Updating Professional Learning in Education

MA Teacher Rubric (Note there may be an updated version, but I couldn't locate it)

A recent report demonstrated that most professional learning in school doesn't result in better teaching and learning. I wasn't surprised by this report because I have often found in-house professional learning to be impersonal and ill-directed--rarely does professional learning at school respond to the individual needs of educators.

How can we change this?

First as I think about professional learning that truly impacts my work, I think about the process I use to get there. First, I keep a running list of questions that I have related to working better and smarter. Then I seek out answers to those questions via books, collegial efforts, social media threads, conferences and more. Yet I would like to develop my learning with colleagues in the system where I work--I would like us to use time well to develop our craft in ways that matter. As I think of my own perspective with regard to this, I believe we can better our processes for professional share and learning in the following ways.

Idea and Question Exchange Threads
I do think it would be fruitful for our system to establish an exchange thread where educators share the ideas about good books they are reading, lessons they are teaching, and other information in a readily accessible stream. The stream similar to Twitter or Facebook and possibly Twitter or Facebook itself would be led by share protocols including the following:

• Share concise summaries with links to more information for those listed
• Share rationale and/or evidence of why something works
• Share questions
• Including overarching goals, themes, and directions

As I think of this, we could try this out as a teachers' union to see if people are interested, however, in general I have found that people are shy to share in this way, so unless an administrator leads the way, I think there will be little buy in from the school staff in general. If administrators were willing to promote this, however, I do think there would be a better share of ideas and better development of teaching and learning.

Colleague Circles

I do think that regular colleague circles about specific topics might be productive if led well. For example a regular exchange of book talks amongst teachers would elevate everyone's knowledge of what books students and teachers are reading, and aspects of those books that have been noteworthy.

In math I could imagine best practice circles where teachers come together to briefly share a best practice, something that has truly worked well with students. The best practiced could be summarized in a few words, slides, or images, and then more detailed information could be available for those interested. 

Similarly there could be best resources talks where teachers share materials, social media threads, workshops, books, and more that elevate the work that they do.

We could have challenging teaching talks where teachers problem solve around specific teaching/learning challenges. Perhaps educators could write a synopsis of the problem and then all who are interested could join in and offer suggestions for solution.

It's important to follow a tried-and-true process for this kind of share. The process of using colleague circles or hosting conversations are two modern day processes that give voice to all involved in meaningful and productive ways. 

Design Your Own Professional Learning

Rather than expecting countless educators to meet in one room after school, educators could design their own professional learning with menus that include the expected learning goals and activities as well as the many offerings. I can imagine the menu to look something like this.

K-5 Professional Learning Menu for School Year 2018-2019

Required:

1. Assess your teaching using Massachusett's Teacher Rubric (see above) or reference this detailed view of each attribute. 
2. Review systemwide goals for 2018-2019.
3. Decide on a student learning goal and professional learning goal that aligns with district goals, grade-level expectations, and your own teaching/learning goals. Draft your goal and action plan.
4. Review your goals and action plan with your supervisor.
5. Choose from the menu below 10 hours of professional learning related to one or more of your teaching/learning goals.
6. Collect evidence in an online or offline portfolio that demonstrates you've met your goals.
7. Share your evidence with your supervisor at the end of the year by writing a one-page letter that tells how you met your goals and includes links to the evidence that illustrates that work. 
8. Add your learning efforts to your PDP chart and make sure you are choosing learning events and goals that will ready you for your next recertification year--see specific recertification guidelines on the DESE website.  When certifying or recertifying, submit your documentation and proof of payment in order to be reimbursed and for your files to be updated with your new and/or renewed certification. 

Menu of Professional Learning Options - Choose options that equal 10 or more hours to fulfill the in-house professional learning expectation. 

 (note this menu is incomplete and meant to serve as an example) 

• Read a book related to your goals and write a summary of that book to share with colleagues via online share.
• Form a book group with colleagues, read the book and create a related presentation that colleagues can access online if interested.
• Attend one or more of the following colleague circles. Click the title to learn more about the date, time, expectations, and focus of the colleague circles. 
• Classroom challenges
• Best Practices in Math K-2
• Best Practices in Math 3-5
• Book Talks K-2
• Book Talks 3-5
• Sharing Field Studies, Special Events, and Expert Visitors
• Sharing Ideas for STEAM Teaching and Learning
• Take a course and use professional in-house time to work on your studies. Summarize your learning for online share.
• Other (please share with your supervisor other ways you hope to fulfill your in-house 10-hours of professional learning)

This kind of professional learning menu would direct individual teachers' to multiple learning options and help them to chart their professional learning course for the year ahead. It would be a much better approach than the typical one-size-fits-all sometimes canned professional learning event. I think this kind of professional development would better develop teacher leaders and more worthy, invested, and interactive teaching/learning communities. Do you agree?