This afternoon the session I attend at the FSC Users Conference focused on Professional Development. It was more a discussion than a presentation and it was so interesting to see the different perspectives and ideas that the group.
The primary question we discussed was when does a training become professional development. My thought is that training is just “how to” and professional takes the “how to” and then goes one step forward to “now what do I do with it.” These learning experiences can happen one on one, small group, or even a large group. The key part for me is making sure that anything we offer focuses more on “now what do we do with it” and less on the “how to”.
So thinking about what makes a good learning experience / professional development opportunity for an educator, here would be some thoughts that swirled in my head…
- Relevance / Purposeful - First and foremost it has to be relevant to their job. How is this training going to make me a better educator? How is this training going to impact what happens in my classroom every day? The purpose has to be clear and easy to see for the attendees of any professional development. If I can’t see the connections, I’m going to tune out before the session even starts!
- Conversation (what do we do with it?) - This one kind of overlaps the one above, but one thing that is important with professional development is not only the skill, but the conversation about how am I going to use this new skill — whether it be a teaching strategy or new piece of technology. This goes back to the purpose again. One of the things I’ve been doing lately is trying to provide professional development during the teachers Professional Learning Community meetings. I was finding whole group to be difficult to schedule and it is really hard to show how something might work with all the age levels in an elementary school. By doing them in their grade level PLCs, I have the time to focus in on exactly how it might work and look in Kdg. or 2nd grade and not be distracted by the other levels. The conversation is more rich and focused.
- Impact - How is what I’m learning going to impact kids learning? Big question, but one that should be in the mind of anyone planning a professional development opportunity for teachers.
- Marketing - Mentioning the word professional development to teachers can create a very quick groan from some folks. I’ll admit up front I have an elementary background, so I tend to love themes and finding “cute” ways to entice teachers. At the same time, you have to deliver what you promise. Future learning opportunities will depend on the success of the last thing they attended. So, make sure to be clever and interesting so they want to attend, but also ensure to follow through with the promises made.
- Fun - Lastly, you have to have fun! Most of the professional development I do comes before school, after school, during the teachers prep, or other odd times. There has to be an element of fun. Maybe some nice chocolate on the table. Maybe a theme and decorations. We all have our own style, but we have to make sure to create an environment where people feel comfortable and want to be there! A little element of fun can help with that.
One thing we didn’t talk about in the session, but probably is something to consider is what is the role of the school librarian in providing professional development? For me, it is a key role we play in the building. Its a part of being a leader is sharing. Whether it is technology, literacy, or other talents and knowledge, we have a lot to offer and share. We need to be a part of the team that creates the professional development plan for the building. We should be a part of the group that is presenting and sharing. Not only is it a visible example of how the school library program plays an important part of the school, but we’re connected with tons and tons of resources and tools and we need to make sure to get that information out to teachers so it can impact kids. For me, it is essential that the school librarian plays an active role in professional development.
Tags: fsc11No Comments