In the last entry I included my proposal for a professional development policy, which identified four key elements. I suggested CPD must be (1) varied, (2) reflective, (3) personal and (4) collaborative. A fifth key element, which I didn’t mention but would like to discuss now, is (5) focussed on student outcomes.
Perhaps this seems obvious to some (it did to me, at first) but that is precisely why we should not forget to reflect on it. I believe the reason we must keep student learning results in mind is because we can be drawn by “student experience” above “student outcomes”. How many of us spend time and effort developing a “fun” activity, only to realise that there was no deep educational value other than having fun? (Not that this isn’t a worthy goal, but wouldn’t it best be coupled with a clear educational consequence or product, especially when we are so pressed for time with the group?) How many of us try to be creative in our planning, but end up placing entertainment above attainment?
As a young teacher, I created a number of activities that I was sure would capture my students’ interest– usually combining histrionic and comical behaviour. I got carried away with a creative idea that I believed the students would find engaging; however, students are the first to recognise an “empty” activity. Watch out for their expressions at the end, when you ask what they got out of that task! Blank expressions, exchanging glances, thinking hard to come up with something to please you… These are certainly not the response we look for as educators. If, at the point of planning, I had begun by asking “What should my students be able to do, and what activity would allow me to measure it?” I may have noticed the red flags that much sooner.
This issue has important implications for CPD. We can get swept away with an exciting training on a certain tool, game or space, but perhaps we can also foresee that what seems exciting will not yield clear student outcomes. Asking the questions, “What do I want my students to achieve, and what evidence do I need to recognise that they have achieved it?” can help us filter PD offers to find those that can actually enhance our teaching because they will have a direct impact on those we serve: our students.
Of course, each one of us needs to make that decision: depending on our subject area, the programme we are committed to, the ages we teach, the length of our lessons, the specific configuration of our group, the nature of the formative assessments we work with… all of these should guide our decision to invest in learning how to use a specific app, or how to create games to recall information, or how to enhance our teaching through music. There is justification for any training, any tool, any new idea– what matters is whether we have reflected on the value for ourselves in our effort to positively impact our students’ learning.