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Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Education Opinion

Q & A Collections: Professional Development

By Larry Ferlazzo — August 31, 2015 5 min read
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I’ll begin posting new questions and answers in mid-September, and during the summer will be sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past four years. You can see all those collections from the first three years here.

Today’s theme - the sixteenth one in this summer series - is on Professional Development. Previous themes have been:

Previous updated thematic collections are:

Classroom Management

Student Motivation

Implementing The Common Core

The Best Ways To Begin & End The School Year

Teaching Social Studies

Project-Based Learning

Brain-Based Learning

Using Tech In The Classroom

Parent Engagement In Schools

Teaching English Language Learners

Student Assessment

Teaching Reading & Writing

Education Policy Issues

Differentiating Instruction

Author Interviews

Teaching Math & Science

You can see the list of Professional Development posts following this excerpt from one of them:

From 2014/15

New Teacher Advice - ‘Hold On To Your Optimism & Idealism’

Allison Zmuda, Jenny Edwards, Kelly Young, Maurice J. Elias, and Emily Geltz contribute their guest responses sharing advice new teachers, and many readers do the same.

Advice to New Teachers From Veterans

Five veteran educators -- Valeria Brown, Julia Thompson, Roxanna Elden, Sean McComb and Megan Allen -- share advice they wish they had at the beginning of their careers.

Focusing ‘More On What Goes Right Than On What Goes Wrong’

Rebecca Mieliwocki, Allen Mendler, Jennifer Orr, Mike Anderson, and Daniel Rechtschaffen contribute their suggestions on how teachers can maintain a sane balance between classroom and home life.

Ways To Find The ‘Right Balance’ Between School & Home

Educators Renee Moore, Debbie Silver, Julia Thompson and Vicki Davis provide us all with some advice on balancing teaching with a personal life.

Teachers ‘Seek Relevance & Choice’ In Professional Development

This post includes responses from Roxanna Elden, Sally J. Zepeda, Christopher Lehman, Jennifer Abrams, PJ Caposey, Patricia Reynolds, and Sharon Milano. In addition, I’ve highlighted comments from readers. All make suggestions about how to make professional development more effective learning experiences.

Follow-Up Is Critical For Successful Professional Development

This post shares commentaries on how to improve teacher professional development from educators Sean McComb, Robyn R. Jackson, Kelly Young, Paul Cancellieri, Jason Flom, and Barbara Blackburn.

The Kind of Professional Development We Need - Part Two

Rick Wormeli continues sharing his professional development recommendations in Part Two of his essay.

The Kind of Professional Development We Need

Rick Wormeli shares his suggestions for how to make professional development effective for teachers.

‘Write The Book You Wish You Had On Your Bookshelf’

This final post in a series on teachers writing books shares advice from Kimberly Carraway, Erik Palmer, Jeffrey Benson and Cathie E. West. In addition, I share a few comments from readers.

‘Teachers Make Great Authors’

Allison Scott, Julia Thompson, and Vicki Davis share suggestions for teachers who would like to write a book and get it published. This is the second post in a three-part series.

Educators Wanting To Write A Book ‘Must Go For It!’

Marjorie McAneny, Alan Sitomer, PJ Caposey and Steven Anderson share their suggestions for educators who want to write a book.

Seven Strategies For Working With Student Teachers

This final post in the series features what I think is a particularly interesting combination -- a quest response from Ted Appel, the principal of the inner-city school where I teach, who describes the innovative requirements he insisted upon if a university was interested in placing student teachers with us; followed by a commentary from Pia Lindquist Wong, director of a university teaching credentials program who found that her ideas dovetailed with those of Ted’s - the two then developed a partnership.

Letting Student Teachers ‘Sink or Swim’ Is ‘Not Permissible’

Michael Opitz and Michael Ford; PJ Caposey; Patty O’Grady; and Sally Zepeda all share their advice to student teachers and their supervisors.

Part Three - Book Recommendations For Teachers

This post is the final one in this series, and features book recommendations from Grant Wiggins, John Norton, Barbara Blackburn, Amy Benjamin and Kevin Washburn, plus a zillion reader comments.

More Book Recommendations For Teachers

Educators Megan Allen, Erin Klein, Jeffrey Zoul and Mike Fisher share their book recommendations for teachers in Part Two in a series.

Book Recommendations For Teachers -- Part One

In Part One of this three-part series, education writer and parent Melinda D. Anderson shares her book recommendations for teachers, as do educator/authors Kelly Gallagher, Cathy Vatterott and Vicki Davis.

More Advice On Teacher Attire

In this last post of a two-part series, educator Robyn R. Jackson shares her thoughts - particularly for women educators. I’m also publishing comments from many, many readers.

Teachers Should Dress As Students’ Advocate, Not ‘Peer’

In Part One of a two-part series, four educators - Roxanna Elden, Renee Moore, Jane Fung, and Rebecca Mieliwocki - share their thoughts on how teachers should dress.

From 2013/14

Using ‘Self-Compassion’ to Recover From a Bad Day

In addition to sharing many comments from readers, educators Amy Benjamin and Dina Strasser post their thoughts in this post.

A Bad Day In The Classroom ‘Will Pass’

This post includes contributions from Terry Thompson, Renee Moore and Cindi Rigsbee.

Recover From Bad Days by Seeing ‘Disasters as Opportunities’

This column has quite a line-up, starting with Roxanna Elden, who is one of the most engaging and entertaining education writers around. Her contribution is followed by guest responses from two other exceptional educators and authors -- Allen Mendler and Julia Thompson.

Male Teachers ‘Walking A Tight Rope’

New York City teacher José Vilson and Sacramento educator Alice Mercer share their responses.

Wondering ‘How Gender Influences a Teacher’s Struggles & Successes’

This post features a guest response from educator Ray Salazar who, in addition to sharing his personal experiences and thoughts, interviewed other teachers, too.

From 2011/12

What Principals Look For In A Prospective Teacher

High School principal Eric Sheninger, Middle School principal Pete Hall, and Superintendent Pamela Moran share their advice.

I hope you’ve found this summary useful and, again, keep those questions coming!

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.