In education, staff development training means the wholehearted willingness of teachers and school administrators / leaders to participate in collaborative activities wherein they both promote development, positive change and enhance competitiveness. It is a team effort to subject yourself to help and be helped, hence no one should think that he is even to others and must have the sole responsibility to help others develop.
Education is an everlasting process. It doesn’t stop after earning a degree and starting a career. Through continuing education, career-minded individuals can constantly improve their skills and become more proficient at their jobs. In the field of K-12 education administration, it is particularly important for school administrators to encourage teachers to pursue professional development and staff development training, not only to ensure the best learning outcomes for their students but also to be more effective and satisfied in various other aspects of their work. Hence, equipping the teachers with necessary skills and competencies is tantamount to providing the best education for the students, which is the prime goal of education.
Teachers and administrators are experienced professionals with extensive backgrounds in educational practice. They are experienced, capable adult learners, and the variety of experiences they bring with them to development programs affects what and how they learn.
Effective staff development programs should take into account the nature of adult learners and the need for making learning accessible to them. Smith (2012) suggests that there are six optimum conditions for learning and that adults learn best when these six conditions are met: (1) They feel the need to learn and have input into what, why and how they will learn. (2) Learning’s content and processes bear a perceived and meaningful relationship to past experience, and experience is effectively utilized as a resource for learning. (3) What is to be learned relates optimally to the individual’s developmental changes and life tasks. (4) The amount of autonomy exercised by the learner is congruent with that required by the mode or method utilized. (5) They learn in a climate that minimizes anxiety and encourages freedom to experiment. (6) Their learning styles are taken into account. Adult learners have special needs and special strengths and are themselves a valuable resource for each other in the learning process.
In a school, it can be enhanced through conducting training needs analysis of teachers before coming up with staff development training. The numerous trainings given by the region or national are of good consideration, that’s why in the division level it should be especially designed to cater needs of specific group of teachers. Likewise, training should be participative and embedded with many activities and tangible outputs to make sure that everyone participates and learns. Also, speakership should rotate among all teachers regardless of any factors, to give everyone equal opportunity to lead, speak and share. This will pave way to making teachers more confident of themselves and give them the sense of accomplishments. In addition, setting of rules will also help as to honesty and probity. Further, a written report of actual application of training goals must be required to make sure the transfer of words into actions. Let us always put God first in everything we do, so our way will be blessed towards the achievement of our goals.
By: Marivic F. Ordonio|Teacher III| Olongapo City National High School | Olongapo City
