Principles+from+PD+reflections

=Principles taken from summaries of PD reflections written by members of the class=

Professional development is something that is very important for teachers. To keep your teaching certificate up to date it is a state requirement that you attend professional development courses. Since I have not been in the education field for very long, my professional development experiences are limited. However, there are a few things that have stuck out in my head that I have enjoyed while attending any training. I think one of the most important features in professional development is being able to relate to your audience. The presenters need to find ways to grab your attention in the beginning, and keep it all the way through. Teachers do not want to sit still for hours and listen to someone lecture them. You need to get the audience as involved as possible. Give the audience a chance to practice and ask questions. Breaking them up into groups, or giving them individual tasks (depending on subject matter) is a good way to break up the time. You want your audience to feel like they want to be there because they really want to learn. The audience should want to hear what you are saying. Another good aspect that always makes people happy is to be sure to hand out some sort of incentives. I have really liked when food was present at the trainings. If there are good incentives then the audience may be more likely to participate in discussions. Small group discussions as well as whole group discussions are important. Sometimes there are people who have questions but don’t want to ask them. Breaking people up into groups may help solve that problem. The Instructor can walk around and if they hear good questions being asked they can share with the whole group. Chances are someone else had the same question that was brought up. I have many more years of teaching to come and I’m sure I will learn even more effective teaching strategies as I get older but I believe the few things I know now will always be true.

I think the best training and development for me has been directly relevant to my needs as a professional. I remember my first training on Moodle at our district. It was cumbersome and no one could explain why we should try it. Two years later, we were trained again, and I instantly “got it.” This was a training I wanted to complete because it was relevant. Anything that is hands on needs to be organized so that you have time to employ your new skills in a meaningful way. I underwent AVID training this fall and was pleasantly surprised that all the teaching methods that were prescribed were to be practiced by the participants and that the instructor was modeling all the techniques. I came away with a clear understanding and confident knowledge that I could go on to implement my these strategies in my own classroom. As for evaluation, too often our professional development sessions focus on initiatives that came from somewhere else. They are not need based or created in collaboration with the learners. They need to have a voice and shape the techniques used to teach them. I teach our support staff differently than I teach the administrators. Different groups require different strategies. The evaluation often should be the demonstration of the new skill or a change in practice. Too often, it is throwing out the packet of stuff that you know you will never look at again.

When I attend meetings, where there are small group activities with heterogeneous grouping, I find that they are more effective than large group activities. I find that small groups allow the participants to have a better interaction with people than large group. The type of grouping is very important to me because I would like to know what other teachers are doing in their classrooms not just the Specials teams. Peer coaching is also a great form of teaching and learning. I often have to conduct peer coaching as a part of my job and I find that when teachers teach each other, they lead to productive discussions and decisions because they share some common views. I find that off-site training is effective as well. I guess, it is the change of environment that is needed to obtain new ideas to improve your teaching. I find that part of the BDHS cohort when the gallery walks are offered, are the most interesting part of the trainings because I get to see how other teachers and students in other schools design their projects. This provides a new perspective of teaching which is much needed in our profession. Off site training also offers me the opportunity to create personal learning networks with teachers in other schools. I think that peer led activities in small amounts of time seem to be more effective than few hour long lectures with information overload and without breaks. I think it is very important to give time to discuss our findings in a safe environment. Activities designed in a way where case studies are offered and require analysis are the most effective for me. Reflective inquiry through case studies and observations through my personal experiences allows me focus on improving my teaching practices. In essence, the role of best practices in designing a professional development activity are extremely important in order to design effective and balanced professional development to improve our educational practices. I am very hopeful about my new role in providing PD to District 200. I think the single biggest factor I can identify for success in my situation is buy-in by leadership. Without this, all of our previous efforts have been less successful than they could have been. Some thoughts additional:1.) Play time is critical – it should be fun and we should work hard to engage participants. 2.) People like to feel valued – rewards work – a prize for the best product, snacks during training, compensation for time and increases where appropriate. 3.) People responsible for training need to be given the opportunities to access the latest and greatest technologies and skills so they can actually lead. 4.) Funding for Tech PD works best when it’s embedded in the purchase of new technology. 5.) Classroom or Instructor Led Training is but one option for PD delivery.

In looking at my descriptions of the good, bad and somewhere in-between professional development days, several obvious themes stand out. First, it is most important that the subject matter is both interesting and of use to the teachers. If the teacher cannot walk away from the professional development with concrete and appropriately useful information, then the teacher will not translate the information into their classroom. Teachers are too busy to do much more than put a new idea on a to-do list. If and when they finally pursue a new idea, they will need to spend several days examining the idea, becoming comfortable with the idea, and, finally, testing the idea. Second, hands on activities are always better than lectures, and hands on activities can include a simple interactive lecture that involves teachers on a deeper level. If the interest is truly piqued, and the subject is something that the teacher is either working on or thinking about, a good facilitator can have a positive impact on teaching. Third, the facilitator should not have a set script. They should be knowledgeable and prepared enough to read the mood of the audience and go in a different direction as needed. My two most valuable professional development experiences had an unscripted feel to them. The facilitator had a good opening, but when the audience moved the presentation in a different direction, the facilitator was versatile enough and smart enough to sense the desire of the teachers and changed directions as well. Participation in the wide variety of topics, formats and expectations has helped increase my knowledge and skills, but has also given me insight into the many different ways to be on the other end. I know that trying to listen to a presenter who seems arrogant and self-absorbed will cause me to tune out completely. I love working with someone who knows what they’re talking about and is eager to share, but is open. I hope that when I do professional development for others, I can create opportunities for hands-on learning, and be available for those learners who might feel less confident about technology. I also hope that I can create authentic meaning for learners so they can be more engaged. I look forward to my continued learning and sharing with others.

As I think back upon my professional development experiences, I am able to reflect on what has been effective for me as an adult learner. Chapter 2 in, __Transforming Classroom Practice__ offers great questions to reflect on. From these reflection questions, I believe it is important that leaders of professional development activities focus on the adult learners’ individual needs. Experience and background should always be taken in account. It is essential that instructors understand the school districts’ dynamics, make-up, and resources. I also find it beneficial when I am able to take the knowledge that I have learned and implement it in my classroom immediately. In order to do this, the audience must be able to understand the knowledge that is being presented and it must be clear how the presented information relates to the learners’ purpose. I always seem to learn best when the instructor provides time to construct meaning out of what is being taught. This can be done by collaboration. Often, leaders of professional development seminars do not allot time for working together. I believe that this is how teachers learn best when we learn from the experiences of other education professionals. I also am able to construct meaning when I am given time to make self-discoveries. This is usually done I am given time during a professional development workshop to have hands-on time. I learn by doing, so this is very helpful to me as a learner. Finally, staff development leaders must provide support for adult learners. This can be through mentoring, coaching, or simply providing resources and contact information. These are effective strategies of how I learn best.

For me, the best professional development activities are those that directly apply to my teaching in the classroom. I am all for learning new programs or adopting new initiatives in the classroom, but I want to be an informed learner. Professional learning activities should give an overview of the topic, allow for discussion or question and answer, and provide the opportunity to collaborate with grade level teams on curriculum integration. Once the new initiative is in place, I like the chance to come back together to discuss the progress, ask questions, and share ideas. One of the things that stress me out the most is the adoption of new programs that are in addition to the already packed curriculum that I work with each day. When professional development activities are planned, they should be research based and well thought out initiatives that are going to take the place of something or enhance what is already in place. The presenter should be knowledgeable and able to answer questions or point me in the right direction for gathering resources. Professional development should be meaningful and relevant to the grade I teach. I look at professional development activities as a chance to grow both personally and professionally.

Through my experiences of professional development, I have learned the most when I am able to be engaged during the presentation. It can be difficult and overwhelming to just sit and listen, trying to rapidly take notes and remember all of the information a presenter shares. However, my most meaningful presenters gave a brief introduction, showed us some tips and tricks, and then gave time to explore individually, allowing us to ask for help as needed. I also enjoyed and learned the most from sessions in which I had something I could physically takeaway from the presentation not just a handout of PowerPoint slides, but websites, resources, sample activities, and other files to motivate me to learn on my own after the professional development was over. Aside from my individual learning, I also have found that when collaborating with colleagues, it is important to divide work so teachers don’t feel overwhelmed, discuss and share ideas, and set common goals to work towards, keeping the best interest of the students in mind. Also, although I have seen great oneday presentations, the professional development groups at my school are yearlong commitments. While my first year the committee was unfocused, the past two years, participating in Brain Research and Extreme Teaching has been a good, constant reminder to incorporate best practices within the classroom. They are laidback environments, where teachers can help each other learn, ask questions of each other’s expertise, and overall collaborate successfully. I look forward to planning my own professional development sessions to help teachers as they have helped me in the past.

I feel like the professional developments I have attended have really not met my needs as a learner. Many of the workshops felt like a snapshot of what the program is and does not allow for me to apply it to my needs as a teacher. There is never time allowed for us to further use and explore the technology. I often do not have time during the school day to take time to play around with website and software. In the evening at home I am grading, planning or doing my own homework so I often can not examine past what I have been shown in the workshop. I feel that I would be further along with better integrating my SMART board if professional development time was given to do just that. I wish that some of the SMART board training were to show actually lessons on creating interactive lesson versus like look at this fun sound effect. Everything is crammed in and nothing is really giving enough time to digest properly before the next BIG thing is introduced. I feel that adult learners need time to explore like our students need to explore and talk with one another. Too often time and deadlines do not allow for both teachers and students to have this sort of instruction. We are always going, going, going and not being allowed the time adults and children need to really master a skill or concept. Be it teaching math to my fifth graders or learning the new Study Island program purchased for the district, there never seems to be enough time provided to truly master what we are taught. There are many pieces to the professional development puzzle that need to be fitted together in order to make it a worthwhile experience. At the top of my list is to have the sessions apply to my specific role within the school or district. Otherwise, there will not be much for me to take back to the classroom and use to enhance my teaching. Next, if you give staff members the choice of which sessions to attend, please honor their selections. As a teacher, I am an adult and a professional who knows what specific areas I need help with or should learn. Then, any professional development needs to have knowledgeable leaders or trainers that have had experience with the equipment or software being introduced or used during the session. When the trainer is struggling, it doesn’t make this new thing look easy to use and confuses the learners. Also, written instructions or directions should be made available to the learners as handouts or online resources. At times, it can be difficult to take notes and pay attention to what is being shown (Believe me, I have attended trainings where written notes or instructions would under no circumstances be provided; it wasn’t pretty). After the staff members have been trained on how to do something, there should be a follow-up meeting to share what has worked so far and answer any further questions. This will help make the learners accountable for trying out this new concept in their own classrooms. In turn, this leads to the suggestion of having a “go to person” on duty and accessible in the same building as the teachers. It is important to be able to provide same day assistance and support.


 * I found from my military courses that I learn better when I am relaxed and my stress levels are low.
 * I learn best when on a regular daytime schedule and with six to eight hours of sleep.
 * In a classroom setting, I learn best if I know the people around me and have a comfort level working with other participants.
 * I learn better in an environment with minimal distractions. However, completely silent environments are distracting for me due to chronic tinnitus. When studying or reading for comprehension and understanding, I prefer a low volume background noise such as music or white noise which exceeds the threshold volume of the ringing in my ears and is slightly louder than the other ambient noises of that space.
 * I learn better when I sit close to the front of the class. It is easier for me to see the board or screen and hear the instructor. It also helps prevent my potential distraction by various activities of other class members such as sidebar conversations.
 * I learn better from reading or lecture when this is followed by interactive discussions facilitated by the instructor or subject matter expert.
 * I find group discussion, reflection and research projects help me learn more than just reading and lecture.
 * Lecture based overview followed by or integrated with demonstration, followed by hands-on learning experience.
 * I learn best when I am deeply engaged, when I make the connection to practical applications of the content to my life.