Dialogue 3 : Effective Professional Development
Why do teachers often complain about receiving professional development that is a waste of their time?
Like classroom work with our students, professional development must be well-planned and well-facilitated. Yet each week, countless teachers are required to sit through PD sessions that are poorly planned, badly-facilitated and light years away from addressing their real concerns. No wonder teachers feel their valuable time is being wasted.
At CEP, we start by going into the classroom to observe people teaching, and we bring data to the table to show people where they need to improve. When people see data that is theirs, they are immediately interested. Our PD work takes place in well-facilitated sessions that guarantee that everyone has the chance to talk about their work in a professional, supportive setting.
Like successful teaching, successful training always keeps the learner in mind. We don’t waste people’s time because we provide training that is responsive to their needs. We respond to teachers’ needs by responding to students’ needs. This gives teachers a clear path to follow when working with their students and the results are tangible.
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