On those days, family routines and childcare plans change. PD days help keep teachers current. Change is affecting all of us, in our families, our work, and our communities. Skilled, enthusiastic teachers are key to maintaining the quality of education. Topics for PD come from the classroom experience of learning and teaching.
Teachers decide individually and together the issues to address.
They attend workshops and conferences, participate in mentoring programs, pursue self-directed professional development, and undertake other activities designed to enhance teaching and learning. They take their new skills back to their classrooms. They can, and they do. Teachers spend many hours attending university, taking evening classes and weekend workshops, reading professional journals, and going to summer school. PD days allow individual teachers, teams of teachers, or whole school staffs, to address current issues.