Teachers don’t just educate students, they also educate themselves. Teacher work days give teachers many opportunities to learn, grow, and develop in their classrooms.
There are multiple purposes for professional development days which are also known as work days. These work days give teachers the opportunity to further educate themselves in the subjects they teach. Throughout the year, there are about 13 work days, most of which occur on Mondays.
According to Fair Grove High School Principal, Dr. Christian Overstreet, “Professional development days for teachers and staff serve several important purposes, all aimed at enhancing the quality of education and the effectiveness of educators.”
The work days are created to give teachers the opportunity to collaborate with one another, update curriculum, improve instructional practices, engage in professional growth, and increase student achievement.
Each work day may look different, but typically, during every work day, the building principal holds faculty meetings. At those meetings, teachers receive updates on things happening during the school year. Additionally, on these work days, teachers and staff can take specialized training sessions that enhance classroom instruction.
Teachers can use the work days to get ahead on their regular classroom work too. Susanne Feldman, a Fair Grove High School math teacher, shares how she spends her time during the teacher work day. “I generally spend a little time grading, and mostly planning lessons and making copies. I try to be involved with several small groups as well, so I often have additional meetings to attend.”
In addition to regular classroom tasks, teachers can utilize these work days for more individualized training. Fair Grove High School English teacher Stacy Beller explained, “It’s a chance for teachers to attend meetings, review state requirements, and collaborate with coworkers.”
The work days also give teachers the opportunity to work together toward a variety of objectives. According to Dr. Overstreet, teachers accomplish effective collaboration with their colleagues, plan upcoming building or district-wide events, and attend one-on-one meetings with staff and administrators.
During the month of November, administrators encourage teachers to schedule an observation on a professional development day with another teacher who works in a different school district. The Fair Grove teachers have to observe other teachers in the same subject area. Dr. Overstreet added, “We have done this once in the past and our teachers really enjoyed this opportunity!”
Teachers appreciate the time set aside for work days. Mrs. Feldman added, “They are so helpful and in my opinion give the teachers a chance to catch their breath and regroup for the upcoming weeks of lessons!” The work days are designed to encourage, educate, and train the teachers during the school year.
