I.School PD '24 Intro

Intro: Levels of Professional Development

Question: What is Professional Development?

Answer: “Professional development is the process of gaining new skills and knowledge to improve job performance and career prospects. It can include any activity that helps you get better at your job, outside of your normal day-to-day tasks”. AI

In other words, develop skills for a job. Get better at a job, even outside the job.

Interpretation: An Educators job is to get students to get a job.

“It is a way for people to assess their own skills and abilities, consider their aims in life, and set goals in order to realise and maximise their true potential.” Upskillist (cut and pasted, with spelling).

Okay. Is that what is happening with your Professional Development time today? Recognizing personal growth and goals in order to realize your TRUE potential?

Sounds GREAT!

What do educators have to say about Professional Development? Examples:

Teachers Off Duty Podcast “The Absolute Worst Professional Development….” 44:35 min. (I only watched a few examples. But, 8:02 to 9:02 min:sec; “The old and worn, official ready to retire Old Dude” says to a new teacher,

‘hey can you punch me in the face as hard as you can’?

Requesting a ‘punch in the face’ during a PD (professional development) session, about sums up what many ‘old teachers’ “jokingly” want from PD. To be unconscious for the duration.

Less negatively, most all teachers simply want TIME. Time to plan; time to develop skills to be a better teacher; time to genuinely collaborate with colleagues.

As an old and warn pre-retired teacher, I can honestly say this: More time to develop will Never, Ever, ever happen. NO one is going to say, “hey, looks like you could use some rest. You need time to _______.” Nope. Never. In fact, the more you do (the more time you put in), the more time you will do.

Okay, so what to do?

I’m working on it.