Lorna points out that the way professional development for teachers ought to be organised should reflect all we know about student learning as well.
Therefore, we should start from what teachers already know and feel. We should increase their knowledge and give lots of opportunity to practise improvements. We should clarify the concepts that run alongside the changes in classroom practice. we should offer teachers ‘organisers’ that help them remember and transfer what they learn. And we should strongly affirm that teachers have the ‘agency’ and responsibility to change their teaching and to improve learners’ outcomes.
I would encourage all school leaders to read this NZ report for the OECD – especially Lorna’s Foreword – and it will guide you to set up systems in your school that establish professional learning properly. I would have no greater pleasure than to sit with a school and try to build those systems if you want some advice.
It’s quite shameful how this learning profession of ours can be so bad at its own training. But we can fix it, with practical changes that will make a difference week in and week out.
