I actually have time to write! Hooray! Life has been weird at the moment, feeling like I’m in a space of change but it’s not time to make those decisions yet. Trying to get back to enjoying life before making those big life-altering choices that will take me back to where I really want to be. For now though, we breathe and go back to what brings us joy.

Now I’ve delt with my topic today for quite some time, but now that I am more in the trenches with it. I find it annoying me more and more. Which is the case of “Too much PD-itis.” It’s the Boy who Called Wolf situation here. Educators have it drilled into their heads that professional devellopment is important. There is nothing better than PD…but when it comes to experiencing it. How many educators walk away actually having a positive experience? Did they learn anything? Or are they in there because their admin said they had to be? It’s become a joke, but such a bad one when we hear the phrases “that PD could have been an email”, or “that PD had NOTHING to do with what I do.” They’re right though! After being a music teacher I lost count of how many professional development days I spent in meetings learning information I would forget by the time I walked out of the room because it had absolutely nothing to do with my subject or anything remotely close to it. The only reason I was there? there was nothing else offered for me to go to. Now mind you, I tried really hard to make as many cross curricular connections as I could to try to make it worthwhile, but 3/4 of the time it never worked out.

I know I am not the only one with that problem. We then also run into the issue of educators not getting the PD they actually need to learn and grow in their profession so they get left behind. Then we get into the topics of educators burning out because they are not getting the proper help and motivation and when a new teacher steps in they need more and, well it’s a whole downward circle of life. None of this helps when so many administrators are calling up PD providers to do something with no rhyme or reason to it.

How do we combat this? Well, we listen, we differentiate, we simplify, we engage. We first listen, what do they need or want? We then provide unique opportunities for teacher to interact with experts who can help motivate and inform. People who can consult on curriculum, give advice on teaching it, motivate and inspire, and oh so much more. We lessen the amount of PD educators are mandated to attend so they can put their focus on really implementing what they are learning. Then, we get their hands dirty. Let’s get them actually getting hands on with the different types of concepts and topics they are focusing on.

So let’s start that, let’s listen. Provide surveys or polls out to educators in the school to learn more about what they feel they need, observe classes to see where deficiencies are, sit in a staff meeting and just ask, or even provide a place outside your office for them to write anonymus suggestions.

I’ve got many more thoughts on this to come..

If you could create any PD for yourself, what would it include?

I have so many thoughts on the topic of educator learning. It’s been such a highly debated topic for so long and although there is no right or wrong answer because everyone learns differently (everyone hear that, “EVERYONE LEARNS DIFFERENTLY”.) We can make strides to make it better. Especially with the teacher shortage the US is experiencing. Let’s add better professional learning opportunities to the long list of improvements for educators, behind better wages and working conditions of course!

The most powerful thing you can do when it comes to learning something new is to experience it. When you look at a conference, the most popular sessions are the workshops that allow educators to get into the thick of it when it comes to learning. Whether it be completing guided tasks in new resources, discussing new topics with colleagues, doing the activities students are going to do, to even..yes I’ll say it..a field trip to a community partner.

Now the term experiential professional learning is not a new one. When we take out the term professional “experiential learning” is when students get hands-on with the topics they are learning about. Add professional in there and now the audience changes from students to teacher. These types of PD opportunities tend to be the most popular at conferences and district PD days, who wouldn’t want to learn about the power of play playing with Legos?

As I write this, I’m coming off directing a large virtual conference for thousands of educators from across the globe. Create an interactive experience for these attendees that is solely virtual is extremely difficult but also rewarding when you get it right. Have I got this down to a science? Not in the slightest, am I working to make virtual experiences better and more interactive for attendees? You bet!

So what are some tips I’ve learned in trying things out to make learning experiences for educators more interactive and allow them to experience what they are learning?

• Give them tangible items or ideas to walk away with. Have them build their toolkit to bring back to their learning spaces and try out. Whether it is a new teaching tool or toy or a written lesson plan or instructions to an activity. Don’t make sessions “heady” or overly academic. Make them easy to understand and give the information in an easily digestible language so they can translate it into their instruction.
• Make it motivating! Give them a reason to be excited to go back and try these things out. Get them involved, guide them as they create and collaborate. We live in an age where being an educator is not something a lot of people aspire to be anymore because of the current state of education. Let’s bring back that spark.
• Be Interactive! Bring out the toys, bring in the experts (virtually or in person), get them involved in the activities that match their comfort level. Don’t be that “sage on the stage”, guide the collaboration and discovery.
• Let them know they have support, you never should be a one and done situation no matter how you put your learning together. Give them multiple ways to reach out to you or create a space that is a community where support from you and others can continue well after the learning.

Learning should be fun not only for students but also for educators. Let’s ditch the boring talks and bring back the collaboration and fun, let’s space it out throughout the year so every person feels they can learn at their pace, let’s build support systems to continue the things that are taught. Let’s bring community together to build a better learning space for our students.