Empower Teachers by Designing Meaningful Professional Development
By Katie Novak, Educational Consultant
I’ll always remember one professional development session I attended, and not in a good way. The presenter, who was physically there, decided it was a great idea to play a 15-minute video of herself lecturing. No closed captions were provided for accessibility, and the video was neither concise nor clear. To add insult to injury, we were required to stash away our devices, leaving us unable to take digital notes (or do some online shopping as a coping mechanism!).
Some people argue teachers don’t value professional development, but that’s simply not true. Teachers don’t value professional development that fails to engage them or support them in meeting the needs of all learners. There’s simply no reason why busy professionals should sit through a video presentation when there are countless interactive, relevant, and meaningful ways for them to learn and share what they know. In short, we have to teach teachers using the same practices we advocate for in classrooms. My work is focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework that values firm goals and flexible means and recognizes the significant barriers inherent in one-size-fits-all learning. So, as a professional development provider or someone who teaches teachers, where do you start?
First, listen. To provide effective professional learning experiences, it’s critical to understand the beliefs, motivations, and challenges teachers face. Instead of imposing mandates, we should foster a culture of dialogue and collaboration. Teachers are at the heart of learning, so it’s essential that they feel supported and valued. It’s not enough to tell them what to do; we must ask them about the barriers they encounter when it comes to meeting the needs of all learners. By engaging in conversations and genuinely listening to teachers’ voices, we not only create a more inclusive and collaborative learning environment but also demonstrate the importance of elevating learner voice in the classroom. For example, during a professional development session, carve out time for teachers to share their experiences and challenges by participating in focus groups or completing anonymous surveys.
When we design PD, we have to provide teachers with opportunities to personalize their learning experience. Inclusive practices should be at the core of our design, engaging teachers with a range of options for how they learn and reflect, all while working toward specific goals. We shouldn’t restrict teachers to reading a physical copy of the same article or requiring everyone to reflect on a hard copy of an exit ticket. Instead, we should embrace diversity and provide numerous options and choices for accessing resources and processing information.
For instance, when it comes to learning and reflecting, we can provide various avenues for teachers to explore. Some teachers might prefer visual presentations or multimedia resources, while others may gravitate toward printed copies or hands-on activities. To promote reflection after exploring resources, teachers can choose to quietly journal, engage in conversations with colleagues, have walking discussions, send emails to colleagues in other sessions, immediately apply their learning by creating resources for classroom practice, or explore other relevant modes of reflection. By providing these options, we create a dynamic and engaging PD experience that supports teachers in integrating new knowledge and skills into their practice.
In addition to modeling the deeper learning experiences we want to see in classrooms, we can also elevate teacher voice by actively seeking their feedback on the quality, relevance, and usefulness of the professional learning experiences we provide. It’s not enough to merely deliver PD sessions; we need to continuously assess their impact and make improvements based on teachers’ input.
Transparency is key in sharing how teachers’ feedback has influenced our own practice. By openly acknowledging the changes we’ve made in response to their input, we demonstrate that their voices matter and that the PD experience is a collaborative and evolving process.
Effective professional development serves as a cornerstone for growth and success, benefiting educators and students. By applying the principles of UDL and designing engaging and meaningful PD sessions, we can empower teachers to learn and grow. Valuing their input, providing options and choices, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement through feedback and transparency creates an environment where teachers feel empowered and supported as they work to meet the needs of all learners.
Katie Novak, Ed.D., is an internationally renowned educational consultant, adjunct instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, best-selling author, and founder of Novak Educational Consulting. With over 20 years of experience in education, Novak has authored 12 best-selling books, including UDL Now!, Equity By Design, and UDL and Blended Learning. With a global reach spanning 32 states and 28 countries, Novak’s guidance has significantly shaped educational practices on an international scale.
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