As summer winds down, many educators eagerly anticipate the opportunity to begin again; to establish a new routine or practice; to take what they learned during summer PD sessions and conferences for a spin around the classroom. As instructional leaders, our role in this process is to maximize the impact of PD by providing teachers with “opportunities for application, practice, reflection, and reinforcement” (Reeves, 2010). We must assure deepened levels of implementation. This is critical because as educators we do not engage in professional development for its own sake. We engage in PD because we believe that increasing our knowledge and skills will lead to quality student performance. Current research indicates that teacher expertise is the most significant school-based influence on student learning. Therefore, would you agree that investments in enhancing teacher expertise should be coupled with steps for implementing the learning? It is all too easy to miss the implementation step. In doing so, we stymied efforts to positively impact student performance.

However, professional development and implementation should not be viewed as separate steps in the process; rather they are conjoined. In order to effectually support implementation, administrators need to construct mechanisms that guide and support teachers in their day-to-day teaching improvement efforts. So, where do we begin? How do we show teachers through our actions (not just our words) that we support their efforts to hone their craft and impact student learning?

Provide focus.

Begin by working with teachers to set PD goals for the year. Utilize the goal-setting process to clearly communicate your expectations regarding the implementation of PD on your campus. Within these goals, help teachers identify short-term wins. After all, success breeds success.

Keep it simple.

Focus on only one or two things at a time. We have all walked away from a PD session completely overwhelmed by the experience. Remind teachers that “each journey begins with a single step.” Encourage them to take it one step at a time. Chances are that if they try (or even dream of) doing everything at once that their efforts will be short-lived and ineffectual.

Facilitate learning by doing.

Allow teachers to learn from what works and what does not; time to think about what was learned; and most importantly encouragement to try again. Without taking action, learning is less efficient because it is not grounded in practice and real experience. Teachers need time to examine and practice their new learning, as well as opportunities to engage in thoughtful discourse with one another, so they can provide similar opportunities for their students.

Anticipate that mistakes will happen.

In building a culture that expects, encourages, and supports implementation, one of the most critical elements is what happens when things go wrong. Even well-planned lessons can go wrong. All learning involves some failure from which one can continue to learn. Let others see you keeping the torch of deepened levels of implementation burning even in the face of frustrations and failure.

Model what you expect teachers to do.

Look for opportunities to model what you expect teachers to do. At the next staff meeting or campus PD session, fold within your presentation the strategies and techniques that your teachers are learning. You also might consider attending PD sessions with your teachers or sharing with them an article about pedagogy. After all, actions speak louder than words. Your actions will speak of the value of life-long learning on your campus.

Visit classrooms and monitor progress.

The only way to assure deepened levels of implementation is by stepping in to and observing classrooms in action. Take time to provide teachers with regular feedback and reinforcement. Additionally, allow teachers to observe each other engaged in the practice of teaching and implementation. Peer-to-peer learning can enhance efforts.

Remove obstacles.

There are sure to be bumps in the road. What is getting in the way of implementation efforts? What is within your control? Establish conditions within your school to support continuous improvement, including attention to such matters as schedules, teacher assignments, use of meetings, resource development, cultivation of shared leadership, and formation of teams.

Success in the implementation process usually hinges on the supports and available resources for teachers to build upon existing knowledge or to absorb new practices. It may be that your teachers have the expertise needed to implement the strategies that have been selected or decided upon; however, this is typically not the case. Almost always, taking on new learning means that teachers and leaders will need to cultivate new proficiencies or shape existing ones.

Continuing professional development is essential to continuous improvement. In the continuous improvement process, PD is motivated by the examination of student needs, is focused on explicit skills needed by teachers, and is on-going and fundamental to the implementation process. Let’s pledge to honor the PD experiences that our teachers participated in during the summer months by creating and fostering a culture that allows them opportunity to implement what they have learned as a means for enhancing student performance.

Resource:
Reeves, D. (2010). Transforming professional development into student success. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Dr. Glenda Horner is the Coordinator for Staff Development in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Houston, Texas.  She has participated in ASCD’s On-Site Capacity Building services. Go to www.ascd.org/oscb to learn more.