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Tips to Conquer Professional Learning Day
Your students are at home enjoying a day off from school – however, you're not doing the same. Don't be disappointed you're not at home in your pajamas - look at the silver lining! Learning and growing is an important part of any industry but should be especially emphasized for teachers as there is constantly new technology and methods that can be beneficial in the classroom. Here are some tips for experiencing professional learning day for all it has to offer.
Comfort
When teaching, you probably try to maintain a relatively professional and respectable style – comfortable or not. Well, the students are at home so you can throw on a more comfortable outfit. Maybe put on your most comfortable jeans and shoes. Being comfortable is a great way to make the day more enjoyable, and you get to get out of the habit of your usual teacher outfits for a day!
Bring Snacks
Your brain needs food to be able to learn more effectively. Bring a few small snacks to help you get through the day. This way you won't be distracted by your stomach growling while trying to learn. You're the student today and you need to do whatever it takes to be attentive. Bonus points: bring some extra snacks for your fellow teachers!
Stay Engaged
Like we said, you're the student today. So, show kindness and be the kind of student you want to see in your classroom. Sit towards the front, don't talk through the session, take notes, and engage with the speaker. This will likely help you absorb more information while showing the speaker that you truly care about what they have to say.
Build Relationships
Your peers may have more or less experience than you. This is a great opportunity to reach out to those that want advice, or intently listen to those that have been teaching for longer than you. There is something to be said for learning from others just as there is something to be said for those that lead. These sessions are an excellent time to build relationships and resources that will help you later.
Self-reflection
You have likely assigned a paper at one point or another for students to reflect on what they just learned. While this sounds like an extra unnecessary step, it's a good way to absorb everything you learned. Professional Development is about learning and applying it to your classroom – so take the necessary steps to fully understand the information in order to better apply it.
The Cherokee County School District will have Professional Development day on January 6, 2020, and we hope these tips inspired you to go into the PD sessions with a different mindset. Thank you to our teachers for investing in learning so that you may continue to teach our students in the best way you know how!
To learn more about the Cherokee County Educational Foundation, click here!
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