Our Approach to Adult Learning

Dear Baltimore City Educator,

School year 2024-25 falls into a critical period of American and world history. More than ever, it is required of all of us to think critically, be curious, dig into and question evidence, and reason to find solutions that truly yield practical solutions for all in this diverse and complex world. Educators are on the front lines of this task. We must continue to master our craft, collaborate with each other, and learn from experienced educators how to keep our students intellectually engaged in rigorous learning tasks to prepare them for the realities of today and tomorrow.

You are browsing the district-wide Professional Learning catalog, which aims to accomplish this goal. It summarizes the intentional work of almost 200 City Schools educators to make your professional learning experiences relevant and practical, with frequent opportunities to reflect and share experiences, challenges, and solutions to foster a sense of community and mutual learning.

How is our approach to Professional Development changing?

Our teams are working together to continue the transformation of “Systemic PD” to a carefully and methodically crafted Adult Professional Learning (PL).

• Ongoing Process: Recognizing that PL is an ongoing process rather than a one-time event, we are replacing ‘one-and-done’ sessions with “Learning Arcs” - series of four sessions spanning August-May to establish ongoing groups where teachers can continue to learn and grow together over time.

• Relevance to Practice: By focusing on tasks relevant to each teacher’s practice, this new PL model will encourage participants to try new ideas and strategies with their students and bring their data and reflections back to discuss with peers.

• Choice and Voice: We are continuing to diversify PL offerings to strengthen educators’ choice and voice so that everyone has a say in their learning goals and areas of professional growth.

• Continuum of Learners: Acknowledging the exponential growth of multilingual learners in City Schools classrooms, we are applying a strong lens of the Continuum of Learners to the design of all Learning Arcs.

What will this change look like?

Every educator will be able to opt into two Learning Arcs: one (morning) from the menu of Required (content/curriculum) options, and the other (afternoon) from the Choice list. After attending the first session, educators will be able to decide if they want to continue with this learning trajectory or switch to a different Learning Arc. After the second meeting of the Learning Arcs, participants will commit to staying with this learning community for the remainder of the school year. In between sessions, educators will be asked to implement new tools and strategies in their classrooms and share their experiences with other members of the learning community.

We hope that you will find this new model of professional learning impactful and beneficial for you as an adult learner, leading to quality classroom practices and better outcomes for City Schools students.

By engaging in this transformative approach to professional learning, we aim to create an environment where educators feel supported, valued, and equipped to meet the diverse needs of our students. Your participation and commitment to this journey are crucial as we collectively work towards excellence in education.

Throughout the course of the school year systemic professional learning sessions will be increasingly differentiated by teachers' backgrounds and needs (e.g. Early Career Teachers, veteran/tenured teachers, Special Educators, Paraprofessionals),  will engage participants through smaller groups/break-out rooms to deepen and focus learning, and will continue to emphasize community-building, year-long learning arcs, and teacher Professional Learning Communities. 

Thank you for your dedication and hard work. We look forward to a successful school year filled with growth, collaboration, and meaningful learning experiences.

Thank you for spending your Day of Learning with us!

Warm regards,

The Professional Learning Team

Baltimore City Schools