Clinical Field Experience C: Professional Development for Improving Teaching Strategies

Laurie Salem

Developing Professional Capacity EAD 523

December 14, 2022

 Principal Interview Notes

 Visually appealing, easy to read

 Quick notes for easy reference
 Staff engagement right away
 Like the idea of staff looking for action words in the mission statement; it implies that work will
need to be done on the part of admin and teachers; teachers can begin thinking ahead of how
they can support students
 Great idea to have grade bands collab with each other to choose common area of concern
 Slide 4, good idea to include follow up meetings, evaluating data and next steps after
 Real time measurable outcomes
 Think of easy ways for teachers to comply
 Reiterate how these collabs and PLC’s will lead to student achievement and success

Colleague Interview Notes

 Clearly states the purpose and why it’s important without a lot of words
 Lots of chances to collab with team members about concerns and how to address student needs
for improvement in student success
 Quote is a nice touch
 Informative but not too long and drawn out
 Concise to wear the point is made, but I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time.
 Interview Reflection

This presentation was helpful because it helped me to see through the lens of a principal in terms of
preparing a presentation for my staff. When meeting with my principal mentor, one thing she stated
was that it was hard to create agendas sometimes because there were a million things that each had a
high level of importance. One thing that a leader has to do is think of the needs of the staff, students,
teachers and others and choose which components and information is critical. PSEL standard 6.g
highlights the importance of creating and supporting teacher leadership in the school (NPBEA, 2015).
Professional learning communities are great ways for teachers and other staff members to develop and
build on their skill set. She stated that overall, the presentation was well put together and that she
thinks it would be a great fit for the direction she wants to move the staff in. We talked a few moments
about how important it is for principals to look for leaders within the school and that she felt it was her
calling to build up these teacher leaders and help them to move into different positions.

When I had a chance to share my presentation with a colleague her first response was about how short
and to the point it was. It has been increasingly difficult for teachers to buy in to professional
development that is long-winded and full of unnecessary activities. She also stated that she has been
teaching for over 25 years and she feels more isolated from her colleagues within the last few years.
Professional learning communities offer teachers the opportunities to engage with colleagues and
brainstorm all the ways to support each other and the students. She also mentioned something about
teachers not wanting to commit to anything else, especially something that feels like more work and
more stress for teachers.

It made me think about ways that I could build teacher capacity without adding to the load they bear all
day. As a teacher myself, I may have intentions to step up or become a part of committees, but I also
know what it feels when there is no mental space left to even think about anything else. My plan is to
get as much teacher input on topics that they are interested in and make the sessions and materials
informative, meaningful and concise. PSEL 7.B says how important it is to trust that teachers and staff
are able to meet the various needs of their students but with support and resources.
 References

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for Educational
Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.