Slide 1: Title

• Welcome to Elevating Professional Development for ESL Instructors! I am Khelia Olison Williams, a certified ESL educator with 17 years of experience in public education. My expertise and dedication to quality instruction will empower you to enhance your teaching skills and make a lasting impact on your students.

• Alief ISD is the most ethnically diverse school district in the state, representing over 95 languages and 88 ethnicities. This remarkable diversity needs to be mirrored in our educators' professional development (PD) needs, which must be as unique and dynamic as our student body. 

Slide 2: Objective

• Today, we aim to explore strategies to create a collaborative environment that empowers teachers to take ownership of their professional growth.

• Traditional "sit-and-get" professional development models often fail to engage educators effectively.

• These passive approaches can lead to limited retention and application of new knowledge.

• We must foster a culture of teamwork, and idea-sharing leads to meaningful discussions about real-world challenges.

• This collaborative approach will enhance teacher efficacy and positively impact student outcomes.

 

Slide 3: Video Immigrant Students Tale

• In the United States, emergent bilingual students face unique challenges and opportunities within the educational system. Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) and Alief Independent School District (Alief ISD) exemplify this dynamic, serving diverse student populations with similar socioeconomic backgrounds. 

• The video you are about to watch explores some of the backgrounds and challenges ESL students face.

Slide 4: Padlet Share Out

• Please take out your device and identify 2-3 challenges you face as an educator or administrator in an environment with a high population of Emergent Bilingual students. 

• Note: Ask 3-4 teachers to share their experiences or facilitate a small group discussion for 3-5 minutes. Additionally, inquire about the strategies they used to overcome these challenges.

 

Slide 5: Why is Change Necessary?

• There is a pressing need for transformative changes in professional development to improve teaching effectiveness.

Provide Opportunities for Practice and Feedback

• Traditional professional development focuses too much on theory and not enough on practical application. To fix this, we must create settings where teachers can practice new strategies and get helpful feedback. This hands-on approach helps teachers master their skills and feel more confident using new teaching methods.

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Reinvent Support for Effective Teaching

• Many teachers do not see real improvements in their practice, even with significant investments in professional development. This shows that we need to rethink how we provide support. By tailoring support to meet individual teacher needs, offering personalized coaching, and creating collaborative learning communities, we can achieve more meaningful and lasting improvements in teaching quality.

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Reevaluate Current Professional Learning Programs

• Current professional development programs for teachers are not very effective. We need to evaluate these programs carefully and make improvements. This includes examining how well they work, finding areas that need improvement, and shifting resources to practices proven to improve teacher performance and student success.

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Redefine Teacher Development

• The traditional one-size-fits-all model of teacher development often overlooks educators' diverse needs. Many of you teach SPED, ESL Sheltered, Advanced Academic, or a combination of many special populations. Redefining teacher development requires a more personalized approach, acknowledging that teachers are at different stages in their careers and have varying strengths and areas for growth. By tailoring professional learning experiences to individual needs, we can more effectively support continuous and relevant development for teachers.

Align Professional Development with Curriculum

• Professional development must match the curriculum teachers are expected to deliver for it to be effective. This connection means that the skills and strategies learned in training can be used immediately in the classroom, leading to a better teaching and learning experience.

 

Slide 6: The Cost of Inaction

Here are some potential opportunities that could be lost if we continue to overlook the transformation of professional learning. 

 

Better Student Outcomes and Engagement

Teachers who do not receive effective professional development may struggle to engage students. This can lead to lower student achievement, behavioral issues, and decreased interest in learning. Research shows that high-quality professional development improves teaching quality, directly benefiting student learning.

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Improved Teacher Satisfaction and Retention

Teachers can experience burnout and dissatisfaction without adequate professional development, leading to higher turnover rates. Teachers who lack ongoing support and growth opportunities are more likely to leave the profession, which disrupts student learning.

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Institutional Innovation and Competitiveness

Not investing in professional development can hinder innovation in schools. You can not teach students the way you did 10 years ago. Or better yet, since COVID!

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ASK: Raise your hand if you notice a total change in students since the pandemic.

 Teachers may not embrace new teaching methods or technologies without continuous learning opportunities. This can cause the institution to lag behind more forward-thinking schools and negatively impact its reputation and competitiveness.

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Staying Current with Educational Technology

As educational technology rapidly changes, teachers need continuous training to use these tools effectively. If schools ignore professional development in this area, it can lead to poor use of technology. This results in missed chances to improve learning experiences and creates a gap between teaching methods and students’ tech skills.

 

Addressing these areas through strong professional development is essential for creating an environment where educators and students can succeed.

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Slide 7: 5 Effective Principals Of Professional  Learning

Effective professional learning is important for teachers to improve their teaching and help students succeed. Here are five key principles for successful professional development:

 

1. Duration and Continuity: Professional learning should not be limited to just the training day; it must include ongoing support to help teachers implement and master new strategies. Instructors require more time during training sessions to engage with these new strategies and continuous support from specialists or coaches.

 

     2. Support During Implementation: Instructors require specific support to effectively navigate the                   challenges of incorporating new practices into their classrooms. It is essential to provide instructors             with time to engage with and learn new strategies. Ongoing support could include personalized                         coaching sessions focusing on feedback rather than evaluation. 

 

     3. Active Engagement: Professional learning should actively engage instructors with interactive                        methods, promoting their participation in understanding and applying new techniques.

 

      4. Modeling: Showing new practices through clear examples helps instructors understand and use                  them better. I learn best when I can see someone else do a task. This is especially true for new                             teaching  strategies I plan to use myself.

 

      5. Relevance: Content should be tailored to meet the specific needs of instructors in various areas,                 including On-level, AAC, Dyslexia, SPED, and ESL. Instructors must also consider the different                             language levels of their classes: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each subpopulation of                           students has unique needs and strategies that can be addressed in a professional development                         session.​

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Slide 8: Why doesn’t adding an active learning activity work? 

• Incorporating active learning activities in professional development can effectively engage educators, but real change requires embracing constructivist principles. While active learning promotes collaboration and idea-sharing, it won't lead to lasting improvements in teaching practices if it's treated as a one-time event within a traditional lecture format.

 

• To make genuine improvements, we must embrace constructivist ideas that view learners as active builders of knowledge through experiences and reflection. Educators should deeply engage with the content, connect new information to prior knowledge, and apply their learning in real situations. Professional development leaders can model these practices by facilitating discussions and collaborative problem-solving to demonstrate practical strategies for the classroom.

• Creating a culture of continuous improvement is essential. It encourages educators to reflect, exchange feedback, and adapt their practices to meet changing educational needs.

 

Slide 9: Benefits of Enhanced Professional Learning

The things I propose to this organization have three main benefits that will improve the professional development and overall confidence of our program’s instructors and students

•  A passionate dedication to elevating student success

•  Fostering a nurturing community among educators

•  Embracing a mindset of ongoing growth and development​

 

Slide 10: Next Steps

• I am confident that our upcoming in-person sessions, scheduled on district professional development days, will significantly enhance our learning experience. In addition, optional online sessions that include dynamic small group breakout discussions, fostering meaningful engagement will be available. The training content will be expertly tailored to meet the needs of varying language proficiency levels and learning levels of all students, ensuring everyone can thrive. Our check-ins during Professional Learning Communities will provide full ongoing support and valuable feedback, driving our continued success and growth. By investing in more effective professional development, we can empower our instructors and drive positive change in our district.

Slides 11-12: Conclusion

• Thank you for your attention. Let's collaborate so we can elevate the professional learning experience for our ESL instructors and significantly enhance student outcomes. To reach out, please scan the QR code that connects directly to my e-portfolio.