Increasing the Power of PD at your School
The power of PD (professional development) is tremendous when executed correctly. When schools intentionally plan, prepare and deliver high quality learning experiences for teachers, they increase instructional effectiveness and student learning outcomes.
This post will cover building and executing quality professional development while also providing additional tips for success.
Building Quality PD
Building professional development sessions cannot be a haphazard process. It requires forethought and alignment.
- Review district and school goals. Select the goal that if met will make the biggest impact on the success of staff and students.
- Break up that goal into milestones throughout the year (ideally by quarter).
- Place topics related to the goal under each milestone. These will be objectives to cover during the PD session.
- Flush out each milestone topic list so that it fills the required PD time slot. If there is more content than time, select which items can be provided ahead of the meeting. This will be used as a flipped learning model where teachers read about the topic before arriving.
- Offer differentiated tracks so that teachers who are ready to more can dive deeper into the topic and those who need additional support can slow down and review content.
- Include discussion and practice time. Talking about the content helps teachers process their new learning. By implementing practice rounds, teachers get real-time feedback and build muscle memory for the new skills they are acquiring.
Executing Powerful PD
Now that you have planned and prepared a high quality learning experience for teachers, it’s time to deliver it.
- Prep yourself and the space. Review and familiarize yourself with the content and flow of the PD session. There is nothing worse than the presenter stopping the show to review notes or get confused in their language when explaining the content. Run through the talking points and double check all technology is working correctly. Arrive early to ensure all materials are set up and ready for teachers to arrive.
- Manage your time. Since you know your PD session in and out because of the intentionally planning and preparation, you can easily cut out portions if running out of time or add in additional activities if teachers are moving thorough the session quickly. By placing time stamps in your PD during the preparation phase, you’ll be able to keep on track. Highlighting locations where you can add and take away if needed ensure you can adjust quickly in the moment without getting thrown off track. Lastly, always leave buffer time to allow for questions or pause for processing time.
- Be responsive to the needs of staff during the PD session ensures the new information sticks. When you know your content well, your brain is more present when delivering it live in front of staff. You have more mental space to watch for signs that teachers need more or less and can provide that. Just like students need a variety of support while they are learning, adults do too.
Avoiding Common PD Challenges
The following challenges are common for PD presenters. Pay close attention to the strategies shared to overcome these challenges.
- Don’t shy away from challenging/difficult topics that arise. Even the most thorough of presenters, will encounter moments that are uncomfortable that they didn’t see coming. For example, staff might push back on the effectiveness of the content or reality of the expectations. They might even share their dislike for the presenter themselves. Have a pre-planned response ready if you have to use it and then get back to the delivery of the learning experience. (Ex. “I appreciate you sharing that with me. I’ll be sure to pass it along to your administrator and they will follow up with you. Let’s dive back into the learning.”)
- Low engagement can occur even with clear directives for participation. Providing sentence stems will allow shy or unsure participants to add value to the discussion. Use follow up prompts to extend participant thoughts when responding. When planning for engagement, create opportunities for multiple responses per question to be shared, allow participants to respond in a variety of ways (verbal, written, through technology, etc.). It’s essential not to allow low level engagement to be the standard, keep holding high expectations and be persistent that participants meet the requirement.
- Leave the “sage on stage” at home. Yes, you are knowledgeable and most likely an expert on the topic you are delivering. However, learning is about the other person, not you. Although you will speak at length when delivering the content, participants needs to discuss and work with the content just as much if not more than you are talking. Every minute you spend talking is one less minute they have to collaborate and implement learning. Be succinct and purposeful and then pass the speaking baton to the learners.
- Follow-up and follow through. A PD session continues long after the actual meeting concludes. Following up with teachers as they implement their new learning, allows them to receive feedback and continue their growth as an educator. Following through on your promises made during the session builds trust and closes the loop, bringing clarity and support to the learning process. For example, if you promised to share resources, answer questions, plan a lesson etc. then be sure to meet with those teachers and deliver on your promise.
PD Resources
The following items will enhance the development of powerful PD at your school site.
- Printable Resources
- Video Resources
Wishing you success as you plan, prepare, and deliver high quality professional development sessions for teachers! If you are looking for resources for PD content, click here. Also, catch up on other posts and podcast episodes about PD here. My latest book can also be a helpful resource for you in the future!
GO BE GREAT!
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.