During the summer there seems to be a lot more face-to-face, blended and/or virtual professional development offerings. Over the years I have attended or presented at my share of professional development and some definitely can keep you more engaged than others. I wanted to refresh ideas and revisit best practices so I reached out to the Teachers Engaged community and asked their members how do they keep educators engaged and focused on quality learning.

Here are some of the answers that I received:

• Choice and Flexibility – offer multiple topics and interest items and allow educators to build their own schedule
• Hands-on – allow participants to roll-up their sleeves and use what they are learning
• Keep them moving – don’t sit in one spot too long – have well planned breaks and transitions
• Connect to their classroom – make the training real and relevant

All of these answers are helpful and relevant as one begins to plan an offering. Go to the full discussion to read and engage with other educators.

Besides getting information from others “in the trenches” I did some additional research and found the following sites helpful – 

• National Staff Development Council - review the standards and suggestions
• 21^st Century Schools – Tips for Professional Development

Please share additional resources and strategies to make the most out of a professional development opportunity.