An Agile-Inspired, Humanity-Centering Approach to Educator PD
As a team member at the organizational development consulting firm The Developmental Edge (TDE), I've had the chance to personally experience and help facilitate a new approach to professional and leadership development. It's called a Developmental Sprint®. The Sprint process was designed by (and has since been refined by) a world-renowned group of leadership and organizational development experts — several of them faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. It's being used in corporate settings all over the world. And while I certainly do not endorse trying to export a whole bunch of business solutions into the education sector, I think this is an instance in which adopting practices from outside of our field could open up incredible new possibilities for us (educators) and the children we seek to serve.
Many teachers and school leaders I talk with seem to be longing for something different when it comes to educator professional development. Especially now, with everything about school having been turned on its head over the past couple of months.
The Developmental Sprint® is different from anything I ever experienced in my 10+ years in education. Here's what makes it special:
It equips participants with tools and know-how to nurture their own and others' growth and adaptability.
It supports participants to identify and make immediate, lasting improvement in their most pressing areas for growth.
It deepens relationships and trust between colleagues.
It strengthens habits of self-awareness and perspective-taking.
TDE is exploring the possibility of bringing the Developmental Sprint® to schools and school systems, and we'd love your help. We are currently seeking a small number of forward-thinking teachers and school leaders to be part of an "educator pioneers" group. Members of this group will participate in a Developmental Sprint®, attend a post-Sprint debrief, and contribute to an initial set of recommendations for how the Developmental Sprint® process might best serve the needs of fellow educators. The total time commitment will be 12 hours over 8 weeks.
We all know we need to grow and develop ourselves — if you're anything like me, the current moment puts that in starker relief than ever. But many of us aren't sure where to start. If you're interested in being an "educator pioneer," in growing yourself and bringing new, innovative professional development practices into education, please sign up for a quick chat. We'd love to start a conversation.