21 Top Professional Development Topics For Teachers Now
Any time we have a break, educators need to get some rest so that we can be our best. However, our professional accreditation requirements are still on track and need to be renewed, as we have to learn and up our abilities. As I look to listen to educators, here are 21 hot topics that I think we should consider including in our personal PD. They fit into the categories of SEL, digital instruction, engagement/management, and leadership.
Also, remember to apply these 5 Simple Principles for Improving Teacher Professional Development as you select your topic and method of delivery.
21 top professional development (1)
Recently, while discussing the next steps for schools this fall with two instructional designers in the webinar “10 Ways to Move Learning Forward”, we identified ten considerations for school. (I’ve embedded the webinar below for you to review.) Many of the topics below were part of that conversation, including Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
As a result of this webinar and some research of my own, I compiled this list which I hope will serve as a quick menu for you and the teachers at your school to select summer professional development that will help you grow and learn. I've also included courses from this blog post sponsor, Advancement Courses that meet the criteria for each topic.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is right at the top of the list for many of us. We have to relate to educate. To better relate, we have to understand where students are emotionally so that we can connect with them, get them any extra help they might need, and move them forward.
SEL isn’t about manipulation it’s about human connection; and of all the things we need to do, connecting with one another and regulating ourselves emotionally is right at the top of the list. Let's look at some areas we can all improve.
1. Student Mental Health (Including Anxiety and Depression)
Understanding mental health is more important than ever. Recently, I had to educate myself on the current trends in helping students who are anxious, depressed, worried, or just need guidance about the future.
Research note: As Wall (2021) indicates, there is a definite connection between trauma and student behavior as well as student learning. In her qualitative study, she found that when schools meet this challenge head-on, student achievement increased and behavioral challenges decreased. (WALL, C. R. G. (2021). RELATIONSHIP OVER REPROACH: FOSTERING RESILIENCE BY EMBRACING A TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH TO ELEMENTARY EDUCATION. JOURNAL OF AGGRESSION, MALTREATMENT & TRAUMA, 30(1), 118-137.)
Understanding student mental health can also help us with others who we meet in our world today. Students need us to understand them so we can teach them. These courses will give you a start.
Courses about Student Mental Health
Strategies for Addressing Student Anxiety– With the strategies and interventions you learn in this course, you will be able to create a classroom environment where students can successfully cope with stressors and instead focus on learning.
Helping Children Overcome Depression– Using the resources and strategies from this course, you will be able to support your students struggling with depression to help them redirect their thinking and pursue academic success in spite of the challenges they’re facing.
2. How to Reach Students Who Have Experienced Trauma
You nor I can know or understand what children have experienced in this time of challenge and upheaval. So, we have to learn how to reach and teach students who have experienced trauma. We don’t need to know what it is, but we do need to recognize that the trauma is there. In my experience, I’ve found that assuming that students have experienced trauma of some kind is more likely than assuming that they haven’t.
Helping Students Overcome Trauma – In this course, you will explore the different types of trauma and how they affect students’ behavior and academic performance. You’ll learn how to identify conditions such as PTSD and how to help students through natural and healthy grieving processes. In addition, you’ll explore strategies for proactively coping with trauma, including creating student-led support groups and peer counseling programs, getting students involved with community outreach programs, and partnering with local and national organizations focused on processing trauma. With the resources and techniques from this course, you will be equipped to create a program that helps your students heal and thrive in spite of life’s hardest griefs and tragedies.
3. How to Connect to Students and Understand Their Emotions (SEL)
Teachers around the world are using mood check-ins, emotional temp checks, and other methods for connecting. Even when connecting at a distance instead of in person, we can all benefit from learning some skills to connect with students on an emotional level, even while delivering classroom instruction.
SEL Courses
Assessment Strategies for SEL– I
