Future-Ready Learning:
Empowering Teachers Through Innovative Development

How often have you sat in a professional development session bored, doodling, tapping your pen, and wondering why you are wasting your time? I recently participated in our district's professional learning day. While I observed others, I saw teachers grading papers, scrolling on their phones, and showing other signs of disengagement. Ekinci and Acar (2019) share some of the complaints from teachers on professional development:

• Venue of Professional development

  • Travel​

  • Crowded areas

  • Inadequate educational environment

• Non-practical information​

  • Subjects either don't apply or are not interesting

  • Inefficiency of instructional method

  • Training given by non-experts

Although the majority of teachers are maintaining a consistent accumulation of professional learning credits, most of those teachers are reporting that their workshop model sessions are useless. If teachers are finding these opportunities useless, it makes sense that the "learning" taking place is ineffective at changing teachers' practice or student learning (Gulamhussein, 2013). 

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In my experience, the most effective professional learning has been relevant to my needs and allowed me to practice what I have learned immediately with support. When primary teachers were asked about what makes their learning effective, they shared that the topic should reflect the needs of their classrooms, the content should be appropriate, the experiences should incorporate active learning, and the environment should foster collaboration (Ekinci & Acar, 2019). 

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Teachers are often already overwhelmed and experiencing burn out. If we are going to expect teachers to participate in professional development, we should look at improving the conditions so that teachers are benefitting which then results in greater student learning and achievement.