1) - Involve teachers & administrators in preparing a PD focus...
To effectively implement any program it is essential to
involve the stakeholders. In the case of PD, getting teachers from all content areas, as well as the administration involved is crucial when determining a building or district PD focus. The development of this focus will ultimately provide the direction that the school or district follows as it pertains to PD. Having a strong and concise focus developed by both teachers and administrators is the 1st step to effective PD.
2) - Have clear objectives and goals...
Once a focus is developed, individual PD goals and objectives must be made. The objectives and goals are directly tied to the focus, but unlike the focus, the goals and objectives are much more specific and precise. It can be easy to load up on a lot of goals and objectives, but I would caution against having too many goals and objectives. Isolate a small number of high priority objectives and goals and concentrate on achieving them. Too many goals will overwhelm educators...too few goals will prevent growth...find a happy medium.
3) - Be organized and be prepared for something to go wrong...
Make sure all of your sessions are set up in advance, and make sure all your presenters have everything they need for their presentations. Send out an Email to ask in advance what people will need for their presentations, and then make sure it is available and ready to go for them. There is nothing worse than scrambling at the last second to get a presentation set up. Avoid this unnecessary stress by being organized and planning things in advance. I have yet to experience a PD day without something going wrong, but I can assure you that if you are well organized and are planning in advance you will limit the number of things that go wrong.
4) - Don't assume you need a guest speaker...check within your building for hidden gems...
Far too often schools and districts start their search for PD presenters by looking outside of their buildings and districts. These outside presenters cost more, are more difficult to arrange, and more times than not aren't really able to connect with the needs of that building's teachers. I'm not saying there aren't great and worthwhile guest speakers, but I would suggest looking in house first because you never know what hidden knowledge or expertise you might have right down the hall. Moreover, using in house educators is a great way to grow and develop future building and district leaders.
5) - You don't have to do everything in one day...
Please be aware of how much information you are throwing out on your PD days. If you are throwing out tons of new information and programs be prepared to have an overwhelmed and stressed out staff. Just like our students, it's imperative that PD is paced and regulated. If the building's PD focus is strong, then it's most likely something that will happen over several years, not a couple PD sessions. Control the pace of PD, and focus on creating learning and growth opportunities on a daily basis; not just on those few select PD days.
6) - Offer a variety of sessions that will meet the needs of all your colleagues...
One of the best things a PD committee can do is to offer a wide variety of PD sessions. All educators are different, and as such they all have individual needs and interests. To meet the needs of all your colleagues, try to provide a wide range of sessions that are applicable across several content areas, as well as different ability levels. Each PD session should be tied to the overlapping focus and the individual goals and objectives. Giving your colleagues a choice when it comes to selecting PD sessions is extremely important.
7) - Have high expectations, but make sure to meet your colleagues where they are...
PD is all about helping educators so they can do a better job of helping their students, and just like students, each educator has a different ability level. When preparing PD sessions, it is crucial to remember the ability level of the audience. It's perfectly okay to have high expectations, but it won't do any good if your audience doesn't have the basic skills needed to do the more complex stuff. Focus on where your audience is, and then determine how you can help them get to where you want them to be.
8) - Learning something new can be stressful...don't forget this!
We all know someone who has left a PD session stressed and annoyed. This is either because they thought the session was worthless, or because they didn't understand what they were doing or what they need to do. When educators are learning something new during a PD session, they will need time to digest the new concept, as well as time to work with the new concept. Learning does not happen quickly, and if PD is to be effective we need to remember the struggles that are associated with learning.
9) - Acknowledge all the parties that helped to make the PD day possible...
The last PD day you attended, hosted, organized or presented at, most likely had a lot of people behind the scenes that were never recognized. Please don't forget to thank your presenters...don't forget the staff members who got the rooms set up and prepared...don't forget the people who organized the entire PD event...and lastly don't forget to thank your colleagues for being a part of the day.
10) - Be patient and focus on growing and developing your colleagues...
The road down PD lane is not always easy. There will be set backs and there will be
struggles. Growth is not always a pretty process, but it's a necessary process that we need to embrace. Some educators will grow and develop faster than others, but PD is about helping all educators to grow and develop. Keep your head up and stay positive and remember what PD is all about...it's about helping educators who in turn will help students.
Also, check out the great comments on "
How can we improve PD and faculty meetings?"
