Back to school time is either just around the corner for you or has already started! Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, some schools are starting all virtual, some are starting in a hybrid format, and others are starting as they normally do. Regardless of your circumstances, it’s always good to sharpen your skills at the beginning of a new school year.
How to Determine Your Learning Needs
If you want to sharpen your skills, you first need to know what your learning needs are. Just as you focus on meeting the diverse needs of students, you need to personalize your own adult learning. In order to pick professional development and learning opportunities that suit your needs, you’ll first need to determine what those needs are.
This can be done in a few ways. One option is to take an Individual Needs Assessment. This can help you determine where your greatest needs are in relation to classroom instruction and management. Completing an Individual Needs Assessment (Marshall, 2015) can help teachers focus on purposeful and sustained professional learning in seven areas:
1: Coherent, Connected Learning Progression
2: Strategies, Resources, and Technologies That Enhance Learning
3: Safe, Respectful, Well-Organized Learning Environment
4: Challenging, Rigorous Learning Experiences
5: Interactive, Thoughtful Learning
6: Creative, Problem-Solving Culture
7: Monitoring, Assessment, and Feedback That Guide and Inform Instruction and Learning
These seven areas are taken from a 2015 text titled The Highly Effective Teacher: 7 Classroom-Tested Practices That Foster Student Success by Jeff C. Marshall. It consists of 28 statements. Teachers are asked to respond to the statements by choosing one of the four aspects associated with each of the statements; 1- Frequency of occurrence in the classroom, 2- confidence relative to the statement, 3- the amount of evidence to support the frequency and confidence claims, and 4- whether or not you believe that students would support your claim. After the teacher has completed the Needs Assessment, total scores are then ranked for each indicator with 1 being the lowest score and 7 being the highest score.
The goal of the assessment is to help teachers clarify their strengths and weaknesses. When teachers honestly and accurately answer the questions found in the assessment, they can reflect candidly on their teaching practices. In addition to providing teachers with a way to self-assess, Marshall’s text also provides guidance on improving areas of weakness as made evident by the results of the needs assessment.
In addition to utilizing Needs Assessments, teachers can also reach out to administrators for advice on improving their instructional practices. Administrators are required to keep records of walkthroughs and observations. These are great tools in determining what areas of need exist in classrooms. By setting up a time to meet with an administrator or instructional coach at your school, you can request professional feedback that will help you reflect on your practice and point you in the right direction to sharpen your skills.
What Type of Professional Development Do You Need?
Once you have determined areas of need in your professional practice, you will need to know what type of professional development to participate in. You have the ability to set and reach your own professional development goals! There are many types of professional learning opportunities available. Making the right choice for you is key.
You may choose to complete a short term professional learning experience such as a book study using a text like The Highly Effective Teacher… by Jeff C. Marshall as mentioned above. Going this route allows you to focus on your personal needs at your own pace.
Other options are available, such as workshops that introduce new topics. Most of these types of workshops are taught over a short period of time and involve hands-on activities and collaboration with other educators. This allows for questions and discussion to take place throughout a presentation of new information. With COVID-19 impacting how professional development is delivered, many districts are offering online learning opportunities for teachers and school staff. These opportunities allow teachers to gain new knowledge and improve their teaching practices from a safe distance.
For those seeking a more long-term learning experience, pursuing a graduate degree is an option. Teaching is a profession where lifelong learning is encouraged. Educators are never done learning and improving their practice. By pursuing a graduate degree, teachers can gain a great amount of professional growth. The graduate school setting allows for collaboration, an expansion of research-based practices, and an opportunity to build on the skills you already have.
How will this PD Help Sharpen Your Skills?
What will you do with your newly sharpened skills? The sky’s the limit! Your new knowledge will come in handy in your classroom as you apply your skills to your own teaching. Spreading the knowledge doesn’t have to stop there. You can take the knowledge you learn from your PD or graduate degree courses and share them with your colleagues. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a great place to do this.
If you want to actively use the knowledge you gain from your professional development, it will be important for you to look for ways to use this knowledge. For example, you might ask your principal if you can present what you have learned in a staff meeting or you might start a blog post documenting the application of your skills in your personal classroom. Documenting your teaching practices is a great way to keep track of your progress and hold yourself accountable for continual improvement. When you think you have improved upon your weaknesses, you can always take an Individualized Needs Assessment again and start the learning process over!
As Alan Tuckett, a writer for the World Economic Forum, writes, “learning throughout life makes sense. Research shows it is good for your health, your wealth, your civic engagement and your family’s future prospects. It prolongs your independent life and enriches your quality of life.”
