6 Non-Negotiables for Effective Professional Development for ELA Teachers [S6 E192]

Listen to the full episode below:

How many times have you sat through a Professional Development Training and thought “this is not the best use of my time”? As an ELA teacher with a to-do list a mile long, there’s nothing worse than feeling like your time is wasted or you aren’t walking away from a PD session with strategies you can actually use to better your instruction.

That’s where I (Amanda) come in! In 2021 I stepped away from the classroom and have been working hard to fulfill my dream of being a professional development leader, specifically in the inquiry space for the secondary ELA community. I am on a mission to reshape PD to be personalized and impactful…and I think I’m doing a pretty great job so far!

In today’s episode, I am giving you a peek behind the curtain to show how I approach Professional Development sessions. I’ll review my six non-negotiables for phenominal and effective PD that is anything but one-size-fits-all. 

PD can be great and I want you to experience that! If you like what you hear, be sure to pass this episode along to your administrators and teacher leaders who are making decisions about hiring for PD. You can learn more about my PD offerings here.

Topics Discussed:

  • The importance of meeting teachers where they are

  • How I create individualized workshops for each school

  • Why PD should include time to discuss modifications for the topic at hand

  • Demonstrating strategies in real-time to make it easier to recreate in your classroom

  • Professional development leaders should be upfront and honest about pitfalls

  • All PD should give time for planning and coaching!

  • Red flags to be aware of when hiring people to lead Professional Development in your school

Resources Mentioned:

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More about Brave New Teaching:

Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!

Tune in on your favorite podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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