Should Schools Sacrifice Class Time for Professional Development?

Jolene Anzalone

Tuesday, 12th May 2009 at 4:26 pm

 

I definitely feel that as long as professional development time is spent on meaningful activities, it is definitely a sacrifice worth taking. Our school requests two additional staff development days each year and our Principal has to fight with our district for the time. I feel that the two extra days are a major reason that our students excel each day in their classes and on standardized tests. Giving teachers time to collaborate, learn new teaching strategies, and become motivated by the prof. development has a huge impact on student achievement!

Bill Connaghan

Tuesday, 12th May 2009 at 4:57 pm

 

A schools professional development community/committee needs to step up. I see a lot of missed opportunity by these committees in schools.

Karen Montgomery

Tuesday, 12th May 2009 at 5:17 pm

 

Why not design some PD to include the students? How much PD gets lost in translation or just lost because it’s presented as a one shot in-service workshop and there really isn’t enough time to really learn? Maybe learning alongside their students would provide a new kind of inspiration and motivation. I’ve been told it could never work especially when the use technology is involved because some teachers will be “embarrassed” when their students “get it” better than they do – draw on those students as a resource and let the PD really work in the classroom:-) Could some PD be scheduled to take place as part of the normal school day as consistent and coherent skills development for teachers and students together in the classroom throughout the year? Educators & learners side-by-side. Less lost in translation maybe…

Peter Pappas

Tuesday, 12th May 2009 at 9:23 pm

 

Do you want your doctor to keep up on her training / knowledge base or just spend all day with patients?

The key is to be sure the PD time is relevant to the teacher and targets student achievement.

For more on how to design PD see my post. “A Guide to Designing Effective Professional Development: Essential Questions for the Successful Staff Developer” http://bit.ly/oRajI

Anne Pemberton

Tuesday, 12th May 2009 at 10:25 pm

 

There are times when teachers need to be people and employees first before they are teachers. Teaching is not like joining a convent where you pledge to sacrifice the rest of your life to God. It is a profession. Look at any other profession and see where time for updating skills occurs. During the workday, of course.

At least where I live, when schools are closed for teacher professional days, the students still make up the full number of days for the year. Teachers are given a certain number of unscheduled professional days per year. They are like sick days – use them if you will, otherwise, be at work. On such professional days, a substitute is hired and the teacher plans activities for the day that do not require the presence of the teacher. In the case of sick days, the teacher often cannot plan so well. And, if the teacher is in an accident, the teacher may not be able to provide any plans at all.

Michelle Nebel

Tuesday, 12th May 2009 at 10:45 pm

 

Effective professional development is essential to any and all instructional practices! The question should be focused on how to ensure the PD results in immediate CHANGE in instructional practices that directly results in increased student achievement.

@mnebel

diane darrow

Wednesday, 13th May 2009 at 12:04 am

 

I consider time spent learning, reflecting and creating new lessons with fellow teachers is class time. Professional development will only enhance the time spent with students. But how productive it is depends on the teacher attitude. The best situation is when teachers are receiving training in an area that they have an interest and need for. The more teachers are allowed to design their own professional development the more rewarding the experience will be fir both teachers and students.
Choice is powerful for teachers and students.

Ian Carmichael

Wednesday, 13th May 2009 at 1:15 am

 

There are times when PL should interrupt class time – there are days when schools should provide PD opportunities. From my experience, teachers already put in many hours of their own time in development – which the bean counters never catch, and so never count.
If only more providers were responsible for their content, and the school time sacrificed so that many more sessions were really relevant, practical, and productive, so there’d be greater confidence that class-time is a worthwhile sacrifice.

Wendy DeVries

Wednesday, 13th May 2009 at 9:16 am

 

Integrating technology/curriculum is essential! Becoming technologically proficient takes longer than the 30-minute “hit and run” training methods currently employed in many school districts. I can’t count the number of times teachers said to me, “We need you to spend days with us, both inside and outside the classroom, in order to become comfortable with technology — to internalize the knowledge/skills — make it part of who we are — in order to effectively integrate technology in meaningful ways. Teachers are expected to “meet the students where they live” — to engage them utilizing technology because students live & breathe in that realm. Well, that can not be accomplished unless school districts are willing to do what it takes — actively support teachers’ quests to “upgrade” their knowledge and skills.

Sandy Jenkins

Wednesday, 13th May 2009 at 9:31 am

 

I definitely think PD is vital to effective/engaging classroom experiences for both students and teachers. I recently completed a nine month Teacher Academy program in Missouri. We met regionally once a month for four hour PD and the state-wide group met twice. I teach at the University of Central Missouri and this program is really designed for k-12 teachers. I learned so much that I have and will take back to my classroom (and online courses). I had no problem with being away from the classroom for the meetings, but many of the k-12 teachers did run into issues with the administration not wanting them to be gone from the classroom. This training and collaboration was so purposeful. I hope those teachers go back to their schools and show the administrators what they learned and how students will benefit from it. Maybe then PD release time won’t be such a problem.

John Faig

Wednesday, 13th May 2009 at 8:07 pm

 

PD is essential for providing time to brainstorm and reflect. I use a PLN to better myself and my classroom, but PD days allow me to interact with peers and do interdisciplinary work.

Wes Fryer

Thursday, 14th May 2009 at 9:29 am

 

Sandy: Was your Teacher Academy in Missouri facilitated by eMINTs or another group?

sandy jenkins

Sunday, 17th May 2009 at 10:47 am

 

Wes, Teachers Academy is facilitated by the Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education in Missouri and Monthy meetings are held at regional PD centers at MO universities.

Kim Burke

Tuesday, 26th May 2009 at 7:07 am

 

I have personally and professionally gained so much from my professional development this past school year. It has kept me motivated and excited about my chosen profession. I think schools should tap the internal resources more effectively, but they should also not limit the professional development that one desires. If a teacher is willing to share what he or she has learned at a conference, then I think it benefits all. Just because we are out of the classroom does not mean that we are not learning.

Debra Watson

Friday, 29th May 2009 at 8:47 am

 

Over the post year I’ve been part of an E2T2 grant that provided a sub for some Friday PD and a stipend for Saturday classes. What I learned brought me into a new technology world where I formed a deeper and wider PLN. It changed what I teach and how I teach. My students are more engaged and more excited about learning.

The problem as I see it is that the training generally offered during staff development days is not what’s needed and it’s not enough. In my district technology instruction is seldom addressed

CWB

Tuesday, 2nd June 2009 at 12:50 pm

 

Definitely PD is a very important factor for the better performance of any teacher, I think Schools should support this processes because in a way this and investment on the teacher that would be reflected on the students learning and their motivation.

philip

Thursday, 18th June 2009 at 10:11 pm

 

Teachers are incentivized to participate in professional development through their salaries via in-service credits AND time away from students.. If PD opportunities were made available at no pay increase and never during instructional time, how many teachers do you honestly believe would have a genuine interest in these workshops/seminars. Pay teachers by the day just as the substitute (now there is an example of “social justice”) and see how well they develop student learning professionally. It is ironic how most teachers require a Masters Degree to teach, but, still NEED so much more “development”. My ideas are contrary to most, however, they are well grounded in the TRUTH.

Wild Dog (Christopher Takenaka)

Thursday, 24th September 2009 at 5:30 am

 

Anne Pemberton’s school district handles these P-days quite well–students are still in school (perhaps taking an assessment test) while their regular teacher is working on self-improvement.

However, I agree with philip because I also spend occasional weekend days or overnights on the same salary at my place of employment to get the job done. Although these hours are normally due to the technical environment I am in, I did the same for my students when I taught them.

Such positions are not for the faint at heart. We parents don’t get to pick and choose days to prepare for our childrens’ needs. Today’ many teachers tend to think they own their time–it is to these people I suggest another career choice.

While I taught programming to 16 and 17 year-old computer users shortly after graduating from my own university classes, I was able to add in curriculum on my own. For example, instead of stretching VISUAL BASIC out the whole year, we covered the entire subject material in one semester and added JAVA the next. We even planned, built and worked on our own PCs within that time.

We parents and teachers spend countless [unpaid] nights and weekends to further educate our children because we love them. We need to learn from each other and not just books. Self-motivation and intestinal fortitude are necessary attributes in this tough environment.