Professional Learning vs. Professional Development

I believe that there is a HUGE difference between professional learning and professional development. Professional development is something that a teacher does to put a check in a box, either for re-certification or because they were told that they had to. It can take the form of a webinar or in-person lecture. It can last 30 minutes or 5 hours. Usually there are handouts. The biggest thing is that it is someone just telling the teacher information and very rarely is any of it ever remembered when the teacher returns to the classroom.  That is okay, though, because administration never follows through to make sure that what the teacher learned is being carried back to the classroom. 

      Now professional learning is a new thing entirely. Professional learning can still take place online or in-person. Professional learning is interactive and usually centered around topics that the teachers have chosen to learn more about. Professional learning classes leave the teachers excited and eager to try new things in their classrooms. Professional learning encourages teachers to share what they have learned with others and to keep growing. Professional learning is fun. 

      I find it amazing that this day and age of required differentiated learning for students, that so many schools don't do the same thing for teachers. I am lucky enough to follow a lot of amazing educators online who have taken it upon themselves to make sure that they are doing more professional learning than development. That gives me hope. I want to do more. 

     My dream is to get a job as a professional trainer. I would love to give schools and teachers a training "buffet". Teachers would be required to complete one or two training activities a month, but they could choose to attend the after-school book club or the all day Saturday training that ends with an Escape Room form of review. I would include aspects of teambuilding into every class so that teachers would leave feeling like they had people to ask if they didn't understand concepts. Every class would also start with a five minute book sharing so that teachers could learn about so many of the wonderful books that can be shared with students. Training classes with me would end with ways that the teachers can share their learning and keep growing.

      If you know of a school looking for a teacher trainer, share my name! I cannot wait to show the schools the difference between professional development and professional learning!