ABSTRACT
Professional development has included large group activities like workshops, seminars, courses, or conferences. Contemporary professional development includes peer coaching, collaborative work teams, study groups, action research teams, mentoring, and other activities that support a teacher-leadership approach. Professional development should focus on clear results and promote the growth and learning of teachers and administrators. A good way to engage people in their own professional learning is to organize a book study group. The most successful schools are those that are committed to the continued professional growth and development of everyone on the staff. A “charrette” is a set of agreed-upon guidelines for talking with colleagues about an issue. The conversation tends to be more trusting and more substantive because everyone knows the guidelines in advance.
