Why Is Professional Development Important in Education? Another PD Session, Now What?

Anyone who gets into teaching appreciates the important of learning. Professional development (PD) is a great way to make sure teachers, administrators, and staff continue on their own learning journeys. PD is a key part of keeping staff informed and successful, but it can often feel like getting them engaged is hard. One way to boost engagement is to communicate your reasoning for PD and relay why you think it is important.

Why Is Professional Development Important in Education?

Professional development is important because it continues education for teachers and creates a culture of lifelong learning. It also encourages teachers to pursue professional interests, keep up-to-date with the latest research in education, and have training opportunities.

For example, if your school just adopted a new program, PD focused on how to use it is pivotal for teachers to have the most success. The PD was built with them in mind. Knowing the tools they need to use is key to accelerating the implementation of a program and helping teachers make their job easier.

If PD is around a new initiative, then explaining the initiative, the “why,” and what it will look like are crucial for the initiative’s success.

What Is the Purpose of Professional Development for Teachers, and How Do You Implement It?

Teachers and administrators alike talk about how they need more PD, whether it is to master a new program or become familiar with a new initiative. It’s ideal to incorporate PD when you are trying something new and want teachers to be set up for success.

Great PD has to be practiced with fidelity to really take root. We must be careful to make sure courses are well thought out so teachers will always be encouraged and empowered. Most importantly, we want them to be left with something they can use the next day. Then, they will feel like they spent their time well.

We might know why we need professional development, but when it comes to scheduling it, like mice to a cat, everyone scatters. Excuses abound, with time being the number one reason to cut some type of PD. However, sharing your purpose for PD with staff is important. This could be anything from learning about new research to training staff on a new tool, but make sure the purpose is clear to your audience.

When considering PD for teachers, it is incumbent upon the administrators to think of these questions, which relate to the why, the how, and the when.

• Why is this professional development important and relevant right now? 
  • Professional development needs to be relevant and something that will help make teachers’ jobs easier. We can’t get stuck in our special projects as leaders and make it about us. Remove yourself, and ask why this is needed and why it will make a difference from a teacher’s point of view.
  • Create a leadership team to help with the why. This will help drive the reasoning for PD home.

• How will we handle the professional development? Will it be with the full staff or small groups? Will it be interactive or structured like a lecture?
  • Thinking of how to structure the time spent on PD is helpful. Research shows that spending small chunks of time on learning is almost always the best approach, but it’s important to think through your individual circumstances. You may have scheduling issues that make a full staff training hard, and so small groups may work better. It can vary from school to school and district to district. Think through how to get more bang for your buck in terms of the time investment.
  • Be a facilitator, not a keynote speaker. Have some shared responsibility with this piece. If you give teachers the why and spend time on the how, then PD starts to really take root.
  • How will this help us improve student outcomes? This is an important question. Is it aligned to a strategic plan or a core value of your school or district?

• Lastly, when will you plan your professional development? The when is important. Many teachers I speak with feel overwhelmed and like the planning meetings for PD, such as early release days for PD or half days for in-service days.
  • Take the opportunity to listen to your collective groups and ask what works best for them. It is all about making everyone feel comfortable so they are in the best frame of mind to accomplish the goals.
  • Be creative and flexible. Not all PD has to look the same and occur at the same time.

Benefits of Professional Development for Teachers

We know that if we do professional development the right way, we create a true culture of learning. Here are a few of the benefits:

• More Knowledge: The first goal of professional development is to arm teachers with more knowledge about a new teaching method, tool, or initiative. If you want a successful transition to something new, it’s important that everyone feels confident and informed about what is expected of them.
• Collaboration: PD creates an opportunity for teachers and administrators to spend time together in a professional setting, and this can be beneficial to a positive school culture.
• Advancement Opportunities: If teachers participate in career-building professional development, they may be able to grow their skills enough to move into a leadership role. Offering these opportunities can be a great chance to boost your employee retention, too.

How Does Professional Development Improve Teaching?

Teachers improve when they spend time thinking of the practice. Being reflective about the practice when using a new tool or focusing on a goal like engagement is the only way to truly grow in practice. Professional development helps to achieve this.

The biggest thing I’ve heard from district leaders, as well as teachers, is the lack of time, and when time is given up, it isn’t used for what teachers felt was most important. That’s why it’s imperative to be focused and always give the why. Communicating this part is crucial for all PD to start well and end with great understanding and great results. Be ready with a plan to follow up on the PD with coaching and support. This will help all new learning take root. And above all, enjoy the learning journey.

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