Developing a 20-hour professional development workshop

Ed. Ross Woods, 2023, with thanks to Sυzαnn Riddlεsρrιgεr-Brοwn, Jαmi Sοιlεαυ Rυsh, Lindα Fοrrεsτ, Crιsτinα Sαnchεz Οrτιz, and Stερhαnιε Fαyτh.

These tips might help you if you've never created a PD workshop for college faculty and staff. (Google probably won't help; it will most likely just give sales pitches to hire external professional trainers.)

1. Why do they want this PD?
   Have they given you a particular topic, or described a particular need that they want you to address?
2. What have you been asked to do?
   If they gave you a topic, was it specific or vague?
   Did they mention whether it will be face-to-face, online, or perhaps blended. If online, with there be some zoom meetings?
3. What do you know about the group of participants?
   This will help you plan activities that suit them.
4. Set SMART goals.
   Start with SMART goals and the data that led you to develop them. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. If they are SMART, each goal will act as a benchmark to know whether or not particpants have learnt what they need.
5. How many sessions?
   A 20 hour workshop will probably go over about three days. Figure out how many sessions, and fit them into a schedule.
   Leave enough time for coffee breaks and lunches. Don't underestimate the value of good socializing (which often includes informal networking and Question and Answer sessions), but balance it with enough time in sessions.
6. Clarify theme and sessions.
   Clarify your overall theme and the topic for each session. Then add content. For example, if it is a group of teachers, look at national teaching standards that would be most helpful.

Try Jami's standard template for PD training

1. Welcome & introduce yourself
2. An icebreaker activity
3. Answer the question, Why are we doing this?
4. Give an activity to measure participant's current knowledge of the topic. For example, you could set up a KWL chart, for what students Already know, Want to know, and ultimately Learn.
5. Deliver the training topic, with lots of discussion questions throughout the training to promote discussion and the sharing of ideas
6. Give participants an activity to practice and process new information
7. Repeat the delivery of topic followed by activity
8. End the with participants sharing what they learned that was new (the "L" on the KWL chart).

Other tips

• Decide what to do with questions, because you can get sidetracked if you answer too many during sessions. One PD trainer has a parking lot where questions are parked until there is time to answer them.
• Talk your plan through with someone else. Some things that look good on paper suddenly don't make much sense when you try to verbalize them.
• It's best if you can have fun, laugh a lot, and make friends.
• Have a set of notes. You don't have to follow them slavishly, but they will rescue you if you get sidetracked and need to find your way back to the plan.
• In a multiday program you might want to give homework after the first day and use the following day to build on what the participants worked on.
• Afterwards, review your experience. What went well? What woud you do differently next time?