Keeping Current...
...through professional development
by Judy Chamberlain
When people start anything new, we are generally excited about it, and teachers are just like everyone else in that way! Before students start classes at the beginning of the school year, teachers get together for a few days to learn about the latest resources purchased for them. The publishers' sales representatives come to the buildings and show the teachers the details and changes, and they all start out to use the new tools. Last fall, teachers learned about the online parts of the Elements of Literature sets and about Pathways to Reading.
As the school year progresses, we try to make sure that teachers have the chance to learn about ways to use up-to-date technology with their students. When new versions of old software packages such as the Microsoft Office Suite become available, it is best practice to teach all users about them instead of expecting them to figure things out on their own, so we set aside training time on inservice days. January is a good month for these events, because it's the middle of the year and teachers are ready for the information.
At the January inservices, this district generally uses our own staff experts to teach their colleagues in small, personalized groups. On January 4, ten teachers taught sessions ranging from how to use Power Point in the classroom to where to find age-appropriate research sites for kids. On January 18, three teachers will be sharing tips and tricks for using Excel and Word/Publisher and for accessing just-in-time training through an online service called Atomic Learning. We are fortunate to have such willing and talented teachers!
Families sometimes ask why we need to take time away from the classroom to do this work. The answer is that it is our way to "sharpen the saw" and ensure that our teachers are ready to provide top-quality instruction. Professional development keeps us current.
