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Introduction
If designed and integrated into school workflow appropriately, professional development promotes the improvement of teachers skills and their awareness of contemporary instructional techniques and approaches, which results in better education outcomes and students performance overall. Thus, this paper aims at discussing the causes of teachers negative perceptions of professional development and describing the best-related practices that I have experienced. In addition, the paper will identify three professional development formats beneficial for educators in the context of school closures.
Teachers Negative Perceptions of Professional Development
Despite its complexity and binding character, professional development is an integral element of teachers progress, which influences all aspects of their daily practice. Nevertheless, many instructors typically display little or no interest in this beneficial activity, considering it tedious, lifeless, impractical, and merely superfluous. Such perceptions are mainly produced by several issues that impair the efficacy of professional development. In particular, many developmental programs fail to deliver content that meets the needs of teachers and suits school settings (Glickman et al., 2017). The second problem is that the administration may not provide an adequate amount of time and other resources for professional development, leading to a loss of interest in corresponding activities. For instance, the study by Yurtseven (2017), consisting of educators, indicates that it is crucial for teachers to be provided with the necessary resources and time to proceed with their professional development. Finally, the third concern is associated with the inconsistency between personal and school or group goals. For example, the school administration can focus on improving the students performance on specific subjects that do not fall into the field of activity of a particular teacher.
The Best Professional Development
Within the framework of a professional development plan, school administrators and teachers can participate in various professional learning activities, such as joining professional organizations, reading professional journals and books, and conducting research. During my professional practice, I have undertaken several activities that broadened my understanding of the learning process and enhanced my teaching skills. First, I took part in the assistance seminar for beginning teachers, which laid the sound foundation for my further professional growth. Through careful mentorship and continuous guidance, these programs helped me understand different concerns teachers usually face in their workflow and approaches to effective teaching and classroom management.
Besides, the second activity I should mention is the leadership preparation program, during which I had the opportunity to assume the role of a teacher mentor. This program allowed me to acquire and hone leadership skills, including communication, awareness, commitment to goals, and a sense of responsibility. After completing the course, I could deliver the study material to students more clearly, thereby encouraging them to learn the subject and inspiring them to respect me as a teacher.
Three Professional Development Formats
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the educational landscape dramatically, stimulating social and education-related processes and instructional delivery methods distinctive from traditional. In this context, teachers, instructors, mentors, and administration should focus on applying the most relevant professional development formats that meet the requirements of the challenging situation. The first format I would offer is a network implying that teachers from various schools share concerns, attainments, and other information and participate in collective learning via websites, newsletters, and online conferences and seminars (Glickman et al., 2017). Participants can actively discuss such questions as assessment and evaluation, environmental and global education, the use of technology in the curriculum, class management and school-based research, conflict resolution, and second language instructions.
During school closures, there is an acute necessity in determining the teachers primary needs and objectives to ensure the qualitative delivery of the required subject. In this regard, individually planned professional development is a useful instrument that helps teachers to evaluate their own professional needs, establish personal goals and tasks, arrange and perform activities appropriately, and comprehend outcomes (Glickman et al., 2017). In addition, the plan facilitates assessing skills and knowledge and identifying individual professional gaps needing close consideration to provide better performance. Finally, in complicated circumstances when direct and face-to-face interaction between teachers is limited, teachers should participate in professional learning communities to exchange valuable education-associated information. These communities allow the group of teachers to develop shared beliefs and values, collaborate on curriculum and instructional improvement measures, and engage in collective learning.
Challenges and Solutions
In the context of school closures, the principal challenges would be related to the technological provision, administration support, and teachers motivation and interest in participation in professional development activities. In particular, the first problem is reliable access to a seamless internet connection since the quality of instruction delivery and the opportunity to take part in cooperative efforts significantly depend on this. One of the solutions can be federal aid in the form of administrative and financial support for teachers and schools overall. The second problem is the teachers motivation since, in the new complicated circumstances, teachers can perform their educational duties inadequately and attend professional programs reluctantly, which immediately reflects on students results. In this regard, the school administration should maintain teachers by providing clear instructions and requirements, setting collective goals, and delivering necessary resources.
Conclusion
In summary, the paper has discussed the causes of teachers negative perceptions of professional development and described the best professional development that I have experienced. The negative perceptions are mainly connected with irrelevant content of professional development activities, the inconsistency between personal and school or group goals, and the administration support. Besides, the paper has identified three professional development formats beneficial for educators in the context of school closures and possible challenges and solutions. Specifically, a network, the individually planned professional development, and professional learning communities are the most appropriate formats that can be used during school closures.
References
Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2017). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach (10th ed.). Pearson.
Yurtseven, N. (2017). The investigation of teachers metaphoric perceptions about professional development. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(2), 120-131.
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