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The Beacon Fall 2020
Intersecting Research with Classroom Practice
The Professional Development Teachers Need Now By Danielle Scorrano Research & Development Director of The Windward Institute and Host of READ Podcast
U
nprecedented may have been the entrepreneurial solutions for future learning The need for in an uncertain environment. Traditional word of 2020. The ongoing, of professional development for devastating global pandemic has professional develop models teachers may have been limited to single led to growing concerns about safety, has workshops or presentation-based offerings. ment and systemic increased disparities across numerous sectors But current research instead promotes the of society, and has raised questions about our support for teachers multifaceted, interactive, individualized, and children’s well-being continuously in our daily active models of professional development lives. This current time has never felt more is far greater than that integrate theory and practice (Desimone uncertain. & Pak, 2017). Literacy coaching, for example, it has ever been As educational leaders seek to tackle the has been shown to be effective in facilitating most pressing issues in their field, supporting learning and classroom application from before, particularly as teachers must remain a top priority. It is theory to practice (Clark, Shoepf & Hatch, well-documented that the quality of support teachers shift between 2018; Darling-Hammond, Hyler & for teachers matters. In a multi-method Gardner, 2017). Still, coaching effectiveness quantitative study of 9,000 teachers across a physical classrooms has varied in scalability and sustainability, large urban school district, Kraft and Papay even in a pre-COVID-19 world (Bryk, and remote learning (2014) revealed variability across teacher Gomez, Grunow & LeMahieu, 2015; effectiveness in relation to the quality of Kraft & Papay, 2017). environments. support teachers received in their This summer, experts in research and environment. Factors such as safe working reading education, Margie Gillis, EdD, environments, collaboration, strong leadership, commitment to and Julie Washington, PhD, spoke on The Windward Institute’s professional learning, positive school culture, and constructive Research Education ADvocacy (READ) podcast (full interviews feedback positively contributed to teacher growth (Kraft & Papay, can be accessed at readpodcast.org). The conversations with these 2014). Studies across research methodologies and paradigms experts on the podcast and related research provided the following maintained similar findings. key insights and considerations on how systems of education The need for professional development and systemic support further facilitate high levels of teacher support. for teachers is far greater than it has ever been before, particularly as teachers shift between physical classrooms and remote learning Our Changing World environments. At a systemic level, we must deeply examine the The needs for long-term planning and sustainable solutions in ways in which professional development is offered and seek education are imperative in our current world. From an international
