We have all heard the adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." This comes from an outdated mode of thinking in which adults were thought to be "less-capable learners" (Merriam, 2001, p. 4). In reality, adults simply learn differently from children and teenagers. Professional development (PD) for teachers needs to take this into account.
Some aspects of learning stay the same- there is a constant struggle between what we know works and what we think we want. I have some students that adore lecture because they feel really good writing down a lot of information, even if studies have shown that this is not the most effective way to process this information. I know that I sometimes feel frustrated by PDs that involve activities and moving around, because I want to just get the information and go. However, research shows that effective PD cannot be a presentation that is given once and then never discussed again.
Zepeda (2012) defines effective professional development as "practices that are research-based, tied to standards, and present a coherent structure for teachers who work in an environment in which the work of teaching is rooted in learning" (p. 8). There needs to be a stated purpose that the whole community sees as important. Zepeda also writes that PD should be tied to feedback, just like teachers give their students. This means that PD needs to be an ongoing process, with opportunities for formative and summative evaluations that will ensure the overall goal is met.
At my school, there is a balance between ongoing training and one-shot workshops. For global needs like diversity training and curriculum development, we have been fortunate to be given the opportunity to attend a series of workshops that allow us to reflect on where we have been, where we are going, and how we doing on the path to achieving that goal. This has often meant hiring an outside consultant, such as a teacher from Rainier Scholars or a district-level curricular coach, to come and work with us. This training over time is more effective than a half hour presentation on student engagement or tech use.
One area in which I think my school is growing when it comes to PD is community involvement. According to the Institute for Educational Leadership, Inc., "an effective school depends on leadership from all members of the school community" (2011, p. 119). By actively engaging teachers to share their expertise, there is greater buy-in. "Learning from more experienced members of a community and participation in cultures of practice [has] led to... learning situations that incorporate situated views of learning" (Hansman, 2001, p. 46). "Situated views of learning" means that adults learn through interaction with community members in self-driven, interest-based environments. By drawing on the strengths of the community, schools save money and create a culture in which community members rely on each other for help and ideas.
As my school rethinks leadership, I hope that more attention is given to data, because while I am sure that our administrative team has data, the average teacher is not given access to data at my school like I think it is at other schools (based on conversations or examples given by my classmates). I hope that there is continued teacher input into the types of PD that we need so that the teachers see the PD as necessary and useful rather than a waste of time. Finally, I would like to see more time for reflection. I was intrigued by an example given by the Institute for Educational Leadership, Inc., where teachers got to take a planning day, essentially a sub-covered day, to reflect on a recently completed goal and evaluate successes, failures, and next steps. I could see this being incredibly useful for teachers at my school as we attempt to create a more cross-departmental curriculum. These days would be great for teachers in different departments to come together and reflect. As stated by many authors, the best PD has improvements for students at the heart, not just teacher needs.
References:
Hansman, C.A. (2001, Spring). Context-based adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89, 43-51.
Institute for Educational Leadership, Inc. (2011). Teacher leadership in high schools. In E.B. Hilty (Ed.), Teacher leadership: The "new" foundations of teacher education: A reader (113-128). New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
Merriam, S.B. (2001, Spring). Andragogy and self-directed learning: Pillars of adult learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89, 3-13.
Zepeda, S.J. (2012). Professional development: What works. New York: Routledge.
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