Not just a day off school

When a Pro-D day approaches sometimes you hear “Oh no, another day off of school”. Yes, it is a day off for students, but it is an important day of learning for teachers.

Why are these days important and how does SD83 ensure that they are well used? Education, like other professions, changes with new practices, new understandings and improved approaches.  

You may not be aware that the type and minimum number of non-instructional days in a school year are determined provincially through negotiation between the Ministry of Education and the British Columbia Teachers’ Union. Typically, there have been six, with additional days added in recent years to support the adoption of B.C.’s new curriculum.

Professional development days are not a loss of instructional time for students, as these days were added to the school calendar. The inclusion of professional development days in the school calendar increased the number of days of work for teachers, with no loss of instructional days for students.

Educational researcher John Hattie has demonstrated that an important factor in student learning and success is the belief and ability of teachers to support their students’ learning (Hattie, 2017). This is why professional development (Pro-D) days are important. It is a day for teachers to learn from district, provincial and nationally-recognized educational leaders on topics related to student well-being and learning.

“We all want our teachers and all staff to have the most current, research based and best information – all with the single purpose of supporting teachers knowing that they can make a difference for students (teacher efficacy) and, as Hattie determined, this is the most important factor in student learning,” comments Assistant Superintendent Carl Cooper.

SD83 has a number of outstanding educators who volunteer their time to develop and lead sessions for our staff.  There is also a joint school district-teacher association team that works together to offer great learning opportunities and, every school has a professional development team.

In past years, SD83 has hosted learning opportunities with national educational leaders such as Sandra Herbst (assessment), Carole Fullerton (numeracy), Leyton Schnellert (inquiry), Shelley Moore (special education), Adrienne Gear (literacy), and Monique Gray-Smith (Indigenous perspectives). The District also has our own dynamic resources through our Instructional Leadership Team, Indigenous Department, Numeracy Team and Literacy Team. 

In addition to pro-d days, SD83 has other ongoing professional learning opportunities. For example, last year over 70 teachers volunteered their time, after school, to take part in a professional learning series on math. There are also teachers taking part in inquiry teams that meet five times a year on an educational learning project, and then share that project with other staff in May.  SD83 also provides mentorship support, on-site teacher support for technology, reporting, assessment and more.  In short, professional development is one part of the important role of teacher learning.