What Teachers Have Taught Us About Professional Development
4 Insights We’ve Learned After Speaking with Teachers
by The Teachers Guild team
“Just like with students in your classroom, when you release the reins and let the students take control over the learning, they blow you away with things you never would have thought of. It’s the same way with teachers.”
—Casey Shea, high school teacher & Maker Education Teacher-on-Loan from the Sonoma County Office of Education
“As much as we wish we knew how to help all teachers improve, we do not.” This past August, The New Teacher Project (TNTP), published in the The Mirage Report this alarming conclusion.
That’s why The Teachers Guild is excited to be partnering with Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) to re-imagine professional learning. Together, we’ll dream how professional development can give teachers the opportunities to keep growing throughout their careers, and to have the greatest impact on our students’ lives.
So, meet their team, hear their teacher stories, and consider some of the insights. Then, ask yourself and your colleagues: how might you reimagine professional development? We know the incredible impact of amazing learning and growth experiences, so how might we honor ourselves with the same opportunities we create for our students? How might we redesign professional development that inspires and energizes us, so we can keep pace with the changing needs of our classrooms today?
“In Sonoma County, we believe teachers know what they need better than anyone else.”
—Kaesa Enemark is a principal in Santa Rosa, and shared this during their kick off event at the DeTurk Round Barn
Teachers are lifelong learners who want to grow throughout their careers.
In teaching, there is a desire to move beyond disconnected classrooms
“In high school a lot of times, you know the teachers in your department but you’re in an isolated classroom and you don’t share a lot with other people.”
— Anna VanDordrecht, high school science teacher in Sonoma County
Professional learning should inspire and ignite potential
“For us, there’s not a distinction between children and adult learners. It’s learners. It’s all about engagement and piquing intellectual curiosity for all learners. We’re working to engage teacher leaders and to pique their curiosity.”
—Mickey Porter, Deputy Superintendent & Dan Blake, Director of Innovation and Partnerships of the Sonoma County Office of Education
Learning experiences for teachers can help build empathy for the student experience
“Telling learners, either teachers or students, is just not enough. We’re shifting to treating teachers as learners and to asking them to experience a 21st century approach to learning as the student. If adults don’t understand and experience that change for themselves, and rediscover for themselves what it means to be a learner, they can’t offer that to their students.”
— Dan Blake, Director of Innovation and Partnerships of the Sonoma County Office of Education
Now it’s your turn! How can you reimagine with us?
Begin by dreaming. What has been your experience with professional learning? What energizes you when you are learning? What insights have you heard from your colleagues? What differences are you hoping for your students and classroom? This is our chance to re-imagine professional development! So let’s embark on answering this question together!
How might we reimagine professional learning so that we continue to grow, feel inspired, and have the greatest impact on our students?
Join the Discover phase of The Teachers Guild Collaboration with SCOE and begin the journey of designing better solutions by sharing your wisdom:
- Tell your your story
- Interview colleagues and put yourself in their shoes,
- Consider what inspires you within and beyond education.
Start contributing by discovering what’s possible in professional learning today. Join us at www.teachersguild.org, then get started by signing up and adding your insights, ideas, and comments!
