Conducting a Professional Development Workshop for Teachers: 6 Tips

 Were you asked to conduct a professional development course at your school? Here are some tips!

Taylor and Collins (2003) present many different models for professional development. The model of professional development will differentiate depending on the type of professional development, the group size, and the types of learners who will participate. Some options include holding a kickoff event or a mini conference, inviting guest speakers, local specialists, or specialists within your district, and offering large or small group sessions (p. 2). Following the kick-off session, professional development can continue on a weekly or monthly schedule throughout the school year (p. 4). 

Opening Activity

In Eduro Learning’s video (link is below- I highly recommend!), the speaker recommends beginning with a warm-up activity because often times these sessions are taking place first thing in the morning or after a long day of work. 

Workshop Objectives

In Eduro Learning’s video (2019), the speaker encourages presenters to give participants a set structure for interacting with materials and resources throughout the workshop. At this point, I would ask that all participants follow the model established by the warm-up activity. Zepeda (2019) explains that adult learners prefer learning information that provides insight into real life situations. Adult learners want to invest their time engaging with information that is extremely practical. Adults respond well to activities that are learner centered and that challenge open-ended responses (p. 36). For this reason, I would require participants to complete the activities that are modeled as if they are the students. In this way, they would have practical hands-on experience completing the activities and achieving the outcomes. They would be able to place themselves in the student’s position and experience the impacts of the instructional practices. 

Provide Hands-On Demonstrations

Zepeda (2019) explains that adult learners approach the learning task with a specific goal in mind (p. 36). This suggests that teachers are given the purpose and objectives of a seminar from the onset. For this reason, I would utilize a PowerPoint presentation to clearly articulate the learning goals and objectives as we move throughout the workshop. After providing background information, I would begin to walk through the recommended instructional practices. After I explain each of the activities, I would allow the teachers to complete each of the exercises as a student and then we can dialogue on the process as a whole group. This process allows teachers to learn the information that is presented, apply the information, and then reflect on the information. Teachers would be provided with a copy of the presentation and each of the instructional strategies so that they have a complete workshop packet to refer to when they leave.

Provide Opportunities for Collaboration and Follow-Up

Caskey and Carpenter (2014) emphasize that collaborative professional development helps advance the learning of teachers, helps troubleshoot specific issues, builds community, and allows teachers to gain experiential insight. This opportunity to work with other educators provides participants with the benefits of collaboration. 

As stated above, there are many opportunities embedded within the workshop that will encourage educators to share their knowledge with one another. There are opportunities for educators to share with the entire group and unpack activities as small groups. In addition, Taylor and Collins (2003) recommend providing follow up sessions that can include research projects, observational studies, visiting other facilities and organizations, and receiving more instruction. Following the kick-off session, professional development can continue on a weekly or monthly schedule throughout the school year (p. 4). Teachers will be given collaboration opportunities by meeting with their grade levels bi-weekly to discuss their progress. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD, 2011) recommends that teachers should be encouraged to collaborate in a comfortable environment and on a regular basis. Scheduling collaboration time when teachers can meet to discuss teaching practices is worth the effort.

Make an Action Plan

It is important that teachers know the expectations of follow up for the workshop. Summarize the timeline of responsibilities following the seminar. Make objectives clear and actionable and require follow-up by a particular date. By sharing this information, teachers will be aware of their short-term goals and long-term goals for this particular strategy. 

Eduro Learning’s video (2019) also encourages participants to share something actionable that they are taking from the workshop. Dagen and Bean (2020) address the fact that “while collaboration has been cited as a key component of PD over time, only recently has there been an emphasis on systematic, intentional approached to nurture such collaborative engagement” (p. 416). Caskey and Carpenter (2014) offer a solution by suggesting that teachers create a vision and goals that can be shared by all teachers who are involved in the collaboration. It is difficult to work as a team when everyone is hoping for different outcomes. By determining a starting goal, the team will have something to work towards for their first meeting. 

Evaluate Success

There are many things that you should do to evaluate the success of any workshop. Read through the goals and action plans of teachers. Follow assessment data that emphasizes the skill that was taught. Talk to teachers about what worked and what didn't work and adjust for the future. 

ASCD. (2011, March 1). Among colleagues: how can we promote teacher collaboration? https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/how-can-we-promote-teacher-collaboration  

Caskey, M.M., & Carpenter, J. (2014, October). Building teacher collaboration school-wide. AMLE. https://www.amle.org/building-teacher-collaboration-school-wide/

Dagen, S. A., & Bean, R. M. (Eds.). (2020). Best practices of literacy leaders, second edition: Keys to school improvement. The Guilford Press. 

Eduro Learning. (2019, March 28). How to lead effective professional development as an instructional coach [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrxDFEIXycg 

Taylor, R., & Collins, V. D. (2003). Designing Professional Development to Ensure Success. In Literacy leadership for grades 5-12. 5th ed., pp. 85–105). ASCD. 

Zepeda, S. J. (2019). Adult learning and professional growth. In Professional development: What works. 3rd ed., pp. 36–54). Routledge.