What an interesting opening of the October 23, 2015 EdWeek online commentary “It’s time to Restructure Teacher Professional Development” … Despite being an $18 billion industry, with costs for services of up to $18,000 per year, per teacher, professional development doesn't appear to have much effect on teaching quality. How could PD have an effect on teaching quality if the PD is not tied to standards, research, teacher practices, and student needs? How effective can we expect the professional development if there is no time for teachers to learn together, practice together, give and get feedback, and reflect together? We want to “give” teachers best practices so they can parrot what they’ve learned but do we really give teachers an opportunity in their day to think about what they are learning and how to “make it their own”?

In the September 28, 2015 online Education Week issue, author Anthony Rebora discusses collaborative teacher team meetings and the effectiveness of meeting together as a form of teacher professional development. He claims that although team meetings are an important part of the teacher professional environment, some evidence indicates that teachers are not satisfied with this time spent together. That, in fact, some teachers think team meetings are a waste of time.

The beginning of any school year is full of anticipation, anxiety, and assumptions. The anticipation and anxiety are reduced as the year progresses. Plans are made and networking occurs so that teachers re-establish their relationships and begin collaborating again after a summer of relaxation and rejuvenation.  They think about their plans from the previous year identifying which ones need to be revised, which ones need to be strengthened, and which ones were positive so they can build on those successes.

Welcome back to the school year 2015-2016. What a wonderful year this will be. First of all, you will be able to forge ahead and pick up where you left in June. How amazing to start the year with knowing more than you did the year before! Think of all the lessons you learned throughout the year, identifying which practices need to be strengthened and which practices need you to go back to the drawing board. Remember, reflection means revision. That’s a good thing and an effective habit to model.