June 15, 2023

Step 1 of this series was published on May 15, 2023.

Teachers hold the power and potential to radically change students and help them grow into imaginative thinkers and problem-solvers. While the cost of professional development (PD) is warranted, the execution of PD is woefully inadequate and all too often does not shift teaching practice, let alone student outcomes. More importantly, most professional development does not model best practices in teaching or cultivate 21st Century collaboration and problem-solving skills, which are the very skills we say we want to pass on to students. 

What if professional development were seamlessly integrated into the day-to-day operation of every school? What if schools collaborated to bring together relevant training? What if professional learning was about not just developing skills but solving challenges and breaking down barriers to teacher and student success? What if the acts of learning and growing as teachers were joyful? 

When done well, professional development (PD) can keep people in the profession, help address teacher burnout, and improve the conditions for teaching and learning. The first step to more meaningful professional development is adding the time and structure for the systematic…