If we're going to make a change, LET'S GO BIG!

When considering how to best implement an alternative form of professional learning, I kept running into an all-too-familiar struggle: trying to fit something new into an old system. As many of you have heard, a few weeks ago, Sir Ken Robinson passed away. His video resources that we have viewed in this program have been my favorite. They are inspiring, they are challenging, and they stir me to action. One particular phrase of his kept coming to mind. To summarize, he says that education does not need a reformation. Reformations take place within the system, and no reformation will produce change if the system is broken. Education does not need a reformation, it needs a revolution.

My idea is to take our current campus model for PD and completely scrap it. We will pool all of our resources (personnel, budget, etc.) and invest in a completely personalized professional learning experience for each individual teacher. Teachers will be encouraged to participate in this experience with their PLC or content team in order to foster collaboration, but they may elect to participate individually if desired. After completing a self-assessment on the current state of the classroom environment, teachers will identify their own topics of interest, set their own learning goals to focus on for development, and select the tools/resources that wish to implement that will help achieve their goals. From the beginning of the process all the way through the final reflective conference, teachers will be partnered with a "coach" who will simply guide them through the process and help facilitate constant reflection.

I believe our school has the resources to make this happen if we get creative and force ourselves to let go of some of the old ways we've done things.