Professional Development/Professional Growth

An effective teacher should be continually involved in professional development. What that looks like is very different from teacher to teacher, the varying grade levels and the content areas that are being taught. In my school district professional development opportunities are offered in the evenings, on the weekend and during the summer. Many teachers are unwilling or unable to participate in those. Even when they are willing, the topics are not always relevant. For me personally, the topics offered over the past couple of years were topics I am already proficient in, such as, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Modifying instruction, Introduction to Microsoft Word...

My district has 8 days a year set aside for teacher inservice. A few of them have district wide agendas, but for the most part, the inservice is left to the building administrator to plan. As a result our "professional development" has taken the form of whatever book has been read and what the latest buzz in education is. We have spent 3 years on Professional Learning Communities. I think that everyone agrees that Professional Development is a good thing, but the best way to deliver it has remained in the jury's out stages. With the cookie cutter, "everyone in this building will attend one training" model, many teachers leave frustrated and feeling that their time could have been spent more productively.

Ultimately, teachers are professionals and should be expected to participate in Professional Development that will benefit them and enhance their teaching. Most people would be more enthusiastic about professional development if it was based on their needs and interests, rather than by budgets, time constraints and contractual limitations. I would prefer to be responsible for attending 8 days of professional development, of my own choosing, throughout the year and providing the documentation of of my attendance at relevant Professional Development offerings.