An Open Letter to Principals

Dear Principals,

Let’s start off by saying we love you. You are all the metaphors: the lighthouse, the driver of the bus, the captain of the ship, the keeper of the gate, and the fountain of inspiration. 

You really do have the ability to change lives, and ERG wants to see you succeed.

So, it’s time for us to spill the tea:

Some of you need a makeover. 

And by makeover, we mean you need to completely update your professional development. The idea that you can bring your entire staff into a room for a day or two or ten so you can all “get on the same page” is bit outdated – and just not possible. 

If you tap back into what you know about how people learn, you probably know that people need multiple touches with the same content before they can truly internalize it. You probably also know that even though a person knows something doesn’t mean they know how to apply it or do it well. 

For example, I know I have to pay taxes. I also know you can talk to me about paying taxes all you want, but I won’t necessarily “get it” until I have to actually do it. And I have to do it over and over again to get better. And I also know I need ongoing support so I can stay on track with it. 

Professional development is no different. People need to know what they are working for, where they are in the process, and receive effective feedback along the way to truly learn. This was our vision back in 2004 when we started ERG. Instead of the Sit & Get experience, we wanted to provide a better way to develop staff. After all, your most important asset in the classroom is teachers.

So, part of your professional development makeover is to reinvent the Sit & Get.

It’s fine if you want to save time by pulling everyone together for a professional development kick off that is part of a larger and ongoing professional development project. The initial meeting could be where you establish the need for the project or have people share ideas around the topic or any of the amazing things your teachers do to get students “warmed up” to concepts. But for goodness’ sake, please do not hold people hostage all day (or two or ten) assuming they are getting it just because they are sitting through it and looking at the speaker. 

The reality is each person in the traditional Sit & Get are all entering into the professional development in different places. And the quicker you release responsibility, watch to see what people need, give them effective feedback and then let them have another go, the better off everyone will be. 

It is time to create professional development projects that align with how people learn. Do a warm up/kick off and then have ongoing chunks of information and experiences that help them deepen their understanding. Spread out the information so it is digestible and takes place across an entire year, not just in August or that one professional development afternoon in September. 

People need time to think, talk, collaborate, FAIL, and then move forward. It’s how learning happens and adults are no different.

Isn’t it time you aligned your professional development to how people really learn, instead of how we wish they learned?

For Reflection:

• When you have learned the most as an adult, how did you learn?
• How do you model instructional strategies through professional development for your staff?
• How can you create an ongoing professional development project that allows for trial and error?