According to many experts in the field of professional development, a wide variety of opportunities, that reflect a broad range of interests, must exist from which teachers can design a personal professional development plan. Such opportunities may include workshops, study groups, action research, conferences, demonstration teaching, coaching, modeling, and opportunities for discussion, reflection, and communication. It is not advisable to participate in “one shot” workshops, rather actively solving learning issues that exist in classrooms, buildings and districts is recommended as well as collaborating to solve student learning issues and analyzing results of actions.
“Professional development emphasizes a sustained job-embedded structure, provides for supportive networks, continuous reflection, evaluation, and follow-up that results in job-embedded learning focused on the daily work of teaching and learning.” Kentucky Dept. of Ed. Professional Development Rubric
Listed below are a few suggestions. Please feel free to add to this list by submitting suggestions to the Curriculum Office.
Possible Professional Development Activities
-Action Research-see links below to discover the benefits of action research
“Teachers who use action research build collegiality, collaboration, self confidence… and it empowers teachers.” Journal of Staff Development, 1999
-Create common assessments to monitor each student’s learning
-Collectively analyze results from assessments to identify strengths/weaknesses
-Develop and implement strategies to improve current levels of student learning
-Work together to implement and assess the impact of new strategies
-Develop achievement goals that are measurable, attainable, results oriented, time-bound and tied to the school improvement plan
-Participate in study groups that select, analyze and apply learnings from a professional journal or teacher resource book
-Develop an online/collegial support network that discusses relevant topics
-Interact with peers centering on specific student learning issues
-Conduct peer review with established goals for the review
-Mentor a colleague
-Coach a team in your specialty organized around shared interests, shared responsibilities and joint work
-Develop multiple, sequenced opportunities for modeling a lesson or technique that addresses a specific weakness with guided feedback by peers
-Demonstrate a skill or activity that addresses specific needs, teacher skill or standardization of a procedure
-Collaboratively-problem solve a need based on identified data analysis
-Complete group analysis of student work in order to establish a need
-Meet across agency teams, grade levels, building levels, district levels, offices, and departments to address student needs that are complex and require multiple support systems
- Create an action plan that includes making a videotape of teaching, keeping a reflection journal or portfolio
Links to Professional Development Information
Finding Time for Professional Development & Establishing Weekly Professional Development Meetings
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/profdevl/pd300.htm
Action Research
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arr/links.html
In Search of an Optimal Mix of Effective Practices
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/rpl_esys/pdlitrev.htm#4
Critical Issue: Evaluating Professional Growth and Development
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/profdevl/pd500.htm
Professional Development: Learning From the Best
http://www.ncrel.org/pd/toolkit.htm
Toolkit
http://www.ncrel.org/pd/f-guide.htm
Updated 5/16/06
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