Creating an Instructional Learning Experience for Adults

 



    When we think about all the different types of professional development that teachers are given, we usually see a consultant or “guru” hired to give a professional development on a specific area or subject. While this may seem beneficial, a caveat to this is that the presenter does not know our students or school like we do.

    Although they may give us some great tips and information, many principals don’t consider their teachers to be “experts”. I think we should empower our faculty to provide PDs for the school. Give the power back to the teachers. If a teacher seems really excited or knowledgeable about something, let them present on the subject. As a principal, this will save money (or you could pay the teacher!), and will embolden your staff to work and share together.

    In the future, I will DEFINITELY ask my faculty BEFORE I hire an outside consultant or speaker.


    First, I thought about the types of training that they may have had in their professions and modeled my presentation similarly. I did add a little bit of flair with the tutorial videos and I am happy to say they are under two minutes individually. I feel that this is important to note because of the subject matter. The subject matter is not a light subject, but is something that must be taught to new and returning members. It is essential that members know how to navigate the Digital Cheetah platform, so that we can be successful with our service projects throughout the year.

    Though this subject matter may not be light and fun, I do feel that I did well balancing the information and using tutorials. Another reason that I wanted to create these videos was so Junior League is able to use them indefinitely. Utilizing the presentation, it will now be easier for new members to integrate and become familiar with the communication and planning that are a part of the League. I also wanted to allow members to be able to view it as well, in case they needed a refresher.

    Finally, there was not much information or assistance when it came to the Digital Cheetah platform or when needing to troubleshoot any issues. I also searched on the AJLI website as well for helpful tips and tricks, but because each League chooses their own tier, they are able to customize it to fit their members’ needs. Many Leagues also have a dedicated person to update and fix any concerns. In my League, the responsibility is shared among different positions, which makes it a little more difficult.

    Overall, I think this training is needed and beneficial. It helps members understand how our League works. Sometimes, as adults, we must power through mundane and boring things.



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