Our district in Keokuk recently changed how they doing PD. In the past, we jumped on a bandwagon -- it always seemed like it was something that was in the educational media to increase tests scores, which was admirable, but the PD was never very good. The speakers were boring, there were too many of us in one group, the facility were the PD was held was not condusive to a large group, etc. Of my 4 years in Keokuk, I never went through a PD that I was enthusiastic about -- until this year.
This year, our district is offering 3 different profession developments, and as individuals, we get to choose what we were most interested in. Once we picked a PD, we were stuck with it, but after my first PD of the year, I knew I made the right choice.The choices for PD were Love and Logic, Character Education and Parental Involvement. I choose Love and Logic, which I have always been interested in and I implemented it as a classroom management strategy in my classroom since my first year of teaching. The PD was AWESOME. The district brought in a Love and Logic expert who was very engaging. It was the first PD that I enjoyed, learned from, wanted more AND even spent money to purchase books from the presenter! Everyone in my Love and Logic group felt it was a day well spent, and I have heard similar things from the other sessions. I see myself using Love and Logic more, and other teachers have started using in their classrooms regularly.
2 comments:
I think it’s great that your district gives their employees a choice in PD. That makes the PD more relevant and will motivate the staff to implement new strategies. I wish more districts would give their employees a choice, rather than employees feeling that PD is a waste of time and district money.
This is my first year to the Sherrard School District and I was very impressed when they presented the staff development model for the year. At a district presentation the concept was explained. There would be four strands-center based learning, modifications, differentiated instruction, and interventions. That day the staff rotated through 4 mini sessions on each. We then got to choose which strand we would focus on. Groups for each strand would met throughout the year at their convenience and research the topic. In April, each group would present at a "Sharing Fair" their findings and suggestions and submit five lesson plans using the ideas form the strand.. Coming from a district whose staff development plan was work in your rooms, I was very impressed. I was disappointed however, at my first strand meeting when the comments immediately turned negative. Many veteran teachers in the district were complaining about another one of these staff development things that would never make a difference because no one would ever look at the products. This makes me think how important it will be to follow up as an administrator. The current staff development plan in place seems to be a strong one. It is addressing topics that many teachers are concerned about and need support to implement. With the right leadership and follow up I think this staff development activity could make a lasting impact on teacher skills and student success. However, I must admit, I do not know the nest way to follow up and ensure that it has made an impact.
Post a Comment