1. How is the PD design informed by an understanding of the participants and their learning needs?
2. How does the timing of the PD fit into the district’s larger academic schedule/cycle?
3. What components must participants learn to meet the intended outcomes?
4. What might participants need to “unlearn” in order to create space for new learning?
Teachers know that knowing students is important to teach well in the classroom. The same principle is true for professional development— the more you know your learners, the more effective your teaching will be.
This idea considers how learners construct meaning to make sense of the world. Using a constructivist lens means recognizing that learners bring experiences and understanding to the classroom, which they use to make sense of new information.
Constructivism also advances the idea that learning is a social activity, requiring engagement with others in order to grow in understanding of the world and our relationship to it.
You might think about aspects such as age, years of experience, learning style, race, identity, life experience, family role, etc.
"To maximize learning, we need to dig deeper than this superficial acquaintance."
–William Powell & Ochan Kusuma-Powell, How to Teach Now
The more you know about your learners, the better you can:
Create a psychologically safe environment for every learner.
Determine each participant's readiness for learning.
Identify multiple access points to the curriculum to increase engagement and success.
Develop and demonstrate greater emotional intelligence in the classroom.
Sending out a short "getting to know you" survey with the PD registration
Observe classes taught by participants at the school(s) prior to the PD session
"Students develop as learners when they are aware of the processes they engage in as they "come to know." This awareness enhances their ability to learn and make sense of new information."
– Linda Lampert et al., The Constructivist Leader (1995)
