As you head into Spring break and state testing season, your teachers are probably getting tired, and you may need a rest yourself. And yet, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your faculty for next year – whether you schedule training at the end of the school year, over the summer, or in the fall.

What Can You Provide Teachers So They Start the Year Off Strong?

Before we bring up the term Professional Development, clear your mind of an ocean of teachers falling asleep to a droning trainer. What would change the experience into Learning and Development around the profession of teaching? What would engage your teachers so they feel excited and ready to return in the fall?

We know from John Hattie that learning is much more effective when the learning outcomes are clear and specific. If the outcome is “listen to a trainer about a new program,” you’re likely to get a lukewarm result.

While your teachers are learning, are they doing so in a practical context? Few things get teachers more excited than creating and planning learning opportunities for their students. If professional learning is creative, positive and practical, then teachers can feel excited about what they will be bringing to their students.

Making PD Engaging and Relevant

Studies Weekly focuses on making its onboarding professional development engaging and relevant for teachers, empowering them to use the curriculum independently. Learning a new program can be daunting for teachers, but if they’ve already completed tasks in a way that helps them remember their training, then they won’t be afraid to use it again. Studies Weekly PD trainers make the learning curve feel like a rewarding challenge instead of a climb up Mount Everest.

Remember that voice and choice, background knowledge, and relevance are all as important to teachers as they are to students. Does your professional learning allow for teachers to make choices in their participation and to use what they learn? If a teacher doesn’t come out of a professional development session knowing how they will use the information the next day, then you’ve missed an opportunity.

Teachers aren’t the only ones who need voice and choice. That’s why one of the main Studies Weekly PD offerings is a custom training where the curriculum director or other administrator meets with a member of the PD team to discuss the goals of their particular school or district. Whether the goal is to integrate social studies into an ELA block or how to understand three dimensional learning with science, an expert is there to plan a tailored learning opportunity.

Plus, not all professional learning happens face-to-face these days. Studies Weekly PD is available in a face-to-face or webinar format. Even in the webinar format, PD isn’t delivered as a sit-and-get. Our trainers work diligently to engage your teachers in active participation. Teachers need ready-to-use tools and rejuvenation, and with Studies Weekly’s customizable options, your teachers will walk away ready and eager to try new things with their students.