Passion Projects for Adults

(Empower Teachers to Control Their Own Learning)

Strategies to try...

Teacher Goal Setting

• Have teachers set their own personal goals and post them outside (or inside) their classrooms for other teachers and students to see. It also continuously reminds them of their goal and allows them to celebrate with others when their goal is met. The goals might be within guidelines of a district goal.

Get Teachers Thinking About Their Passions

• Introduce the idea of passion projects and ask teachers to begin thinking about what they want to work on so they're ready to dive in when you provide them with unstructured time.

Pass Good Resources On To Teachers

• Once you know the goals and interest of your staff members, provide them with relevant resources. Help put people in contact with each other based upon their passion projects. Keep your staff in mind when you come across resources.

Provide Opportunities For Informal Meetings

• Listen when you ask your staff what kinds of connections they need. Then find a way to make opportunities for those connections to happen. (examples: Appy Hour where they share apps, Lunch and Learn where groups spend time discussing a topic of their choice, using Voxer to discuss a book, etc)

Identify Goals the District Deems Essential

• Gives the group a compass as they navigate the work to be done. Teachers can determine individual growth goals within a district approach or goal.

Ask for Staff Input

• Ask staff which personal or professional matters they'd like to improve. The discussion will empower your teachers. May have to have caveat that it doesn't cost money.

Integrate Student Data Components Into the Goals

• Require that they incorporate some sort of measurable data points in their personal goals. Adding data makes these goals also work for district, state, or federal mandates. Use their passion to improve instruction and connect it to data components that satisfy state requirements.

Ask Teachers to Find a Mentor

• Have them identify mentors that will help them learn more than they might alone. Help them connect with someone who has expertise in the area of inquiry. They don't always have to tell you who their mentor is. That might be optional.

Give Teachers Unstructured Time to Work on Professional Development

• Change the PD schedule and allow teachers to work on passion projects. When we over schedule, we run the risk of hindering the growth of our best teachers, most of whom would gleefully take and opportunity to be unscheduled for a day to work on their own development.

Be Flexible

• Ask staff members to reflect on their project in a way they see fit. Have a reflection template that they can use, but encourage people to find new ways to demonstrate their learning. (videos, podcasts, live binders, websites, pitch presentations, etc)

Provide Quality Feedback

• Provide them with quality feedback so they know their voices have been heard and their work is valued. Use phrases like "I like..." and "I wonder..." Staff appreciate hearing genuine excitement in our tones as we discuss their ideas.