Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
FEATURE ARTICLE
The Instructor's Balancing Act
what qualities are critical for effective professional learning?
By Learning Forward
Categories: Learning designsJune 2014
I work in a school with a bilingual program. Last week, I attended a workshop for bilingual teachers presented by a phenomenal instructor. My learning curve is steep. I do not have much personal experience teaching English language learners, and I have only observed in bilingual classrooms. Much of the workshop was presented in Spanish. At times, the room would erupt in laughter as the instructor also had a great sense of humor — I guess. I don’t know Spanish, so I can’t say for sure. But I can tell you this: I was fully engaged the entire time. So how was it that I was so focused as a learner, even though the day’s outcomes were clearly well above my current knowledge and skills?
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What do you think?
Great professional learning can happen in so many ways. Next semester, I’ll be designing a course for my district to support teacher leaders in creating effective professional learning. Brainstorm with me! What qualities do you think are critical for supporting the learning of our colleagues?
jennifer.iwanski@d303.org
Cindy Harrison
This was a thought-provoking post. You analyzed a great learning experience in a way that will help us all as workshop presenters. I sometimes wonder if I can be as effective as you describe her to be.
I loved the description of ways she accepted you as a learner even though you could not speak the language. I wonder if and how we do that in classrooms with our second language learners. I hope we welcome them with open arms and make them feel included.
The discussion of teaching and learning balance is often a dilemma for us as workshop facilitators. Remembering that all of our adult learners come with lots of knowledge and experience should make us very willing to start with current knowledge and then move to adding to that knowledge. Using a variety of ways to have participants process is a challenge in that it needs to be meaningful and frequent.
Thanks for making me think and reconsider my own practice.
Jenni Iwanski
Designing professional learning for adults is changing as rapidly as classroom practices are changing. I’m lucky to have had so many examples of meaningful professional learning on which to reflect, too!
Chris Bryan
I think you identified some key characteristics of adult learning. You identified balancing teaching and learning. I think this is such an important thing for us to remember. It reminds me of the idea that the person who does the talking does the learning.
Also, acknowledging that adults bring so many varied experiences and levels of readiness to the professional learning experience is important for us to remember. When we ask our learners to identify a personal learning goal for a session, we help them find a way to make the learning meaningful for themselves. I love that you found a way to make meaning of the session you engaged in by relating it to what you know about effective professional learning.
Jenni Iwanski
“The person who does the talking does the learning” is such a powerful mantra for us to remember when we design professional learning. Thanks for adding your ideas to my running list of characteristics of effective professional learning.
Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.
Categories: Learning designs
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