Linking effective professional learning with effective teaching practice

Appendix 1: Suggested elements of a school’sProfessional Learning PolicyStatements that might be incorporated into theprofessional learning policy of the school are that:• all staff will actively support their colleagues toimprove their teaching• all staff will have a personal professional learningplan• professional learning plans will be based onchanges to practice that staff wish to initiate orrefine• professional learning plan targets will becommunicated to one’s colleagues• wherever possible staff with similar professionallearning targets will work together and supporteach other to achieve their target• professional learning plans will be reviewed eachsemester – this could be a professional learningteam group review of each other’s plans, a peerreview or a review by a senior staff member• wherever possible professional learning will beschool located• professional learning could be commissioned as ameans for finding out more about an issue/teachingapproach (e.g. a team may be commissioned tovisit an exemplary school, to research a particulartopic or attend a conference)• professional learning activities beyond the schoolwill be used as a means of extending networks andintroducing new approaches to the school• professional learning funds will be used to releaseteachers to undertake professional learningexperiences within the school.• the school will organise so that time is available forprofessional learning activities to be sustained• wherever possible, attendance at an externalprofessional learning activity will involve a minimumof three staff who will be responsible for reportingback on the activity and its implications for schoolpractice• all beginning teachers and teachers new to theschool will be provided with a mentor• the strength of the school’s professional learningculture will be reviewed annually• staff performance reviews will focus on whathappens in the classroom and what the teacher isdoing to improve student engagement and learningoutcomes.A process for developing a school’s professionallearning policy is to pose possible statements to beincluded in the policy as questions and seek staffresponses (e.g. ‘yes’, ‘no opinion’ and ‘no’) to thequestions via a survey entitled Staff Beliefs aboutProfessional Learning. For example, the first fewquestions could be:• Should staff actively support each other to improvetheir teaching?• Should all staff have a personal professionallearning plan?• Should professional learning plans be basedprimarily on promoting improved classroomteaching?20 Linking effective professional learning with effective teaching practice