The learning process never stops, especially not for a profession like teaching. With the world constantly changing, there is always something new to learn and in order to be able to pass down knowledge more accurately, the teacher must constantly keep investing in their personal and career development.
Read on to find out what professional development means and it’s purpose for teachers as well as the different types of professional development there are for teachers, among others.
What does professional development mean in teaching?
Professional Development is a continuous process of learning to improve upon one’s existing skills and knowledge in a particular field.
In teaching, professional development is simply the never ending quest teachers embark on to polish up and modernize their skills, acquire more experience in their field, further their education or acquire new skills in order to stay relevant to current bosses and desirable for future employers.
What is the purpose of professional development for teachers?
The main purpose of professional development for teachers is quite clear, to equip them with more and fresh skills, knowledge and more experience.
When the teacher is well learned and abreast with the modern curriculums, the quality of their lessons is increased and the students come out better educated.
What are three types of professional development for teachers?
There are three types of professional development for teachers. These include:
- Periodic Workshops
This involves teachers continuously attending organized practical workshops that are relevant to their fields. These workshops provide them with new knowledge about the technical skills required of them as teachers.
They may be organized by the school or external professional development organizations.
- In-class Observations
This is most common in public schools. The government ocassionally sends official representatives of the Ghana Education Service to observe teachers as they teach their classes.
The purpose of this is to note down their teaching methods, interaction with the students and the level of sophistication of their lessons.
- Single session Seminars
Single session seminars are one-on-one meetings held with teachers to update them on the latest skills and styles of teaching to make them valuable. These seminars are normally organized by the schools and are presided over by professional development experts.
Conclusion
Teachers are required by both their employers and the state to make professional development a constant priority. Doing so will not only help them secure their jobs but more importantly, will help to better shape the minds of the future leaders of Ghana: the students.
