and robust professional development system must be implemented and maintained. I think of it as painting the roads and suggesting a route, but the drivers must choose their path. By outlining goals and using data, the context can shift to be more individual in nature. As teachers grow, their version of professional development might change from the previous and traditional views. District and school leaders paint the lines and act as Google Maps, suggesting a route, but the professional educator must be a large piece of choosing the final destination and route to get there. The context must match the understanding that teachers engage in professional development at different levels in different ways. Differentiation in PD must catch up to differentiation in the classroom. This should look like a general pathway of showing levels of teaching mastery and include an evaluation of current skills. As teachers cycle through, they can then shift paths to become instructional leaders and lead PLCs in discussions and changes directly impacting that group’s needs. At the next level, teachers can choose to perform book studies or complete action-research. The tiered approach will yield stronger relationships between professional development and student outcomes.
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Mr. Brenton DeFlitchStriving to provide unique and research-based strategies to modernizing the educational experience of students. Archives
February 2017
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