Much of professional development for teachers is focused on one-day workshops, district or campus meetings, or sporadic grade-level meetings that happen outside of school hours. Teachers are not paid extra to attend these after school trainings or meetings, nor have they been proven to be effective in improving a teacher’s practice or implementing innovative ideas. These meetings often take place in a space other than their own personal classrooms and do not always meet the needs of every teacher involved.
Authentic and alternative professional learning is needed now more than ever. With our highly digitized society, traditional methods of professional development is not helpful for teachers who desire to keep up. I have worked in seven different schools because I have always been curious about how other schools are conducted, and if they’re all the same. There seems to be a common pattern among many of the schools I have worked for in which professional development is largely a “one size fits all” and it is rarely ongoing. Teachers are expected to grasp the information and implement it through a series of trial and error, while keeping a smile on their face. I know I am not alone when I say I have felt disheartened when attempting to keep up with the endless demands that fall on the teacher. Another pattern I have discovered is that although all schools are very similar, they’re also very different. They are similar in how these professional development trainings leave many new teachers with collected information without really understanding how to connect it. We are “collecting dots” rather than “connecting them.” These school districts are different in aspects such as the curriculum, technology, resources, and the physical space that is offered. So, the similarity is: professional development looks similar across the board. The difference: it is difficult to change districts and feel prepared for another one if the professional development is the same but what needs implemented looks different. Therefore, it does not matter how many years of experience some teachers may have, if there is a lack of support or know-how of support, it can still leave a teacher feeling isolated in their attempts to execute what is needed effectively and in a timely manner.
The one school out of those six that is actively attempting to give their teachers a voice and transform professional learning is the school I am working in right now. Although I am a new teacher here, there are opportunities for me to lead professional learning if I so choose. They also provide classroom coaching through meeting with the administrator once a week, and provide each new teacher with a mentor. However, there is still plenty of room to grow in which funding would help provide new teachers like myself with opportunities to visit other classrooms and have returning teachers visit new teacher classrooms to model content delivery through PBL. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way at this time to provide new teachers at my campus with this opportunity due to a lack of funding to pay for a substitute while the new teacher observes. School districts rely so much on enrollment for funding that it has a direct effect on how teachers are supported. Although this is a reality that our school is facing this year, there is also a strong sense of community here, and no one person makes the executive decision. Important decisions are made as a collective, and more than one opinion is considered. Equity is important, which teaches us that although resources may be scarce, we utilize what we have to the best of our abilities with integrity. I believe this is a huge first step in transforming traditional professional development into a professional learning collective. We need support from one another, and we need to share ideas with one another and help each other implement them. Modeling and ongoing support is one of the major components in helping teachers develop and grow. A sense of humility is also needed if we are going to admit that we need help or admit that we never fully arrive at a destination, and that our practice is a journey. It is a journey for the duration of our life.
With this in mind, my new district is a project-based learning campus in which we work together district-wide with students and their families to present meaningful projects to the community. Projects may differ depending on department or grade level, but there is a district-wide theme that helps focus each project. One way I would like to implement professional learning on my campus is through developing a team of veteran PBL teachers who can help new PBL teachers implement PBL in a blended classroom environment. We will need funding not only for PBL resources, but for one-to-one technology for each student if it is truly going to be a consistent blended environment. However, we must focus on one goal at a time, and this is to implement PBL in every classroom, and help these teachers develop PBL plans rather than the traditional weekly lesson plans we see so often. What follows is a plan to help focus our team to moving traditional classroom practices into a blended PBL environment.
- Our students’ time and learning matters
- Guide students to develop agency in their learning by asking authentic questions that have relevance to their lives.
- Education is about learning, not about school.
- Learning is the goal
- Self-efficacy is also a goal
- Compliance transforms into positive reinforcement and social emotional learning opportunities
- PBL is learner-centered and engaging
- Teachers are guides. They are not responsible for delivering all of the content.
- Teachers become co-learners with their students.
- How?
- Collaborative
- Partner with teachers across disciplines, grade-levels, and experience levels.
- Partner with teachers who share students
- Partner with teachers within same disciplines
- Teacher-led
- Initial training led by teachers
- Coaching and mentoring provided by experienced PBL teachers
- Support, modeling, and critique will be provided by teachers/co-teachers
- Audience
- New teachers to campus need:
- Encouragement and patience while implementing and adapting to new tools, expectations, and pedagogy
- Understand campus policies and procedures
- Support with classroom management while adapting to these new methods
- Ongoing modeling in how to implement PBL and blended learning in their disciplines
- Time, support in planning with the department, grade-level, co-teachers and independently
- Experienced teachers need:
- To predict misunderstandings or hurdles new teachers may experience in implementing PBL initially
- To understand how PBL and blended fit in their own discipline as well as others
- Modeling for how PBL and blended learning work together effectively
- Support with classroom management as it applies to new methods
- Coaching as they adapt to new pedagogy
- Time to plan with their department, grade-level, co-teachers and independently
- New teachers need:
- A team teacher and experienced mentor
- Consistent peer and administration support as they adapt to the classroom environment
- Help knowing which questions to ask to get needs met
- Modeling and coaching in PBL and blended learning
- To understand campus policies and procedures
- Time to plan with department, grade-level, co-teachers and independently
- Instructional Design
- Teachers will transform their classrooms into learner-centered environments that encourage peer collaboration and the Growth Mindset
- A three-column table will be designed to help teachers understand where they are going, the outcomes of the training, and serve as an ongoing model for their own classrooms
- Schedule
- Initial training will take place before new-teacher orientation
- Subsequent training and coaching will take place during teacher planning days before school starts
- Consistent modeling and coaching will happen throughout the year during individual, grade-level, department, and PLC meetings
- Opportunities will be given for teachers to observe other classrooms
- Teacher mentors will attend and critique lessons while offering support and encouragement
- Mentors will model lessons in mentee classrooms
- Resources
- Technology tools
- Technology support
- Technology maintenance
- Time for planning
- New teachers to campus need:
- Collaborative
- What?–The 5 Principles of Effective Professional Development
- Duration
- Initial training-10 days of pedagogy theory, active practice, and planning
- Ongoing training throughout the school year
- Continued training each year
- Refresher training
- Mentor responsibility — each experienced teacher responsible for mentoring new teachers
- Support
- Planning support for new teachers
- Modeling of lessons and classroom management
- Coaching and critique to help new teachers adapt to new pedagogy
- Initial exposure
- Active participation in training
- New teachers must plan units that fit within their curriculum
- All teachers will be coached and supported through PBL protocols
- Collaboration
- Unit planning will take place with team teachers
- Support and encourage each other
- Share ideas that have worked well
- Less competition between teachers to perform better than another, a team-mindset is adopted
- Other helpful critique as they plan
- Modeling
- Training throughout the year will include modeling in mentor’s classroom
- Mentor will model PBL lessons and classroom management in mentees classroom
- Coaching and critique offered to help new teachers adapt and boost morale
- Context-specific
- Training will include planning for content and curriculum
- Everything will be based on specific curriculum
- PBL protocols will be applied to the discipline
- Modeling and coaching will help teachers plan and adapt
- Duration
As I move forward with my innovation plan, I will use this outline to help my team and our leaders execute a plan for implementation prior to the next school year.
References
Gulamhussien, A. (2013). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development in an era of high stakes accountability. Center for Public Education. Retrieved from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/system/files/2013-176_ProfessionalDevelopment.pdf
AnnaLeigh Herrin 