7 Things Teachers Want from Professional Development
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7 Things Teachers Want from Professional Development
7 Things Teachers Want
from
Professional Development
Nobody likes wasted time. Especially when it’s
theirs.
Unfortunately, it’s a common refrain when it comes to
professional development.
According to a 2009 national research report, most teachers
reported their professional development experiences were “totally
useless.”
Not a great testimony.
And more isn’t better. In 2012, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne
Duncan said that teachers usually laugh or cry when told we
spend $2.5 billion on professional development each year. They
are not feeling it.
Quality Over Quantity Wins Over Teachers
To win over teachers and make a real and measurable impact, it
is important to avoid filling time and meeting quotas. Rather,
demonstrate a commitment to professional development that
answers the questions teachers are asking and supports them in
ways they want and need to learn. You’ll make a clear statement
that says:
• We value your time, contractually agreed upon or
otherwise.
• We hold ourselves to high standards in the same way we
hold teachers to high standards.
Demanding quality professional development that has sustainable
applications pushes professional development providers to bring
their best game, ensuring their offerings are well received by
teachers and make a difference for students.
Not only that, but making professional development relevant
respects the trust and resources taxpayers commit to public
education.
Quality Defined
Quality is a nebulous term. What does it mean? Longer sessions?
Bigger words?
We believe teachers would argue it means giving them content
that matters in ways that work for them. Not surprisingly, quality
professional development mimics the shifts we are asking
teachers to make in classroom instructional strategy. It’s a little
like the do unto others mantra.
1. Consider coaching over
workshops
Teacher development studies have shown
over and over again that simply exposing a
teacher to a new concept or skill has little to no classroom impact
because most professional development opportunities for
educators are still lecture style – telling, showing, and explaining
how something can be done. Despite its prevalence, the
workshop’s track record for changing teachers’ practice and
student achievement is abysmal. Short, one-shot workshops
often don’t change teacher practice and have no effect on
student achievement (Yoon et al, 2007; Bush, 1984).
Open, straightforward, in-person coaching is the most effective
way of delivering immediate feedback and advice on specific
classroom practices.
Because coaching is so customized, it can create faster and
deeper insights for teachers about what can work in their
classrooms, thus creating inflection points in their practice. Great
advice from a trusted coach is often cited as making all the
difference.
2. Focus on implementation
The biggest struggle for teachers is not
learning new approaches to teaching but
implementing them. We know that
competency-based or “personalized”
learning allows students to master skills at their own pace with
innovative support systems and new technologies. This method
saves time and money and improves retention. Apply the same to
professional development for teachers and everybody wins.
Putnam and Borko (2000) noted that teacher learning and
knowing were best supported when developed across a variety of
situations. They suggested that effective models for professional
development combine multiple contexts such as a summer
workshop wherein teachers learn new theoretical ideas, followed
by ongoing support that helps them know how to integrate those
ideas into classroom activities.
3. Deliver ongoing professional
development, over time
Mastery comes as a result of continuous
practice. Without ongoing support — from
awkward initial practice through competency and eventual
mastery —it is highly unlikely teachers will persevere with the
newly learned strategy. When teachers are coached through the
awkward phase of implementation, 95 percent can transfer the
skill (Bush, 1984; Truesdale, 2003).
To be transformative, provide 50 hours or more of strategic
professional development plus less formal and ongoing
interaction and peer engagement to refine skills and model
successes. It should also be tailored by subject, grade level and
type of student.
Many districts argue that a coaching-based strategy, while
effective, is too expensive. Think again.
Compare the returns on investment of delivery methods. You’ll
likely discover an $80,000 investment in experienced, in-
classroom, ongoing intensive coaching will affect student
outcomes (and teacher morale) more positively than a two-day
offsite workshop for the entire staff.
Which outcome would you and your stakeholders prefer?
4. Deliver job-embedded training in
context of subject area and grade
level
Virtually every other professional
environment offers specialized training relevant to individual
needs. Teachers deserve the same—the one-size-fits-all
approach doesn’t work.
Studies have shown that teachers are more competent at various
classroom tasks, such as keeping students on topic, adjusting
activities to address student interests, maintaining a positive
atmosphere, and promoting a higher level of retention, when
professional development is tailored to their needs.
Professional development that focuses on specific skills and
concepts teachers can use in their disciplines improves both
teacher practice and student learning.
According to a recent survey:
• 59 percent of teachers found content-related learning
opportunities useful
• Fewer than half found PD on non-content-related areas
useful, and
• Only 27 percent of teachers rated the training they received
on student discipline and classroom management as
useful.
Segmenting teachers by grade levels, content areas, and specific
instructional needs should significantly improve professional
development investments in the form of teacher practice and
student achievement result.
5. Encourage collaboration and innovation
Teachers need to implement effective teaching strategies as well
as innovate strategies that foster critical thinking. Many schools
have encouraged and achieved this through professional learning
communities (PLCs), teacher communities who create
instructional innovations, support each other during
implementation, and reflect on results. Research shows that
effective professional learning communities can change teacher
practice and increase student achievement.
And while learning personalization is important, it doesn’t mean
professional development should be delivered in a silo.
Personalization must also promote collaboration.
In essence, the teacher community or PLCs can serve as on-
going coaching.
6. Identify pain points and needs
Awareness of the need to build skills is
essential, and even the most robust PD
opportunities will fail without it.
In a perfect world, teachers would know and articulate their
strengths and challenges so you could chart a development plan.
But the reality is that identifying pain points is far from easy.
Successful programs move participants along a spectrum of skill
and awareness.
In the beginning, teachers may not know what skills they lack.
But through peer observations, effective teacher evaluations, a
comparative review of student outcomes, student surveys, or
conversations with effective coaches or principals, teachers can
come to recognize their gaps and specific skills they need.
As teachers understand how they can improve and are given
development opportunities that help, they will see how their
improvement benefits students. They will be more likely to seek
out professional development that addresses skills they need.
7. Use technology to support
teacher development
To be effective, professional development
experiences must be linked to new visions
for teaching and learning, made possible with technology, rather
than focused on developing user proficiency with specific
software and hardware. According to Trotter (1999), professional
development that focuses on integrating technology in the
curriculum, along with some basic technology skills training,
supported greater use of digital content in the classroom.
As teachers’ technical competence and confidence increases, so,
too, does their tendency to use technology to create and support
more meaningful learning experiences.
Well planned and delivered professional development can have
big payoffs—in student outcomes, in teacher morale, and in
returns on investment. It takes time and effort to change current
professional development and instructional practices.
Make next year the year you deliver professional development
teachers want and will use.
For help planning your professional development strategy,
contact C2 Collaborative.
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