You may have wondered why we did not have school on Friday, October 11. It was labelled as a professional day on the school calendar, but what does that mean? Why are they necessary? And, what exactly do the faculty do on professional days?
There are several reasons we schedule professional development time. Teaching is a continuously evolving profession. Good teachers, as life-long learners, are constantly working to upgrade their skills. There are quantities of current research available, which impact what we teach and how we teach it. Though we all strongly desire to stay current, with busy schedules, it is difficult for teachers to find the time to keep up with the newest research unless this time is built into our schedules.
We also use this time for planning. To spur deep learning experiences for our students, I have asked each of our teachers to conduct at least one cross-curricular project this year. This requires teachers to meet, share ideas, and make plans for their projects--again, this is time that is rarely available during the school day.
A third reason for last Friday’s professional day was to allow faculty to meet in departments and review our curriculum. The goal is to insure what we say we are doing aligns with what actually happens in the classroom.
Retaining our “edge” as educators requires continuous learning and improvement. This is one way we enable James River faculty to bring their best to the process of educating your children. A professional day allows James River and its faculty to remain at the forefront of K-8 education--cherishing and challenging children to become scholars, leaders, and citizens.