How can you support teacher professional development policies?

We would need to assess the need ; the need of the individual and of the institution. The aspirations and expectations of the teachers may not always align with the requirements of the organization..that will have to be balanced. Having clear cut ,transparent conversation and coaching the team members to realign or adjusting school needs to accommodate the candidate can be part of this decision making.

How effective is your school's current approach to PD. Research from Guskey suggests it may not be that effective. Ask what is the purpose of your PD programme? Are staff in alignment with what PD is for, how it contributes to the schools strategic vision and school goals? Does PD that take place have measures in place to measure its quality and effectiveness? Is it short/medium or long term? Are teachers differentiated in some aspects about the training and development that they receive according to the career, knowledge and experience? Are you choosing an external PD model as opposed to internal? Whart effect has that had? It is inherently difficult to measure the quality and effectiveness of PD, so how might you address that?

It is important to gather data on the needs and preferences of teachers. This can be done through surveys, interviews, and observation. Additionally, analyzing student achievement data can help identify areas where teachers may need additional training or support. Once the current situation is assessed, policies can be developed to address the identified needs and provide opportunities for ongoing professional development. These policies can include funding for training programs, mentorship opportunities, and collaboration platforms to facilitate knowledge sharing among teachers.

A needs assessment can help align priorities based on what is currently going on in the classroom. Teacher needs will vary by district, city and state, and therefore is not a one size fits all. Establishing funding sources, then assessing how funding should be spent should be clarified at local funding source by district/state.

I'd strongly suggest immersing oneself in the current provision to get an idea of strengths and weaknesses. Often schools forget about support staff - they should also be included.

Ownership is important, so a culture of personal professional responsibility needs to be carefully fostered. Ask what does highly effective PD look like? What might ewe expect from our teachers (and wider support staff) when they take part and engage in continuous opportunities to grow their practise. A sense of 'mastery' helps. Johns idea here about different pathways is a great one. Teachers and support staff are at varying stages of their careers, so acknowledge that occasionally and offer them PD around their professional knowledge and expertise. Collaboration HAS to be facilitiated. It rarely happens organically, so ensure PD is meticulously planned, assessed against its objectives and refined.

In many instances, staff know what they are lacking or where they may need supports. Input, collaboration and committees can be beneficial. Incorporating professional development that allows for immediate feedback is one way policy makers can think outside the box to support teachers. Implementing professional development seems to be a consistent challenge. So evaluating and reassessing in the classroom setting itself could be beneficial and less time consuming vs having professional development days outside of their classroom setting without students.

At a previous school we created a system whereby staff could choose different pathways depending on experience and need. Some could opt for advanced teaching and learning, others for leadership. This meant that the learning was focused on what each individual needed.

Buy in is everything. Without it PD becomes little more than compliance. There is a lot that goes in to buy in though, time, workload, well-being, purpose, ownership, trust and lots more.

Está claro que los docentes son el centro de todo. Creo que es necesario saber intereses personales y laborales de cada uno. Si buscamos iniciar cualquier proyecto es importante contar con docentes a los que ese proyecto les guste, les motive y les interese. Además esto nos servirá para que los propios docentes creen y mejoren los proyectos que tanto a ellos como a nosotros nos interesan.

PD needs a purpose. There may be specific areas within a curriculum framework that students struggle to express and define. As an international leader, ensuring what quality first learning and teaching and learning looks like across multiple teachers and their contextual background and approaches is essential. To be effective the EEF suggests that PD HAS to be sustained for at least two terms, so start by looking at what changes and outcomes you expect to be improved. Mentoring within and between those on similar growth strategies can add value to a school - feeding a pipeline of middle and senior leaders.

Diversifying PD is fine - as long as it still meets your organisational aims. There is little point in offering a multitude of PD programmes if little makes it way back to the classroom and improved outcomes. Considder posing research questions, of which answers to may bring better, more informed teaching practices. This diversity can be supported with a diagnostic/audit that staff complete individually/as a department or team to identify strengths and areas for development and collaboration. Knowing who is highly skilled in what, can save a substantial amount on your training budget. Choose PD IT formats that plug in to existing management systems and ultimately can raise outcomes; not create more time that is needed to manage them.

Diversifying professional development will give more teachers the opportunity to seek support in the areas they need,based on their individual experiences with their own education or their own classroom. Similar to children, adults have a variety of learning styles and preferences for how and what they want to learn.

Diversifying is fine as long as there is impact and that impact needs to be on the students and the school’s goals/vision! Too much diversification can become confusing, like a scattergun approach and little benefit is felt at an organisation level. We offer a carousel of PD giving staff a chance to choose what content and what style suits them best but all these choices are aligned to our improvement priorities.

Absolutely agree! CPD policies need to shift from mere delivery to sustainability. Implementation is the key – it transforms learning into action. Effective collaboration, peer engagement, constructive feedback, and consistent efforts make the learning truly impactful. It's the bridge between knowledge and application that defines successful professional development.

Funding (and time) is vital for success. Schools must provide the required resource to achieve success! This can be as simple as weekly departmental meetings or larger investment in external speakers and companies

One of the most important aspect of any policy - is outwardly communicating what staff can expect from you, as well as what you expect from staff. Let staff know whether you live out your values and do provide opportunity for all. Are your PD opportunities inclusive or exclusive? Can underrepresented staff apply/how? You always want to consider how professional growth and development adds value to your school.

Celebrating the successes and achievements stemming from a Professional Development programme is essential to upkeep the continuous learning culture. For instance, if the PD initiative focuses on incorporating technology into teaching practices, recognizing teachers who successfully integrate innovative tools in their classrooms can highlight the program's positive impact. By publicly recognising and celebrating these accomplishments, the organization not only boosts morale but also emphasizes the practical benefits of investing in teacher development, creating a culture that values continuous improvement and the pursuit of shared objectives.

1-Cooperation between teachers 2-Using technology to give powers to access and develop educational content 3- Effective communication between teachers and students, communication and coordination between academics and administrators at the school and between teachers and first teachers in order to support and enhance competencies 4- Work on continuous development and be aware of everything that is new. 5- Giving a little time to express freedom of opinion, discussion and criticism .

Ahora mismo, teniendo en cuenta como se vive la experiencia docente dentro del aula, lo que ocurre muchas veces con las familias del alumnado y como de abrumadora es la carga burocrática, creo que es importante hacerles saber a los docentes todo lo que hacen bien y todo lo que innovan, mejoran y se involucran en sus clases. Siempre que se propongan cosas y los profesores hagan todo lo posible por llevar a cabo las cosas pienso que es necesario hacérselo saber. Aunque parezca algo obvio, todos necesitamos saber cuándo hacemos las cosas bien y una peque?a pizca de reconocimiento hará docentes más contentos y por lo tanto aún más involucrados. Los éxitos en un centro educativo siempre son de todos pero algunas veces es importante recordarlo.