As I learn

I was recently asked by one of the principals to provide some thoughts in answer to the following four questions - Why is PD important? How does PD foster innovation? What examples of PD fostering innovation for you and your students can you provide? How does PD enrich our students and foster creativity?

This prompted me to think about PD in the context of these four questions but on answering them also made me realize that there are numerous types of PD and the efficacy of each type is determined by a teacher's needs at any given time. Personally, I consider classroom observation and the conversations that ensue to be the best PD I have encountered and I know that they have made a significant impact on my teaching over the last few years. The realization of the importance of peer observations by administration prompted the “requirement” for teachers to conduct a peer observation within or outside of the department during embedded days. With the loss of these days next year I think it is important for us to find ways to encourage and support teachers to continue this practice.

So why is PD important?
Well, it provides an opportunity to reflect on current practices, pushing us to really examine what we are doing, why we are doing it and whether or not these practices are facilitating learning in our classrooms. PD allows us to personalize the learning for ourselves and in so doing see the value of personalized learning for our students. The excitement that comes from attending PD propels teachers forward allowing them in the words of Simon Sinek to get courage from their peers; it lifts constraints that may seem so restrictive in a school setting and allows them to entertain ideas of what could be possible. Very often it makes you as a teacher appreciate what you have and can already do, and it provides local and long-distance opportunities to find resources that you otherwise may not have been aware of.

When you see what others can accomplish you immediately think how it could work in your own setting and that’s the innovation that comes from worthwhile PD - customizing what you learn to your own students or learning community. PD is often inspirational and many times provides the small push you need to take the chance and implement a new strategy or activity e.g. new pbl units that have been developed as a result of attendance at the Ed tech teachers workshops this year and last. Attending PD with a small group of committed learners/leaders provides time to develop those relationships and use them to create these innovative events.

The 7th-grade trout program was a direct result of PD that some science teachers attended a few years ago. Personally, I found that attendance at the Stem summit last November provided a tangible example of alternate ways to implement a science/maker fair.

The type of PD and the purpose of attendance will determine the outcome but generally, PD will lead to the creation of new units, increase contextual relevance, result in the creation of new field trips and lead to the development of real/virtual connections with other students/experts in the field. It is not something we can do without!