Rhetorical Question.... "How many times have you engaged in professional development?" I mean really engaged?

Rhetorical Question.... "How many times have you engaged in professional development?"   I mean really engaged?*

My answer to this question is not often... If ever...

This is why a shift in Professional Development has been, and is underway in the School District of the Menomonie Area.

What is that shift?

The shift in the SDMA is one away from traditional PD (sit and get... One sized fits all...) to Professional Learning via Personalized PD.  This may seem like a small thing and just a change in words, but it is something bigger than semantics. What is it then?  Taking the time to be intentional, responsive and tuned into the individual needs of staff related to professional learning needs.

How are we doing this?

Staff have a lot on their plates, new curriculum, new assessments, new teaching assignments, not to mention that many of them are new to the district or the profession as well!  In the SDMA we have started small, by identifying what information is new to everyone, regardless of assignment, building or level, and looked for ways to be efficient, differentiated, and effective in disseminating that information (email, staff meetings, flipped video). Whatever works and is the best fit.  Our building principals have also transitioned many staff meetings to learning sessions, moving away from a means to communicate information that could be shared via email.  Doing these previous two things has allowed for our district to focus on spending more time meeting the needs of individuals or small groups by offering needs based professional learning activities.

Most recently, our K-5 staff had the flexibility to participate in a menu of offerings based on input they provided focused around several newer elementary initiatives.   Sessions provided allowed for choice based on prior trainings or identified needs.  Secondary staff worked with building and district level leadership to identify areas of focus or need, based on work of departments, grade levels, or teams.  In retrospect, no two departments had the same focus,  however all departments had a focus on the current needs of staff and students.

As we finalize our plans for our mid-year professional learning day, it is clear that our K-12 staff have been more engaged in both the learning and the planning processes than ever before, and the buzz for the next professional learning day is already picking up... (More to come)

*This post originally appeared on one of my older blogs, and is a repost, as I shift selected posts to this new sight.