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- The truly great teachers, doctors, and scientists of our time have become masters of their trades, in part, because they constantly look for information that will help them become better at their professions.
- Traditional staff development approaches have relied heavily on the "one-day workshop" format that rarely has an effect on a teacher or the students in her classroom.
- Understanding the important features of effective staff development and the types of questions to ask during the interview process can increase the possibility that the teaching position you choose will include a supportive climate for your personal growth.
- In addition to spending a large amount of their day in front of the class, teachers are balancing the needs of diverse groups of students, preparing lessons, correcting papers and grading tests, leaving very little time to learn about and incorporate new innovations into their current teaching strategies.
- A major function of staff development is to unite staff within their school as they work together to implement positive change.
- Staff development should provide opportunities to learn about theoretical and conceptual information and to actively apply the knowledge and skills learned.
- In order to address the developmental pace of learning, staff development must be viewed as an ongoing process.
- Building internal systems that provide teachers with the opportunity to observe each other and reflect on their work creates a foundation for staff development that can increase the effectiveness of training experiences that occur outside of the school.
- Developing study groups and networks of teachers who work together to identify, gather, and share information about new approaches can provide opportunities for building a common language and understanding of the material.
- Research studies indicate that new teachers who are paired with mentors express higher job satisfaction, teach more effectively, and are less likely to quit their jobs.
- Several studies have demonstrated that outside experts or peer expert coaching provided the support teachers needed to implement new skills with greater precision, and to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the strategies learned.
- The "trainer of trainers" model is similar to the idea of coaching and is based on the idea that a small number of teachers can learn new techniques and, in turn, pass the information to their peers within a school or other organization.
- Eliminating the feedback element of coaching did not have an adverse effect on the progress of the implementation efforts or on student growth.
- Focusing exclusively on individual teachers when planning a staff development approach without considering organizational issues, policies, and other systems-related variables can limit success.
- The school's vision must be accompanied by a strategic plan including long-term goals and short-term objectives that are monitored and modified as needed.
- The positive behavioral support curriculum that is offered should represent a comprehensive view of positive behavioral support.
- Implementing a positive behavioral support initiative in the context of the greater staff development systems described earlier can create a synergistic effect.
- Look for training opportunities that occur on a longitudinal basis and use a case study format.
- A final consideration is to make sure that the professionals providing expertise take an active role in helping your school address the broader systems-issues that have an impact on the effectiveness of positive behavioral support.
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