Thinking Deeply about Primary Education From Planning to Practice: Mastering Professional Development Design
Apr 26, 2025
Stuart Welsh, a dedicated primary teacher, joins to share his insights on designing impactful professional development for educators. He emphasizes the importance of aligning sessions with classroom challenges and educators' goals. The conversation delves into storytelling as a tool for engagement, assessing teachers' prior knowledge, and the significance of feedback through recorded teaching. Stuart also reflects on common pitfalls and highlights the need for confidence and adaptability in delivering effective professional learning that truly resonates.
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Start PD With Clear Problem
- Begin PD design by clarifying the specific problem you want to solve for teachers.
- Ground the session in teachers' current and goal states to guide practical solutions based on research.
Use Storytelling in PD Design
- Framing PD as storytelling helps engage teachers by placing them as main characters solving a problem.
- Align PD journey with familiar story arcs to improve knowledge retention.
Assess Prior Knowledge Quickly
- To pitch PD well, gather prior knowledge using quick in-session activities like think-pair-share.
- Avoid pre-PD surveys as they are laborious and often skipped by key participants.