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Before that next PD...
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Hey Reader, Before our team schedules professional development with a school or district, there are three questions I always ask school leaders. Because we've seen enough professional development over the years to know that a great training isn't enough. You can have an incredible facilitator. You can have engaged educators. You can share practical strategies people are excited to use. It can go amazingly well and everyone can leave pumped up and ready to change the world. Then everyone goes back to their classrooms and...nothing really changes. Not because the training was bad or because teachers don't care or don't work hard enough. It's almost always because the conditions necessary to turn professional learning into actual classroom change weren't there. The systems and expectations and space were not established to support teachers in a way that allowed them to really put the ideas into action. So before we get started, here are three questions we always ask: 1. What outcome are you looking to see in classrooms? More importantly, has that outcome been clearly communicated to your staff? Teachers shouldn't walk into professional development wondering things like: If we're clear about the purpose of the work and what we're hoping to accomplish BEFORE the training, teachers can spend their time focusing on learning instead of trying to figure out what's expected of them. Providing clarity before PD allows for focus during PD....which then allows for execution after PD. 2. What time and space will your staff have to do the work? We build a lot of work time into our trainings intentionally. I don't want to talk at teachers for six hours, hand them a bunch of resources, and then send them on their way. But the work rarely ends when the training does. Teachers may need time to plan, to create or adjust materials, to collaborate, or to try something, see what happens, and make changes. If we're asking educators to change something about their practice, we also have to give them the time and space necessary to actually make that change. Otherwise, we're just adding one more thing to an already overflowing plate. 3. How will we know if this is working? This one can make people uncomfortable because "measuring success" can turn into "making sure teachers do what we told them to." That is not what we are asking here. What we're trying to clarify is: What will we see in classrooms that tells us this work is having the impact we hoped it would? And then, just as important: If we're not seeing it yet, what additional support do our educators need? That needs to be clear to staff too. They should understand how success will be measured before, during, and after the training. This is not so we can catch someone doing something wrong. Rather, it is so we can identify where people need more time, more resources, more feedback, more coaching, or more support. So the next time you're planning professional development, I'd encourage you to ask these three questions first:
A great day of professional development can create energy and excitement. But if you want that energy and excitement to turn into actual, long-term change, having clarity and support are essential. I'll see you next week. One more thing 👉 If you haven't yet, you should jump into the new Teach Better Academy. Use this link to grab 30 days of full access to all paid courses and the opportunity to lock in the current price. (You can always cancel before the 30 days to keep your free account and access) [CLICK HERE TO GRAB THIS DEAL]
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Teach Better Team
Join thousands of educators learning together to increase student success in their classroom, their schools, or their district. Innovated ideas, resources, and support, delivered straight to your inbox every week.
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