winning teacher, on the other hand,
transforms lives every day.
Lifelong learning and
collaboration are key
The first step in understanding how
PD can benefit your performance is
to identify areas where you need to
improve. You must look within and
truly know where you are strong
and where you could increase your
knowledge base. If you are unsure, seek
the advice of your administration. You
must ask yourself: Am I presenting the
most powerful version of myself to my
students so that they can be successful?
Though you likely have benefited
greatly from some form of development
in the past, I’m sure few of us would say
“yes” without at least some hesitation.
Remember, lifelong learning is the key
to staying on top of your game.
When have you ever known
one person to have all the answers?
Oftentimes, the best way to gain new
knowledge is by seeking the advice
research determined “the biggest positive
effect on success in our business is the
expertise of the teachers who work
together collectively and collaboratively
to understand their impact.”
Harness the potential
The most powerful result of developing
your skills as an educator probably is
also the most rewarding: the impact on
your students.
Although athletes may captivate
and inspire generations to wish to be
great, only educators have the ability to
give them the tools necessary to achieve
that greatness. Every day you have the
ability to transform lives. You have the
power to create and shape tomorrow’s
leaders and influencers.
If you didn’t believe PD was the
most powerful tool an educator can
use, I certainly hope you share my
belief now. I invite you to join me and,
most important, your peers at ILA 2016
this July in Boston to fully realize that
potential.
of peers. Collaboration provides new
perspectives, experiences, and real-
world solutions as well as potential
lifelong professional and personal
connections.
Nearly every driven individual—
from athletes to teachers—has
something to give back, something he
or she has learned along the way that
someone else can benefit from, thus
making that person a mentor and a
leader. Whether it’s coming back after
a conference and giving a presentation
to your colleagues on your learnings
or stepping into a classroom to assist
another teacher who is at an impasse,
leadership is an unavoidable by-product
of PD. It ultimately elevates individuals
into leadership positions among their
peers and superiors as they become
relied upon to provide knowledge,
insight, and recommendations.
John Hattie, director of the
Melbourne Educational Research
Institute at the University of Melbourne,
Australia, stated in his TEDTalk on
teacher and school success that his
LITERACY TODAY | March/April 2016