Climb a Tree Inspired PD

This weekend, as I was cooking on the deck(a favorite past time of mine), my three year old asked me what I found to be a peculiar question - "Daddy, can you teach me how to climb a tree?" I just laughed and said, "no one teaches you how to climb a tree, you just start climbing.  Just go as high as you feel comfortable and if you get stuck, I will help you."   I have always been a "doer." Whether it was learning to climb a tree or creating a hybrid course.  I just like to go out and "do it."  During my freshman year of college, I interviewed for an assistant position with a biology professor. He explained he was looking for someone to set up the blackboard(learning management system) site for his classes as it was recently mandated and he didn't see it as good use of his time(he assumed it was a fad).  I had just learned about Blackboard two weeks prior at freshman orientation but answered with the confidence of a blackboard aficionado, "that won't be an issue."  I didn't wait to be taught blackboard.  I just went out and taught myself how to use it rather quickly and became quite skilled at it.  Oddly enough, when I went to get my first teaching job, I interviewed with a science department head that just happened to be a friend of my college employer.  The school had just adopted ANGEL(a very similar learning management system) and my stock went up.  Small world! 

Back to the tree climbing...It got me thinking about PD. How do we create doers? How do we create a tree climbing professional learning environment in our schools?  How do we get teachers, students, and administrators to seek self-directed learning and veer away from the institutionally-centered artifacts of old age sit and get, one day professional development?  Below are a few steps my principal (@chadsmithelearn) and I are looking to try this year.  I will keep you posted on how our little climbing expedition goes.

1.) Do yourself a favor and read Daniel Pink's DRIVE.  (warning...please wear a helmet as your mind is likely to get blown.)

2.) Differentiate.  Some of the staff will need it small and slow... some will want to take off the floaties and jump in the deep end.  Give choice...see #3. 

3) Maintain a focus but allow for autonomous choice of time, task, technique, and team with the your professional development model.  Check out ours below... 

This is by no means the pinnacle.  It is, however, a great slow and small start that gives your school the ability to choose what they do (task), how they do it (technique), when they do it (time), and who they do it with (team).  It is our hope that this honors the incredible professionals teachers are day in and day out.  

4) Be diligent and don't get discouraged.  Some may not like it, some may not take advantage of the gift of autonomy or being honored as professionals but refer back to (2) - some may need more help than others. 

This model allows teachers to climb the PD tree, they can go as high as they feel comfortable and you are always there to help if they get stuck.  CLIMB ON!