Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings of the bluebird as she sings (The Monkees)

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

Getting developed professionally is a tricky thing these days - what with differentiation and various hierarchies of needs.

Our professional development calendar at school looks like a map of the London Underground.

That calendar corrals people together in terms of group needs - Teacher Aides, Office Administrators, Principals, certain levels within the teaching force, and so on - all have some distinct PD needs. The aim is to cater for those needs.

Within those broad groups there are subgroups (length of experience, age, interest levels, ability range are some) and then within those subgroups are individuals with their distinct idiosyncrasies, quirks, and irrationalities.  

How on earth do you provide for that level of differentiation?

Individual teacher inquiries are one way and I really love them.

Recently, I counselled a staff member who was doubting the value of a teacher inquiry. My advice was - locate something he is passionate about, something attached to his specific teaching that would be meaningful for both him and his students.

We don't get enough opportunities to focus in so deliberately on our own needs. So, when the chance comes along, we must grab it and invest in it.