Attending Professional Development For Teachers

By Francis Riggs


It is very important for instructors to be always informed of what is going on in their chosen field. Many school districts provide professional development for teachers who want to better themselves and their teaching methodology. This will help them become very well prepared to pass on their knowledge to both students and other teachers.

Most of these courses are held after school on a weekday but some are hosted on Saturday mornings. The more important ones such as the core courses of English, math, social studies and science may be held on one or even more actual school days during regular class time hours.

During these classes, participants are often involved in group instruction, hands-on activities, and lectures. In fact, the way they are run is very similar to how an individual would be expected to run a classroom of regular students. Therefore, not only do participants learn the content, they are also actively involved in and learning new ways of presenting materials to the class.

For example, an English-language arts teacher could attend courses in interpreting poetry, writing poetry, increasing vocabulary skills, or shared reading. She would go through exactly the same routine as a student would so she could understand the process, be able to empathize with the student, and be able to teach the subject more effectively from a teacher's perspective. She would receive instruction on these critical areas and she would also be actively doing some of the very same activities her students would. She would be immersed in the same type of instruction that she herself would provide for her young students.

New and innovative software and equipment can also be introduced to staff during these courses. Grading students, taking daily attendance, learning the basics of new equipment, and online resources for varied subjects will all be taught in workshops and seminars. Lesson alignment with testing will also be taught to attendees as well as instruction given on evaluation and assessment tools.

Family involvement may even be the focus of a course. The best way to motivate and keep a child on track is to get the entire family involved by keeping the lines of communication open, asking questions about the child's background and interests, and encouraging them to participate in as many school activities as possible. This is very helpful to those instructors who are new or who are employed in low income areas.

Behavior issues can also be an important topic. How to improve the environment and provide fewer distractions, handling behavior issues, and dealing with accommodations are great issues to feature at a conference. These are very helpful to those who may have transferred to a school with more issues or a newly hired instructor. How to effectively discipline, arrangement of classroom, tools for better learning, and collaboration may all be covered during these classes.

It is very important to keep up with all that is going on in the world of education. This will make a person a stronger and more informed instructor who will give her best to her students. This instructor will also feel much more confident in her own skills and the effect that they have on the entire classroom and school.




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