A workshop can begin learning, but it cannot complete implementation
Educators need opportunities to plan, rehearse, apply, examine student work, receive feedback, solve problems, and refine their practice after initial training.
Partner With ARIEIn brief
What you need to know
Effective teacher professional development is relevant to classroom needs, grounded in strong content and pedagogy, active rather than passive, collaborative, connected to curriculum, supported through practice and feedback, and sustained long enough to influence instruction and student learning.
Connected practice areas
The elements that make implementation work
- Coaching support
- Project design
- Standards alignment
- Authentic assessment
- Teacher collaboration
- Classroom implementation
Clear answers
Frequently asked questions
What is effective teacher professional development?
Effective professional development is relevant, active, collaborative, curriculum-connected, supported through practice and feedback, and sustained long enough to influence teaching and learning.
Why are one-time workshops insufficient?
Workshops can introduce ideas, but teachers also need planning, practice, implementation, feedback, problem-solving, and refinement for lasting classroom change.
What is practitioner-led professional development?
Practitioner-led development is designed and facilitated by educators and leaders who have implemented the practices they teach in real classrooms and schools.
How does ARIE make professional learning sustainable?
ARIE connects learning to planning, classroom application, observation, coaching, reflection, leadership support, monitoring, and local trainer development.
How should professional development support project design and assessment?
Educators should practice unpacking standards, designing projects and inquiry, building authentic assessments, setting quality criteria, and revising their plans with feedback.
Why is coaching important after professional development?
Coaching helps teachers adapt new practices to their students and curriculum, address implementation problems, examine evidence, and improve over time.
Written and reviewed by Steven Zipkes, President and Founder of Advanced Reasoning in Education. His perspective is grounded in more than three decades of school leadership, the design and leadership of two PBL-centered schools, international educator development, and sustained implementation work.
Review Steven Zipkes's experience