The past few weeks I have been researching different types of professional development. I have found a few sites and also information on what can be effective. This week I found a study discussing what types of things teachers should be keeping up with. The study was conducted by the San Diego Community School District. The district put together what they call "A Blue Print For Success" in 2000. The main goal of the blue print was for students to have higher success, which the district felt could be achieved through more effective teaching. The district believes that the most effect tool for improving student outcomes are better teachers. I couldn't agree more.
The article is a bit lengthy. But covers some really important information. It starts by defining professional development. It then discusses what San Diego did to improve their teacher’s skills and content knowledge. It also covers what types of professional development schools should require. The results were gathered after requiring teachers to take part in a three-step professional development model known as the Eisenhower model. The main areas included focusing on the content, active learning, and coherence (or connections). Information was compiled based on interviews with teachers as well as teacher’s own recordings. The article is long and at times a little boring, but if you click on the link above, I suggest skipping down to the last 3 or 4 pages. That is where it talks about the five key characteristics of professional development.
The five key characteristics of professional development include providing time for collaboration. Teachers felt that collaboration should not just be within grade levels but across all different grades. Another component listed was providing opportunities for modeling. Teachers need to see examples of good teaching. Many teachers felt sitting in other classrooms was extremely helpful. Another point to professional development is basing it off teachers needs. In other words, where are teachers struggling? Sitting in on a seminar about content knowledge is useless if you're having problems with application. Another characteristic of good professional development is providing a safe and trusting environment for teachers to learn, just like we should be providing for students. Lastly, professional development should be connected to broader school goals.
The big idea I took from this study was that professional development should stem from need. A teacher may know all there is to know about science but still have no clue how to teach it! Likewise, a teacher might have some great teaching strategies but no way to apply them without understanding the content. For this reason I think professional development should be individualized. Teachers should come up with plans that are specific to their own needs.
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