Professional Development: By You, For You

 This post was originally posted on Substack. I thought I would share it here:

Imagine this. You are ready for a new school year, you’re excited to meet your students, it is going to be awesome! But then you get to school and your orientation days are filled with professional development that is cookie cutter bland. It doesn’t challenge you, nor does it meet the needs of your students. What is a teacher to do? Whatever you need to!

Everything I’ve ever needed to know about teaching came from a lifetime of curiosity. I love to learn. I am interested in others and in their perspectives. I care about nature and I want to pass on what I love to the next generation. I also know that I don’t know it all, that I can’t possibly know it all, but living in the 21st Century provides me with the opportunity to find out!

There are so many opportunities to look into learning on our own, if we have the time and the inclination. I am a huge proponent of continuing education. We cannot take what we’ve learned through our schooling and use it year after year. If we aren’t growing as educators, we are going to struggle to pass on meaningful learning to our students.

What, then, can we do? Look into organizations that interest you, and see if they provide any free learning or information. Use the internet and social media for professional development. Places like #kinderchat where we share our knowledge with each other, National Geographic has free, online learning. I just finished a wonderful Free to Play Summit with FairyDust Teaching! There are Facebook groups, and Instagram accounts, all dedicated to learning.

The main thing it will cost is time. And, it doesn’t have to take up all of your time, but it may take some effort. But, be forewarned! You may come away inspired, energized, and ready to rearrange your classroom! (I am speaking from personal experience here, btw).

So, as we finish off one calendar year, and look forward to the next, let me encourage you to look into some personal professional learning. And let me encourage you to pass that learning on to your colleagues and other professionals! You will not be disappointed!