I was most interested following my social media feeds during virtual Teachers’ Conventions this year. The pandemic has certainly changed the way that professional development has been offered. There will be an end to the pandemic but with that end, what will become of professional development as we know it?
I remember one of the first posts I read, “Went to three sessions today. One great, one okay and the other terrible!” That comment could have been just as easily posted for a normal in-person conference. Virtual or not, the content or speaker or even the technology can make or break the satisfaction level. Most of the comments however, seemed to talk about the relaxed atmosphere and especially with the recorded sessions, the ability to hit pause and grab a bite to eat, something to drink or hit the washroom without waiting in line!!! Some people expressed disappointment with not being able to see friends and colleagues from different schools and divisions and just the lack of energy that large crowds gathered can instill. Regardless, the virtual component of education will require some deep thought coming out of this pandemic.
As a superintendent, I loved the opportunity to get all of our staff together in one place. It reinforced the community aspect that I believed was essential in maintaining a strong culture. I always tried to position myself near an entrance so that I could interact with as many staff members as possible. My preference as a superintendent and as a presenter has always been live and in person. I love the excitement, the energy and the ability to read the body language of those who I’m presenting to and learning with. But that is my preference and from that angle… Having also been involved from the other side and not presenting, the comforts of my home office are also pretty nice.
We have heard for years that professional development does not have cookie cutter solution. One size does not fit all! But at the same time, a smorgasbord of options is usually impractical and highly expensive. You just can’t have enough sessions to satisfy everyone! There are times when you need all staff to hear the same message and learn the same thing, in person or virtual, and there are times when the choice of professional development both what and how it is delivered are paramount. We live in a world that seems to gravitate to an either/or paradigm when we know that and/both is most often the best way forward. A blended approach where some face to face in person is offered, virtual components and on your own time must be the way that we offered professional development now and into the future.
If the pandemic has taught us one thing in education, it is that we can’t just simply go back to the ways things used to be. We know that from a teaching of students perspective and we need to understand that from a teaching of adults too! I like my virtual meetings/webinars where I don’t have to travel but I also miss those personal interactions. The question will always revolve around when to offer each because solely one or the other cannot be the way. We need to find a balanced blended approach to ensure high quality professional development is the rule and not the exception and that will be the future!
