ERIC Number: EJ969174
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0271-0633
EISSN: N/A
Lessons Learned from Transformational Professional Development
Miranda, Twyla T.
New Directions for Teaching and Learning, n130 p77-88 Sum 2012
What is transformative professional development for educators? Ideally, teachers and school leaders are given multiple opportunities to revisit schemas about themselves and their learning communities, with the intent to transform practice, the school environment, and even themselves. In practice, three cohorts of teachers and school leaders completed a yearlong program of professional development retreats, offered seasonally and funded entirely by two external partners, the Fetzer Institute of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth, Texas. Teachers and school leaders were invited to spend both quality and quantity time in order to know each other better, to understand their school cultures better, and to listen more intently to their own inner voices. Other practices followed at the retreats included giving time for journaling and silence, raising questions and metaphors for engaged thinking, and allowing ample time to grapple with the nuances of paradox. This chapter describes a model program for transformative professional development, which may contribute to greater trust, beneficial self-reflection, and community transformation for educators. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Educational Environment, Professional Development, Educational Change, Transformative Learning, Metacognition, Partnerships in Education, Predictor Variables, Organizational Culture, Achievement Rating, Accountability, School Culture, Program Effectiveness, Program Evaluation, Interprofessional Relationship, Communities of Practice, Participant Satisfaction, Administrator Attitudes, Program Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes
Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2429/WileyCDA
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A