Professional Development Books ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Friday I wrote about a new addiction, Ink Joy gel pens, and it seems that I have lots of company with that addiction.

Today's post is about another obsession - buying professional books.  Yes, I have many more than I need, and yes, I have some that I have not even read.  "But I might learn something new" is my mantra and my justification when it comes to purchasing professional books.

Reading professional books is cheap PD.  Many school districts are decreasing professional development opportunities for teachers due to budget cuts, and what I learn from reading these books and apply in my classroom, is well worth the money.

It is our responsibility as professionals to stay current in best teaching practices and to learn new ideas of what works in classrooms.  Why would we not want to improve our teaching?  Why would not want to personalize our PD to fit our individual needs and our passions? Why would we not want to read information on which to base our instructional decisions?

David Guerin wrote a great post "So You're an Educator and You're Not Reading" about taking ownership for our professional growth through reading professional books.  It's a great read and further justification for my (and maybe your) addiction.

So what new books did I just order that will be pushing my thinking soon?  Here's my list that should be arriving this week:

What professional books have you read or purchased lately?

Celebrate Turn #19

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.  

This week I celebrate Summer PD.

Last year I attended All Write for the first time.  My colleague and friend, Kristen, went with me last year, and a few other teachers from our district came with us this year.  

Here we are with Seymour Simon.
Thanks Elsie for taking the picture!

This conference is quickly becoming one of the highlights of my summer, and is the foundation for the remainder of my summer PD.  I come back recharged and ready to change my teaching for the better. 

These past two days, I sat in sessions writing furiously, taking pictures of presenters' slides, and trying to absorb as much information as possible.  At the end of the day, I went back to my room, and Kristen and I debriefed and shared our learning.  I don't know which grew more, my books-to-buy list or my enthusiasm.  

Today, I sat on my porch and lingered over my notes.  I tried to wrap my brain around all I learned and all I want to do in my classroom this year.  I created lists...and lists of new ideas about book clubs, writing about reading, teaching punctuation and so much more.

This is what I do over the summer.  Summer PD fuels me; it motivates me; it helps me become a better teacher.  I think my students deserve that.

So today, I celebrate  summer PD!

The Evolution of Professional Development

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating a place to share our Slice of Life. Read more slices or add you own here.

I am addicted to professional development books.  

I know it is an addiction, or maybe an obsession would be a better word.  I am one of those people who constantly try to get better at what I do.  School ends, and I begin reflecting on what worked, what didn't, and what I want to change.  Reading professional development books sparks change, encourages reflection and is a catalyst for new learning.   As a result, I become a better teacher.

Typically each summer I choose a specific area in which to concentrate.  The summer of 2012 was devoted to how to teach reading without using a basal.  Last summer it was writing.  I cannot yet divulge what this summer will be about - but hopefully I can by next week!

My stack of PD books constantly grows.  Do I read each one from cover to cover? Most of the time, but not always.  I may read bits and pieces or certain chapters with highlighter in hand, notes in the margins, and sticky notes poking out.  There are a few books that I read every summer such as The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.

Here is my stack of new books to read this summer.  Looking at this stack leaves me with many questions.  What does professional development mean to me?  What does it look like?  How has it changed?

Professional development is important to me as a reflective teacher and learner, and it is becoming more important in teacher evaluations.  Actually defining professional development is more difficult as social connectedness becomes stronger.  Teachers are learning from other teachers via Twitter chats, blogs, and Facebook.  Is this professional development?  Is reading books written by experts in the field professional development?

I recently read a post on Edutopia titled "Professional Development:  More Than Just a Checkbox on a Form."  and written by Tom Whitby.  It discusses the evolution of PD from full day conferences which are paid for by school districts, to do-it-yourself (DIY) PD which many teachers take part in today.  Professional envelopment is rapidly changing.  But are school districts keeping up with the changes?

The post further describes what they call "The Proof of Concept Model."  Basically it suggests that when teachers take part in DIY PD and demonstrate their learning and new knowledge successfully in the classroom, it should count as professional development.  I know I have learned so much by participating in chats, making connections with other educators across the country, and reading PD books. I take this information and use it in my classroom, tweaking it as I go.  Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.  But it continues to challenge me, and I continue to be a learner and a better teacher.  That is professional development!

"A real-world application of learned PD is far better than a piece of paper verifying seat time in a workshop." -- Tom Whitby