When I moved out of public education, I was amazed by the number of conferences that existed for educators. Professional development is needed for recertification, and it is vital to remain relevant and up to speed on academic trends. Although professional development is not always right in front of us, here’s why it is critical to seek out good professional development.
Find your tribe
I was an outcast teacher. I was always happy. Dressed up every day. Had perfect attendance for eight years. I was the department head, Cambridge Coordinator, gifted coordinator, yearbook advisor, class advisor, safe space educator, new teacher coordinator, a high impact educator in the state, and worked adult ESOL and GED at the jail in the evening- all while getting another degree.
Education is a passion- and I was living my passion. However, I was sometimes criticized for all that I did. It bothered me occasionally that I was the only one who wanted to go above and beyond- or so I thought! When I became the Cambridge Coordinator, I started attending professional development outside of the district. For weeks, I sat in rooms with educators just like me. They were also happy and passionate about making a difference. Your tribe doesn’t have to reside at your school- having a sounding board of likeminded educators, regardless of where they teach, helps to reduce stress and reignite your flame. Professional Development and conferences open you up to find a new network of collaborators and a new tribe.
Learn from other viewpoints
Remember pen pals? Or, maybe, you’re doing pen pals with your class and have Zoom meetings on your Smartboard to show what a classroom is like in a different country. This is what PD allows, too! Learn how other schools funded a new project. How do different administrators handle the end-of-the-year routines? Understand the statement, “You think that’s bad!”. So often, we get stuck in our little bubble- whether that be our office, our classroom, or our school. Getting to network and collaborate with educators and administrators from all types of schools and districts really allows for perspective and new ideas. Then, you have the opportunity to share these back with your team, school, and/or district, and make a difference!
Practice what we preach
Aren’t we always so quick to recommend collaboration? Communication? Ask a friend? Don’t we ask learners how they studied? What did they read over break? What they have planned for the summer? Our professional development and learning are critical to our profession. We need to continually better ourselves and add fresh ideas and new tools to our arsenal. The more we learn the more relevant we remain and the better we are able to grow in our profession with grace. Here are some ideas for summer professional learning opportunities! Each is hyperlinked to the webpage with a description of the event from the site!
ISTE: Attend sessions in person, participate in off-site adventures, tinker with the latest tech in the expo hall, and keep the learning going with a full library of recorded sessions!
EDX: A place to get micro certifications for any and all topics from the top universities. Learn and Grow! Your edX learning experience is grounded in cutting-edge cognitive science. With more than two dozen distinct learning features to help you achieve your goals, our approach follows three key principles:
Experience
Learn new knowledge and skills in a variety of ways, from engaging video lectures and dynamic graphics to data visualizations and interactive elements.
Practice
Demonstrating your knowledge is a critical part of learning. edX courses and programs provide a space to practice with quizzes, open response assessments, virtual environments, and more.
Apply
Learning on edX transforms how you think and what you can do, and translates directly into the real world—immediately apply your new capabilities in the context of your job.
PROJECT ZERO CLASSROOM: The week-long Project Zero Classroom features research-based tools, frameworks, and approaches to instruction and assessment that deepen learning and understanding for all students. As a participant, you will explore ways to enhance student engagement, encourage learners to think critically and creatively, and make learning and thinking visible. Through a combination of presentations, interactive workshops, and small learning groups, you will have the opportunity to explore ideas and practices with PZ researchers, educators experienced in applying PZ ideas in their contexts, and fellow participants from around the world.
GET YOUR TEACH ON: Need a teacher pick-me-up? Looking for some of the most current RESEARCH BASED STRATEGIES that will light your classroom on fire? Join Get Your Teach On – a one-of-a-kind experience for Pre-K-12th grade teachers and school administrators! You will spend time with Team Get Your Teach On as they share their PASSION and ENTHUSIASM for education and give you their tips, tricks, best practices, and teacher secrets to building a successful, ENGAGING, & RIGOROUS classroom. You will leave feeling EMPOWERED, motivated, and prepared to create dynamic lessons that will challenge your students and leave them hungry for more. Get Your Teach On is sure to be unlike any other educators’ conference that you will attend. Pack your favorite teacher bag, get ready for some educational magic, and join our community as you prepare to GET YOUR TEACH ON!
STEM/PBL WORKSHOP: Constructing Modern Knowledge, July 11-14, 2023 is a minds-on institute for educators committed to creativity, collaboration and computing. Participants have the opportunity to engage in intensive computer-rich project development with peers and a world-class faculty.
Inspirational guest speakers and social events round out the fantastic event.
While our outstanding faculty is comprised of educational pioneers, bestselling authors, and inventors of educational technologies we depend on, the real power of Constructing Modern Knowledge emerges from the collaborative project development of participants.
Each day’s program consists of a discussion of powerful ideas, mini tutorials on-demand, immersive learning adventures designed to challenge one’s thinking, substantial time for project work, and a reflection period.
Quite simply, there is no other professional learning experience quite like Constructing Modern Knowledge!
ECLPS/ ED MARKET: A wealth of live and prerecorded webinars covering a litany of topics. ECLPS (EdMarket Certified Learning Place Specialist) is the new educator certification for space design and the importance that learning places have on the overall education experience.
EDmarket is your advantage in the marketplace, providing programs, opportunities, resources, and leadership. We are the collective that brings together all the players in the educational industry: manufacturers, dealers, individual rep groups, architects, designers, professional services, and schools.
Discover
Knowledge is power – and we have the resources available for you to keep growing professionally. Keep abreast of the industry news through our extensive Content Hub that includes our EDsmarts series, training, and award-winning publications.
Inspire
We are here for the students and to positively impact the future of education. Better education is the core of our existence! Our Board & Councils incorporate the industry’s best – people who provide invaluable leadership and insight.
Connect
Grow professionally and be part of the EDmarket community! Our collective voice and experience make EDmarket the leading trade association in the education marketplace.
UDL: The Annual CAST UDL Symposium is an opportunity to go beyond the basics of Universal Design for Learning and explore the intersections between UDL and larger topics in the field of education. Past Symposia have explored learner engagement, building a UDL community, social justice, learner empowerment, and designing for equity.
These are just some of the great opportunities offered throughout the summer. Please, feel free to share more resources! The next blog will offer summer reads. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome!
Edukater's Corner 
One response to “The Importance of Professional Development ”
I love this. Thank you for sharing.
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