Teacher Learning, Leading, and Community: Rethinking Professional Development

• In Event: The Culture and Politics of Professional Learning Communities

Abstract

All over the world, countries are struggling to improve schools to keep up
with increased globalization and the need for 21st century skills. Professional Development (PD) is key to making changes in how teachers teach and students learn. In Toronto, a project entitled: Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP), now four years old, has reversed the traditional paradigm of PD. in first building a collaboration between the Ministry and the Ontario teachers federation (OTF) then giving money directly to teachers who write a short proposal for doing PD in their school. The proposal is based on teacher-driven inquiry around the teacher’s concerns rather than any externally imposed PD, or pressure for higher test scores. This kind of inquiry is key to the development of professional learning communities. The program has been very successful! The paper will describe: a) the collaboration between policy and practice b) the connection between the teacher’s work and the building of community c) how leadership is developed d) how inside knowledge is connected to outside knowledge and e) the challenges that are faced by the project.

Author

• Ann Lieberman, Stanford University