Professional learning is the term that educators use to describe the continuing education of teachers, administrators, and other school employees.

Teachers need a wide variety of professional learning. For example, a science teacher might need to attend classes to learn more about the content of the science she’s teaching. In addition, she might need other types of professional learning to learn better ways to teach that new science material. She might also need to learn more about classroom management techniques, how to incorporate technology into her instruction, and how to better address the needs of language minority students in her classroom.

Not necessarily. Attending classes, workshops, or conferences is one way that teachers – and other school employees – learn some of what they need to know. But other types of professional learning are just as important and, often, more effective than traditional sit-and-get sessions.

For example, when teachers plan lessons together or study a subject together, that’s a form of professional learning. A teacher who observes another teacher teach is also participating in a form of professional learning. If a teacher is being coached by another teacher, that’s professional learning. Visiting model schools, participating in a school improvement committee, writing curriculum, keeping a journal about teaching practices – all of those can be professional learning activities.

Communities need to recognize the importance of improving teacher quality. Even though most teachers arrive prepared to teach, they need to stay up-to-date in their skills and knowledge in order to continue being effective teachers.

Private sector employers understand that it is their responsibility to ensure that employees–even professionals–stay current in their skills and knowledge. They’re willing to provide time during the work day for their employees to learn–and often to make the necessary arrangements to have someone else handle their responsibilities for the day. Schools are no different from that.

It’s certainly one way but it’s not the only way. Often, the most effective professional learning is woven into a teacher’s workday.

Many schools structure their schedules to provide teachers with an hour a day (or several times a week) to prepare for their classes. You’ve probably heard teachers talk about these as prep hours or prep periods. Teachers typically use those periods to grade papers and tests and to prepare lessons.

In addition to those prep periods, many schools also provide a common meeting time for teachers who teach the same grade or the same subject. For example, in many middle schools, all of the teachers on one team share the same free hour and use that as a daily meeting time. You often hear teachers call these hours "team time.’’

Teachers can use those meeting periods to plan lessons, write curriculum, examine student work, explore new ideas, etc. Although those activities contribute directly to their work with students, they also are excellent professional learning opportunities for the teachers.

When schools provide teachers with prep periods and "team time,’’ students are not left on their own.

In elementary schools, for example, regular classroom teachers may get their prep periods or "team time’’ while their students are in art, music, or gym classes. So the students are still receiving regular instruction but their classroom teachers are learning at the same time.

Some schools, like Hefferan Elementary School in Chicago, structure their week so that children concentrate on their core academic subjects from Monday through Thursday. On Friday each week, students take all of their "specials:" music, art, physical education, foreign language. And, each Friday, their regular classroom teachers have a full day to devote to planning and learning for their job.

Shouldn’t the school district make some kind of plans for students on those days?

If your school district regularly sends students home during professional learning time, talk with members of your school board about changing that policy and encouraging schools to find creative ways to keep students learning while their teachers are learning.

For example, community or church groups might be encouraged to develop programming for students during those times, especially if you know that large numbers of children in your community will be left on their own whenever school is not in session.

Perhaps your community could organize an athletic field day around one of your half day professional learning or an "art in the field’’ day. Those kinds of activities would release regular classroom teachers while ensuring that students have a quality learning experience at the same time.

Of course, remember that many families appreciate having an occasional half day "vacation’’ from school. They use that time for medical appointments or for a special outing.

This all sounds very expensive to me. How much should my district be spending on this professional learning?

School improvement specialists generally recommend that a school district devote at least 10 percent of its operating budget to professional learning and that teachers devote at least 25 percent of their work time to personal learning.

When school districts calculate their professional learning expenses, they often include only the cost of paying tuition and covering the cost of substitute teachers.

That was a system that worked fine when most school districts were providing only sit-and-get "inservices.’’ But, as professional learning becomes more sophisticated, school districts will also need to calculate the cost of time for team meetings, school improving planning, peer coaching, observing classrooms, developing curriculum – any of the new methods of professional learning.

You’ve convinced me that teachers need to keep learning in order to improve the quality of their teaching. But sometimes these professional learning sessions at my school are for janitors and school secretaries. Is that really necessary?

Everyone who works for the school district needs to continually learn to improve the work they do.

Janitors, bus drivers, and school secretaries make important contributions to creating a school climate where children feel safe and welcome as they learn. They also have frequent contact with parents – especially school secretaries – so it’s important for them to understand many aspects of school life.

Any adult who comes in contact with a student during the school day has an opportunity to influence their learning. Those individuals need to know as much as possible to be effective in that important role.

How do schools make decisions what teachers are going to learn? Who gets to make these decisions? Can parents be part of this decision making too?

We believe that schools should establish goals for student learning and then examine data – from tests, from classroom work – to determine how many children have been meeting those goals. Examining data also helps teachers identify areas where students are struggling. Then, we encourage schools and school districts to provide the professional learning that will enable teachers to help all children reach those goals.

If you’d like to learn more about this, the U.S. Department of Education has recognized several schools with strength in this area.

What about professional learning for parents?

I want to pursue a career in professional learning. What degree should I seek?

Unfortunately, few universities offer a degree in professional learning. So the next best alternative is to see if your university offers a minor in professional learning. If that is unavailable, look for a degree program in educational leadership. Take whatever courses you can in leadership, adult learning, curriculum development, instructional leadership, etc.

Also, study the Dimensions of Staff Developer Practice prepared by the National Professional Learning Council for an overview of the skills required to perform your duties as a staff developer. Preparing for a career in professional learning requires a well-rounded educational career. There are multiple pathways to achieving your goal. Be an active participant in high-quality professional learning. Be an avid reader of professional development journals. And, of course, join the National Professional Learning Council. Good luck with your goal.

What do we know about the link between student learning and teacher technology knowledge?

The research literature is mixed about the link between student achievement and teacher technology knowledge. However, the literature is very clear that what teachers know does influence student achievement as it relates to teacher content and pedagogy knowledge. For specific references, see What Works in the Middle: Results-Based Professional Learning (www.nsdc.org/midbook/index.html). This NSDC document includes descriptions of content-specific professional learning for middle grades teachers that have evidence of increasing student achievement. Look especially at Chapter 2, a synthesis of the literature about linking professional development with student achievement.

Documents regarding results-based professional learning in elementary and high schools will be published in 2001.

For more specific information about the link with teacher technology knowledge, seek information from the International Society for Technology Education at www.iste.org.