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Kuby-Benchmark Reflection of Professional Development Session

This document reflects on a professional development session presented by the author to colleagues at their school. The presentation provided strategies from research on maximizing instruction time and minimizing classroom disruptions. Feedback was incorporated from meetings with the principal to refine the presentation. Presenting in small groups allowed for meaningful guidance. The strategies aligned with school goals to reduce referrals and create a nurturing learning environment. An accountability plan was developed with the principal to observe lessons and provide feedback on implementing the strategies. The experience helped expand the author's presentation and leadership skills.

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153 views

Kuby-Benchmark Reflection of Professional Development Session

This document reflects on a professional development session presented by the author to colleagues at their school. The presentation provided strategies from research on maximizing instruction time and minimizing classroom disruptions. Feedback was incorporated from meetings with the principal to refine the presentation. Presenting in small groups allowed for meaningful guidance. The strategies aligned with school goals to reduce referrals and create a nurturing learning environment. An accountability plan was developed with the principal to observe lessons and provide feedback on implementing the strategies. The experience helped expand the author's presentation and leadership skills.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Running head: BENCHMARK- REFLECTION OF PROFESSIONAL


DEVELOPMENT SESSION

Benchmark- Reflection of Professional Development Session

Michelle A. Kuby

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD-523: Developing Professional Capacity

Professor Rich Rundhaug

June 30, 2021


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BENCHMARK- REFLECTION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION
Throughout my time enrolled in EAD-523- Developing Professional Capacity, I had the

opportunity to create and present my professional development and received feedback from

multiple colleagues at my site school. This process took several weeks to accomplish at a high

level, which was eye opening to me. From this project, I learned the amount of time and effort

that is necessary to have a well-thought-out and meaningful professional development for my

future staff members.

My presentation, entitled Maximize Instruction Through Professional Development, was

a hands-on learning experience for the staff on how to adjust their lesson plans to prevent down

time, which can lead to classroom disruptions. In the beginning of the presentation, I introduce

research-based strategies outlined by Frank Masci in Time for Time on Task and Quality

Instruction. Within this article, Masci states that the purpose is to “highlight several aspects of

using time effectively through a series of vignettes, to apply the current research on time on task,

and to offer to middle school educators a variety of ways to help remedy lost time on task.”

(Masci, 2008) I presented these strategies to my colleagues, then provided them ample time to

put their understanding to work. Working in small groups during their scheduled grade level

team time, an adjustment made after meeting with my mentor principal, the groups worked

collaboratively to apply their new knowledge to sample lesson plans.

Presenting this material within the smaller group setting was a suggestion that I was

happy to receive. This provided me the opportunity to spend quality time with each group and

guide them to a higher level of thinking. The presented strategies used the ARCS Model of

Motivational Design Theories to engage the learner. More specifically, I focused on guideline 1

which is attention. “The first step in instructional design for motivation is to capture the learners’

attention through either perceptual arousal or inquiry arousal.” (Keller, 2020) I was able to
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BENCHMARK- REFLECTION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION
capture the attention of my colleagues by having them relate to real life examples of off task

behavior. In addition, I ensured that the presentation was mostly hands-on learning to keep the

engagement level high.

Although I was unable to present this professional development to each grade level, I did

present several versions to my mentor principal, as well as a few other colleagues. The

relationships I have built with these teachers and my mentor principal are very strong, so I felt

incredibly comfortable during these presentations. I knew that I would receive genuine feedback

and that they valued my success as much as I valued theirs. I also believe that being able to

present and make changes several times was beneficial and helped with my confidence level.

This presentation directly aligned to one of the school improvement plans’ goals.

Looking at the referral data, the number one referral across all grade levels was classroom

disruption. Teachers are now equipped with a new strategy to reduce the time off task, and

hopefully decrease the number of disruptions in the classroom. The presentation also aligns to

the school vision and mission statement. The mission at Calvin Coolidge Middle School is to

“create a safe, nurturing environment for learning.” (Swanson & Love, 2020) Instead of focusing

on diffusing the classroom disruptions, teachers can spend more time teaching, encouraging, and

reflecting.

As a future educational leader, it was necessary for me to not only plan and present the

professional development, but to follow up and ensure that these new skills were being

implemented into the classrooms. After discussing with my mentor principal, we decided that the

best way is to create an accountability plan. Within this accountability plan, we have asked all

teachers to apply their skills to an upcoming lesson they have created. The principal would then

observe the teacher during the scheduled lesson and provide feedback at a post-observation
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BENCHMARK- REFLECTION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION
meeting. It is important to me to have strong positive relationships with all of my stakeholders

and having this relationship will ensure that the teachers are comfortable with me in the

classroom.

Managing time off task within the classroom is just one of the many topics that need to

be discussed and presented to staff. It is important to always stay up to date with the upcoming

trends and initiatives in education. With the introduction of technology, the education world has

changed drastically. My educational philosophy has always been to remain a life-long learner.

With this change in education comes opportunities to learn. I will always make the effort to

educate myself, participate in professional developments, read research articles, and use social

media to follow other educational leaders.

Overall, this professional development presentation has been extremely instrumental in

expanding my skillset. It provided me with presentation experience, valuable conversations and

feedback and a better understanding on the amount of time and effort that is needed to ensure the

needs are met for all stakeholders.


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BENCHMARK- REFLECTION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION
References:

Keller, J. (2020). ARCS Model of Motivational Design Theories. Retrieved from E-Learning

Essentials 2020: https://elearning2020.pressbooks.com/chapter/arcs-model-of-

motivational-design/

Kuby, M. (2021, June). Maximize Instruction Through Professional Development. Peoria,

Illinios.

Masci F. (2008). Time for Time on Task and Quality Instruction. Middle School Journal, 40(2),

33-41. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00940771.2008.11461670

Swanson, M., & Love, M. (2020, August). Calvin Coolidge Middle School Student Handbook.

West Peoria, IL.

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