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Empower teachers and school leaders with quality PLD
By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter
When developments in curriculum and pedagogy arise, PLD must fill gaps in capabilities so that schools and teaching staff can meet new requirements. One of the most hotly criticised aspects of the profession, this process remains pivotal for career development, whether you’re a teacher or in a school leadership position, and it is also significant for school growth and student outcomes. Therefore, planned professional
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development should support both individual goals as well as contributing to a whole-school approach in improving workplace culture and instilling a strong team ethic at your school. The Curriculum Progress and Achievement Ministerial Advisory Group identified a need for professional learning and development to be strengthened to better recognise people's diverse needs and contexts, and to be clearer about what growth in core curriculum capabilities looks like. All PLD should be culturally responsive, so when researching and choosing a new facilitator, schools should do their due
diligence by asking about the provider’s practice. For instance, ask how their PLD model recognises and supports marginalised groups of staff and learners. How have they developed their PLD approach? Is it evidence-based? Which schools have they worked with previously? Are they community engaged? Reaching out to schools who have worked with them previously is a great way to gage whether their approach to PLD will align with the needs of your school.
Subject Specific and Leadership PLD Teachers can undertake a wealth
TEACHER’S DESK
of PLD to brush up on digital skills; for instance, attending workshops and webinars on how to integrate Minecraft or other software into your pedagogy. For subject-specific PLD like Literacy PLD or Mathematics and Statistics PLD, it is a good idea to ask facilitators about their approach—does it align with your school’s? Some providers design their PLD framework to help schools reflect on their existing strategy and assess for improvement. This can be a terrific tool for school leaders, particularly as the curriculum evolves, so should be factored into your PLD facilitator selection criteria. Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz
