From The Field

Carolyn McKanders

Use a holistic approach

“I HOPE AND BELIEVE that professional development will become more holistic, impacting teachers and other adults who work in schools mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s a matter of helping them connect to their own passions, life’s purpose, and unique gifts — what I call navigating their own internal terrain. Once that happens, they are much more likely
to be able to effectively collaborate with each other in order to improve teaching and learning. That’s because people who understand themselves, who are emotionally balanced, and who are spiritually grounded can much more easily access their own resourcefulness and the resourcefulness of others. They’re not as likely to become threatened by, say, diversity, or become defensive when someone disagrees with them. They’re better able to handle the tension that’s naturally created by collaboration.

“Professional developers need to own this kind of holistic approach and structure the professional development environment so that it provides opportunities not just for the important work of collaboration, but also for reflection, meditation, and even physical exercise. It’s a wise investment in human resources that, in the end, will improve teaching and learning.”

Carolyn McKanders is an educational consultant specializing in individual, group, and organizational development, and a family and women’s counselor. She also has worked as a Detroit Public Schools teacher, counselor, and staff developer. You can contact her at kmckanders@aol.com.