teachers to look within and dispel the notion
that someone from outside must be engaged
to take care of teachers’ PD needs. It creates
an enabling environment for teacher growth
and development by allowing teachers the
opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge
and skills, share these with their peers and
continue the growth trajectory through these
opportunities. That enabling environment
is extended to teachers who lack certain
knowledge and skills. Just like student-
centred learning provides students with
opportunities to lead and learn by doing,
teacher-led PD provides opportunities for
teachers to increase their knowledge and
skills, as well as change their attitudes and
dispositions, by taking the lead in various
forms of evidence-based PD.
Anytime, Anywhere PD
This component of the model makes it clear
that quality PD can happen anytime and
anywhere. It does not embrace tradition
that dictates that PD happens in a room
where teachers are locked away from the
outside world for 6 – 8 hours, sometimes for
several days, to ensure that they “get it”. It
underscores the value of quality professional
conversations, outside of formal training
or PD sessions, conversations that lead to
insights that translate to change in pedagogy
and approaches resulting in improved
student achievement. In this component,
there is also a shift from one-shot PD
activities in the school calendar in a formal
setting, to “bite-size” continuous PD that
may take place during staff meetings or
briefings. Conceivably, for instance, teachers
may view a three-minute video on a specific
topic and respond to it and the implications
for their practice. The entire activity may
take just 10 – 15 minutes. Similar activities
can take place during, planning meetings,
at lunch time or after school; whatever,
whenever and wherever teachers decide,
including in a WhatsApp forum with no time
boundaries, and they may be planned or
unplanned.
General Comments
It is important to recognize that the components do not function as discreet entities,
independent of each other. There is significant overlap for each. For instance, a
competency-based PD programme that is developed by the professional him/herself is
both personalized and teacher-led. Considering the interweaving of the components,
there are multiple possible configurations of this nature where overlap becomes
evident.
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Revolving around the four components of the OECS PD Model is quality instruction.
It is envisaged that should a professional apply the model as described above, the
result will be quality instruction that leads to the mantra of the OECS, Every Learner
Succeeds. ‘Quality Instruction’ also encircles the model as an encapsulation of the
four components. The paths from each component to that outer circle suggest that any
and all of the components lead to quality instruction, but that as a combined entity, the
greatest connection of the components to quality instruction is found.