Pro-D Day - Reward Yourself!

Pro-D and the word "reward" in one sentence? That is a joke, right?!

Wrong! Everyone needs professional development - we are life-long learners after all. But pro-d doesn't have to be the worst nightmare of all teachers. Everyone is scared of "d-day"... as if it's the end of the world. And with its current format it may as well qualify as the end ... of happiness, motivation, drive. It's true. Today's pro-d days are considered the most boring and least anticipated time that a teacher can spend. Listening to a speaker, participating in a seminar or workshop, reading latest research, etc. How bad can it get? (Forum discussion on pro-d day from Castanet.net)

Instead of following the usual format... why not reward yourself with a "me" pro-d day? It is about your own personal development as a teacher, isn't it? Spend the time doing the things your like, the things about teaching that make your happy. This is a well known technique that companies use to motivate their employees and get new fresh ideas to the company. All employees get one day per week or month when they can do whatever they want as long as they come up with new ideas for the business. They go hiking, visit a museum, go to the beach... anything. At the end of the day they bring an idea to the team and describe their inspiration. Why can't this be applied in teacher professional development?

Instead of chasing what is new in the world of education, look for what you need in your own world first and if you can't find it yourself, look for it outside. So go backwards... spend the day brainstorming ideas on how to make your teaching better. What are the things that will make your students happy and motivated? How can you transform your lessons into fun learning experiences? Sit down and mind-map your teaching. Revisit older lesson plans and reflect on what you have already done. Once you determine the areas of opportunity/development, try to improve them. Use your existing knowledge and creativity to add flavour to your lessons.

Then sit back and take a look at what needs to be improved but requires additional knowledge or information you don't have at the moment. This is when research and innovation begins. Search the academic articles and new technologies, innovative ideas and even suggestions from fellow teachers on blogs, forums, and other social media. Watch an educational video, talk to a coworker, go to the library, find out more information and idea that will bring a sparkle in your students learning.

Go back home and revisit your teaching portfolio. See what part of the new information you can include. Consider meeting with other teachers to discuss your findings. See what they have to suggest.

Remember, pro-d is about self-development and discovery. It's not just about learning new things. It's about learning about you and your own teaching. It's about becoming an outside observer of your classroom. It's about motivation and fun. After all, you cannot make your lessons fun if you are not having fun while creating them.