Critical Issue: Providing More Time for Professional Development

Teachers need to be prepared for new practices and roles and to continually utilize professional development to test and assess new learned strategies. This article discusses how teachers are required to learn study and assess student learning according to local, state, and national standards for student achievement using creative approaches to professional development opportunities. The article asks how much time is necessary to devote to professional development with no definite answer. With professional development, teachers learn new ways of teaching but do not have always have enough time in their schedules to do so.  Is a few hours needed or five to ten days of workshops?  Some traditional strategies used are early dismissals or extended days. Other options being used are summer training, on- site cohorts, creative scheduling, and electronically through the use of videos or the internet.

I believe that professional development is necessary for improvement in student learning outcomes and to update teaching practices. Being more creative and utilizing various strategies will be helpful for professional development to be effective and not take too much time away from teachers and students learning. 

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