Teacher professional learning is something I am passionate about and I bet you are too. 

As a teacher, professional learning is part of who you are, a life long learner. So, when presented with professional learning opportunities and coaching I bet you have opinions. 

On today’s episode we’re going to dive into what it looks like to develop as a math educator in the context of professional learning and coaching in the math classroom.

In this episode we will chat about: 

• myths and truths about professional learning
• how much PD is needed to make a difference in students
• funding options for professional learning

Think About It…

How do you typically learn new things, get better at something or work through a problem that’s complex? 

I believe:

• Teachers are capable of growing without school wide goals or coaches professional development.
• There is a lot to be said for learning in teams & moving forward together.
• Partnerships and helping you find and clarify your path and answers is the goal of coaching.
• Professional learning experiences are best when they are hands on as they help build content knowledge & pedagogical knowledge.

Personally, math coaching and professional learning changed the course of my teaching and put me on a mission to help other schools cultivate a culture of learning in math among their staff and teachers.

As a learner and a new career teacher I avoided math. It was not my passion and I really never felt like I belonged. I did just enough to get by and that was it, until I interacted with a dynamic coach that opened the door to the decades of math research on how math was about sense making and problem solving, not mimicking and regurgitating algorithms. Finding this different, student-centered way of teaching math aligned with my philosophy for teaching and learning. That learning was done through hands on experiences and reflections on those experiences. As you can see coaching and professional learning opportunities really provided me with experiences that guided me to growth and truly set me on a new path in my career. 

I recently read this article called, Dispelling the Myths: What Research Says about Professional Learning. Within the article they compiled data from several studies and surveys of students to dispel myths that are commonly held about teacher professional learning.

Myths & Truths about Professional Learning 

Myth 1: PL is a waste of time and money.

Truth: PL can lead to shifts in teachers’ skills and instructional practice and significantly improve student learning.

I find this to be personally true when we invest time and money into our teachers learning opportunities, teachers really take advantage of it. It not only boosts teachers’ instructional practice, but their confidence, investment and motivation which typically lead to better experiences in the classroom. So, it makes sense that students’ academic and non-academic performance was found to substantially improve in decades of research studies of Professional Learning programs. 

Myth 2: PL is more effective for early career teachers and less effective for veteran teachers.

Truth: PL opportunities have been shown to support teacher development at all levels of experience

Teachers are professionals and life long learners. Yes, there are some educators who believe they’ve “already learned this”, but the majority of educators embrace opportunities to learn new perspectives or experience lessons others’ have tried that worked. Professional learning is definitely for all educations despite their level of experience. 

Myth 3: PL programs must be job-embedded and time-intensive to be effective.

Truth: Programs of varying lengths and formats can produce wide-ranging effects depending on how time gets used.

I wondered about this one because I do think some of the BEST PD I’ve gotten was within my job and didn’t require me to attend outside of school or PD hours. However, when I really thought about it I realized that the range of professional learning I’ve done and all of it was effective to some degree. In fact, sometimes I implement things I learned years ago now because I am finally presented with that challenge or have the capacity to try it. The professional learning doesn’t have to be immediately implemented to have an effect. 

Myth 4: Improving teachers’ content knowledge is key to improving their instructional practice.

Truth: PL programs that aim directly at instructional practices are more likely to shift student learning than PL programs with a focus on content knowledge.

I attended a PD about analyzing texts to help students really dive into what it means to do literary analysis. I became a better reading teacher because I was learning (re-learning) how to do literary analysis. Yes, it was a 3rd grade level text. However, as I grappled with the questions and sentence structure I was learning new skills and deepening my content knowledge. This helped me improve my instructional practice. I’ve found that when professional learning combines both content knowledge & instructional practice my learning is the most applicable to the classroom. 

How much Professional Learning is needed? 

How much professional learning does a teacher need to see an impact on their students’ learning?”

That’s when I found this article, Reviewing the Evidence on How Teacher Professional Development Affects Student Achievement. A compilation of studies’ evidence on what actually works for teacher PL.

Here’s what they said, 

“Of the more than 1,300 studies identified as potentially addressing the effect of teacher professional development on student achievement in three key content areas, nine meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards, attesting to the paucity of rigorous studies that directly examine this link. The report finds that teachers who receive substantial professional development—an average of 49 hours in the nine studies—can boost their students’ achievement by about 21 percentile points.”

49 hours.

After rigorous reviews of the studies, they found that 49 hours of teacher professional learning can boost student achievement. That is a lot of professional learning. 

That’s why I believe what I do about professional learning! 

• Teacher driven. Teachers choose their own goals and they know themselves best. 
• A common vision for the school that helps teachers self assess and move forward together. 
• Teamwork and learning together 
• Thought partnership and a guide to help you clarify your path and answer your own questions. 
• Hands on, building content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge simultaneously. 

Professional Learning Opportunities

As you consider what your professional learning path will be you have to consider the opportunities presented to you, time and money are always a big part of that decision. As schools, we have to prioritize funds to ensure that all stakeholders needs are met. However, if teacher professional learning is a priority then funds and time are well spent on coaching and job embedded learning opportunities. Teachers will always seek outside opportunities such as fellowships, certifications, and virtual trainings. However, if your school has a vision and goals to improve student achievement the investment just makes sense.

Funding

Consider grants like Fund for Teachers or DonorsChoose. You’ll also find grants at NCTM, your local or state union, and other large organizations supporting education like NEA. Districts, Administrators are also able to apply for a wide variety of grants to fund supporting instruction, basic programming, enrichment, etc. Title 1 or Title 2 funds can be worked with to secure professional learning for your staff that align with your school improvement plan and goals.

It is my hope that you can find opportunities to continue to grow as a professional. The students and schools need passionate educators like you. We all want you to feel supported and energized. I know from personal experience as a teacher and a math coach that coaching and professional learning sessions can work together to deepen your teaching practice to help make your time with your students more fulfilling and meaningful.

I’m SO proud of the work you do. That you’re here listening to a math teacher podcast. It is evidence that you are a life long learner, always seeking to do better for your students. That is truly so inspiring. Thank you for doing what you do.

Additional Resources:
Feeling Burnt Out? Check out this resource 👇🏾
Rediscover Your Love for Teaching: 10 Strategies to Overcome Burnout Read it Here