Professional Development - Easier to SAY it than to DO it

"Everybody" in education talks about professional development, about growing (developing?) a Personal Learning Network (PLN,) and really (finally) using that technology we have in the classroom to it's full benefit.

Sounds great! Let's DO it. What?? Difficulty getting started? Not so easy, is it?

We ask our students to do things every day that extend their ability, and some at which they may fail, in order to learn something. It's a pity that we won't ask the same of ourselves.

Begin by taking a good, hard look at where you are - it's like taking a candid snapshot. Assess yourself on as many "tasks" as you can think of. Don't pull any punches. This is for YOU, and no one else. Address things like quality of lesson plans, time spent planning, time spent with parent contact/communication, interaction with team or colleagues, how smoothly your classes run, your back up plans when things go wrong, etc. Make your own list of those things that you think affect you as a teacher/leader/facilitator in your classroom. Bottom line: you can't tell where you need to go until you know where you are. NOW you have a starting point.

Next, go "out" into the world (probably search internet, social networking & bookmarking sites, twitter, conferences, podcasts, etc.) and look for examples you'd like to emulate. Don't be afraid to start locally - there's probably several teachers in YOUR SCHOOL that have experiences (good and bad) from which you could draw. Think BIG here - imagine yourself as that "perfect" facilitator, presenting that fantastic lesson, able to keep track of students for differentiated instruction, teaching to their strengths, engaging them for the entire time you have them - even leaving them wanting more at the end of the class! NOW you have a vision.

After you've looked around for examples, "subscribe", "follow" or "watch" several episodes or posts or tweets from many of the ones you found and think you MIGHT get something from. It won't take you long to figure out the ones that are worth your time. Bookmark sites that interest you, sites that may be within your reach, and also sites that will push your "envelope" a little. Even if you get one or two great links or ideas from each of them every few episodes, it's probably worth your time. But at the same time, don't be afraid/ashamed to "unsubscribe" or "unfollow" someone that isn't feeding your needs - your time is valuable, and you need to be selfish about it! Contribute something that you use that might "feed" others, too. If it's useful or interesting to you, there's probably a dozen others that would feel the same way. NOW you have (at least a start to) an action plan.

I've done this, in a less structured and formal manner, over the last six months or so. I've followed several blogs and podcasts for years, but when they were no longer worth my time, I quit them. Only recently have I gotten a Twitter account, and find that this has been the best resource for ideas and links with the least amount of time and effort that I've ever seen. Maybe I just follow the right people, (favorites are @loonyhiker, @coolcatteacher, @skipz, @tombarrett, @teachakidd, just to name a few....) Their posts are NOT the trivial "I'm doing my hair now" - type posts - they post things that they find valuable from their experience in and out of classrooms, some of them professionals in classrooms already for decades. Us newbies (I've only been teaching a decade and a half...) can pick out things from their wisdom and apply it in our classrooms. (BRAVO AND THANKS TO EACH OF THEM.)

OK - now go out and make your plan! Hope it works for you.