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Ditch the PD Dread: How to Create a Culture of Continuous Learning

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Writer Mirko Chardin in their July 1, 2024, blogpost outlines a common scenario for all who plan professional development. Many administrators dread planning PD “for your staff because you know they’ll complain no matter what you do” and the person planning may actually “be the problem."

Chardin writes “if you are hearing frequent complaints or seeing feedback that your teachers are not into the PD they are attending,” then as a school leader, make clear to "teachers to ensure that what feels like ‘wasted time’ instead is a powerful learning experience.” Alleviate any teacher's feelings about how they will benefit or confusion about why they are attending in the first place.

Chardin maintains for “PD to be effective, all parties need to be actively involved.” This goes beyond the once a year with no follow through. “We need to ditch the one-and-done and create a culture of continuous learning.” This translate to a culture where teachers are “fired up to learn, collaborate, and level up with their skills, while being treated with both respect and dignity.” This begins with leadership.

Listed below are Chardin’s five recommended ways to set teachers up for success summarized below:

1. Relevance is Key: What are the key challenges teachers are facing right now? Ensure time for processing the information, chat with colleagues and plan how to use the new skills.
2. Universally Designed Professional Development: Ditch the one-size-fits all approach. Offer a variety of formats that will help overcome learner variability.
3. Accessibility Matters: Schedule PD to minimize disruptions. Record sessions and provide materials in a variety of formats. Removing hurdles sends the message that your “staff’s well-being is a priority.”
4. Feedback is your Friend: “No lecture with a participation trophy at the end. Open the feedback loop! Use surveys, quick polls and actively listen to feedback.”
5. Growth Mindset, All Day Every Day: “Encourage a culture where asking questions is encouraged, trying new things is embraced, and sharing best practices with colleagues is the norm.”

Survey teachers and develop a professional development plan keeping in mind these five steps.