Maybe they were right. My colleagues correctly guessed that I was an empty nester, so I had more time on my hands. But I was energized from interacting with the other teachers that attended the workshops. I thought there must be more to this. So I began my research on professional development and began to learn about andragogy. I also wanted to know more about how teachers learn and how does their learning impact their students.
I remember the professional development presented by Michael McDowell. I learned about the positive impact of teacher collective efficacy. It seemed to hinge on teachers that were willing to collaborate. I had not found true collaboration. When I had asked one of my grade-level colleagues to calibrate our grading, he declined, stating that we were all professionals and therefore calibrating was unnecessary. Later upon leaving our grade level professional development regarding report card grading, we were reminded that we needed to have grade-level cohesion. I asked my colleague how we would know if we had achieved grade-level cohesion on the report card. I was told, “not to worry about it”. Indeed my colleague viewed all professional development as a fad that would be replaced shortly by another trend. So take what you like and move on.
I knew that when I was working with my students, I looked at data. I asked the following questions:
- What do I want my students to know?
- How do I know if they know it?
- What do I do if they do know it?
- What do I do if they do need more help?
These are the very same questions that we need to ask of teachers participating in professional development. If professional development is seen as one and done, it is not surprising that some teachers lack engagement.
Imagining that I have completed the Master’s program, I want to continue participating in professional development. I want to utilize what I have learned to implement action research to see if my professional development positively impacts my students. Also, I would like to participate in a district-wide planning committee for developing a curriculum for professional development that would grow communities of teachers within the district that would support collective teacher efficacy and cohesion across grade levels.