Professional Development For Teachers - The Key To Happy EducatorsIn today’s increasingly challenging classroom environment, programs of professional development for teachers are the way to enable them to handle the practical challenges of the job more confidently. They can help them to teach their chosen subjects with more enthusiasm, skill and confidence. In consequence they will teach more successful students, and they will stay happily, for a longer time in their chosen profession. This article will explore some of the reasons why this is true and also some of the qualities that make a supportive professional development program that grows teachers into their full potential. Today, most teachers entering the teaching profession do so with a BA in education or a related subject. Others transferring from other degrees enter the profession through a Masters in education. Some teacher education schools prepare teachers well for the practical challenges but some do not. 3 main areas that teachers have to master are subject-matter knowledge, pedagogy or knowledge of teaching techniques, and the knowledge of students and how they learn. This last area can also be expanded to include classroom management and working with parents and colleagues. It is this last area – the practical – that most new teachers are unprepared for. Furthermore it is these areas that cause new teachers the most stress and according to surveys, thee are the reason why teachers leave the profession. A good professional development program for teachers will focus especially on developing their classroom handling, and their skill in transferring their theoretical knowledge into practical application in the classroom.Surveys have shown that teachers who have the weakest classroom preparation training are those who are most unhappy in the profession and are most likely to leave. There are a number of proposals for delivering continued professional development training that creates well motivated and confident teachers who feel most comfortable with the demands of the job. Teacher training courses should include some element of practical application. A good course will teach not only subject matter and pedagogy but also stimulate the learning teachers and show them how to use the principles practically. Not all courses will do this, and naturally it may not be possible to simulate difficult classroom situations in advance. Another important method for continued teacher development is the assignment of a mentor. A newly qualified teacher will first work with a teacher-mentor, in effect watching him or her teach, while she herself at first works with a reduced class load. Evidence has shown the teachers who are started off with a mentorship program do better in the profession, are happier and are less likely to leave. All too often teachers are thrown in at the deep end and struggle with a mass of course work combined with the new challenges of classroom management and working with other colleagues. Experts propose that teachers can work within the framework of a Professional Development School or PDS. Within this structure the teacher carries out classroom work within the context of guidelines or targets set by the professors and teaching experts at the PDS college. She has regular monitoring and reviews. Gradually she develops a sense of knowing where she lies in skill level in relation to the level she could attain. This builds confidence and avoids the feeling of overwhelm that could later cause the loss of potentially good teacher. In short, thoughtful professional development programs creates an environment where better-supported teachers create more successful students, and additionally avoids the revolving-door syndrome of teachers fleeing the classroom. |