Professional Development

On my way home from class I couldn't help but think about the conferences I attended and if they really did lead to improved student achievement. 3 summers in a row, I was talked into going on the HSTW conferences. Beside being in a different part of the US, I learned a little about a lot of different things. At first I felt honored to be asked, but I did not feel like I had gotten enough out of the mini sessions to help me in the long run. There really hasn't been much follow-up of what we came away with. Maybe I was asked to go because other people didn't see the value in it or didn't want to give up 4 days during the summer.

Our school has been trying to move towards more differentiated professional development. Dr. Closen talked about that in class and I can see a real need for that. I would rather spend time locally with my peers than go away to a conference. Our last 2 in-services were more differentiated. I felt like I came away with something valuable that I can use to improve student achievement. In the 9th Grade Academy, we have been having differentiated instruction conferences/training for the English and math teachers. It has been designed to be used in our own classrooms and worked on together.

Administrators need to think about the goal of improving student achievement before creating a plan for professional development for the staff.

I hope Rock Island High School will continue to move in the same direction for professional development.