-by Timothy (Tim) Grivois, Ed.D.
The biggest problem with professional learning is that everything about it is too big. The trainer from out of town is pricey, the stuff you need to implement the learning is expensive, and you need to pay for subs so that teachers can go to the Great Big PD during a workday. Worst of all, the PD might not be what teachers need, making every decision to send teachers to anything a gamble.
What if we could get great PD without going anywhere? Imagine if the PD showed up in a box with everything you needed to do the work already inside, and had a phone number for an expert ready to help.
Almost everything a person needs to know about Positive Behavior Interventions and Support, Social and Emotional Learning, Trauma Informed Care, Self-care and Wellness, Universal Design for Learning, or Differentiated Instruction exists on the internet for free.
What isn’t available for free is the stuff you need, organized into bite-sized chunks and sent to you in a curated box. The box should be small enough for any teacher or school leader to open it up and get started and comprehensive enough to support meaningful differences in practice.
I know. I have been highly critical of “PD in a Box,” and here I go telling you about the boxes I want to make. But go to a PD that I lead right now. You’ll engage with the same content and materials as anyone else and likely come away with a personalized method to apply your learning in your school, classroom, or nonprofit workspace.
Typically, educators have to find time out of their buildings or during their own planning time to engage in full-day sessions that might not even connect with what they want to know, understand, or be able to do. Soon, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of TGS Educational Consulting’s most widely requested trainings and get started in 15 minutes through your own action research and application.
Right now, the current bite-sized PD options we’re developing are:
- Tier 1 PBIS
- Buddy Board for SEL
- Buddy Board for Staff
- Basic Check-in / Check-out
- Individualized Behavior Support Planning
- Self-care for Caring Professionals
If you’d be interested in piloting one of these modules, email me at tim@tgseducationalconsulting.com or schedule a video call by clicking here.