Provide quality professional development (PD).
By providing the following kinds of PD, you can make sure your staff gets the most out of these sessions:- Research-based: Let research guide your strategies. Says Bishop, "We're not just looking at the newest fads that come out, but what research shows really works."
- Consistent: Once you find what's working, stick with it. Bishop is intentional about creating a long-term plan for PD and being consistent in the implementation across multiple years.
- Convenient: Cochrane's weekly PD session is held right at the school so that teachers will be more likely to attend. Giving them continuing-education units provides an additional benefit.
- Relevant: Cochrane teachers appreciate that their PD is largely focused on enhancing their school's own instructional model, Interactive Learning, which makes it pertinent to their teaching.
- Differentiated: Just like students, teachers have strengths and weaknesses in different areas, so Bishop provides choices, usually between an instructional approach and a technology approach.
