Professional Development - Whose Responsibility is it?

"Professional development should be a personal professional responsibility as well as an organizational responsibility. In other words, each teacher has a professional responsibility to continue to become more expert with every year of teaching. Each district has an organizational responsibility to support the professional development of each member of the faculty." Richard Allington

What do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Bill Ferriter on April 9, 2009 at 2:28pm

Here's an interesting question: When we say that it is impossible to become an expert teacher, do we cheapen our profession?

Like others, I believe that learning is a never-ending process and that continual change is a prerequisite for excellence and all, but I wonder if we're not playing into the hands of those who see teaching as "a profession anyone can do" when we argue that there are no "experts" in education.

Thoughts?
Bill

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Luff on April 9, 2009 at 3:33pm

Interesting point... I think great teachers are experts. They expert learners. Moreover, they have become expert at making the process of learning transparent and accessible to a diverse student population. They are extremely adroit at offering multiple pathways to the same knowledge or skill.

How do we know are students have really mastered a skill - they can teach it. Some of the most brilliant people in their field can do "it" but can't teach "it". It takes a special person with both intelligence and EQ to be a really effective teacher.