Professional Development Guide Introduction

EdCamp and TeachMeet can be a great part of a balanced PD approach, having an outside partner that grows the professional learning from the questions of teachers can be powerful.
This relates back to point #1 and the issue of context and in a truly inquiry-based approach teachers are identifying what they need to know and understand in order to reach their goals. Leadership is supporting them with PD that is driven by those teacher voices.

4. Teachers prefer PD that includes hands-on strategies applicable to their classroom.

Nobody likes sit-n-get. Students don’t and teachers certainly don’t. If your professional development is stuck at the bottom of Bloom’s taxonomy only delivering basic facts, ideas, and concepts for consumption it’s likely going to be a dud. Better to ask teachers to move up Bloom’s by applying that learning to their work which can help them make meaning.
The best idea is to ask them to move from consumption to creation at the start so they can contextualize the thinking and strategies they may apply in their classroom. Doing this also helps grow the powerful shift from push to pull teaching and learning. Does your PD include deliverables from your teachers (and leaders!) that require deep thinking and collaboration? Will they walk away with something they can use in the short term but also fits into a wider context of growth?

5. Teachers prefer PD that is highly interactive.

Nobody likes sit-n-get. That doesn’t mean that your PD should be full of silly games and stuff that ‘gets you on your feet’ for no real purpose. Start your PD off with what I jokingly call ‘reindeer games’ and you’ll lose your cynical teachers instantly.
Engaging teachers in active thinking, processing, and dialogue while at their seats can be rewardingly interactive. Mixing that with things that do get them moving like a Gallery Walk or ‘The Scissors Game’ where teachers practice the 4 C’s of Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking and more outside of the heavy content of the workshop can be great brain breaks to keep the work moving forward.
The adage of hands-on and minds-on works here, just be purposeful in your efforts to not let things get stale.