Professional Development Through Inquiry

The most important goal an educator can have is to improve student learning.  The world continues to change and so does student learning.  Educators are preparing students today for jobs and careers that have not been created yet.  This is a daunting task.  How best will these needs be met?  Certainly, professional development keeps educators ahead of the game, right?  Sitting and listening to the latest and the greatest information has always worked, right?  Well, maybe if there is lots and lots of written reflection.  Perhaps.  What if instead of sitting and listening and then reflecting, educators began to be active learners through research?  Instead of reacting to problems, educators would become proactive.  Outcomes or goals would be established early and student learning would be closely monitored.  Interventions would be deeply scrutinized and best teaching practices would be analyzed for effectiveness.  Careful notes would be taken and reflected on over and over.  Data would be collected and discussed among professionals perhaps changing the way PLC's operate.  Educators might begin to write and reflect on their own instructional practices.  They would truly become leaders of learning.  Sitting and listening to the latest and greatest would no longer be needed because the latest and greatest would already be happening through action research resulting in improved student learning!