ED Thoughts: Education Views and Support

I’m not an administrator, but if I was, this is how I would look at Professional Development

Professional Development is so important. Training is something that I look forward to, and I want my staff to walk away from the PD knowing that they are better informed and better teachers for it.

As I sit down to look at what I want to do during professional development, I look at a few things

1. New Regulations from the State and Federal Governments- My teachers need to be made aware of any statutory or regulatory changes that impact their jobs or the way I do mine. To the latter, I know that things I do in my office will impact my teachers, and I want them to know why I do something in a certain way so that they don’t feel upset when I make a decision in a certain way because I have to.
2. District initiatives- My district is always doing new things. Not all are earth shattering, but my staff needs to know what is going on pan-district.
3. New things in my school- What am I wanting to see out of my own school? What do I need to do to sell the program? So often my teachers get things handed to them, what can I do to get them invested and then provide long term follow-up for big projects?
4. Cool Stuff- What cool things can I show my teachers and staff? New technology at the ESD? Some cool websites? This doesn’t have to take forever, but why not have some cool stuff?

If it’s a full day of professional development, I need to get some real Starbucks for my staff.

I like our superintendent, and I think he is doing a good job. It’s a hard job and I have a lot of respect for him so I hope this isn’t seen as anything other than an intellectual exercise.

In a world where I could make anything happen, and it wouldn’t break the bank, or violate contracts this is what I would do.

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