We’ve been conducting and participating professional development sessions as final projects for my reading specialist class. My classmates have put together excellent presentations on a broad span of topics. In our discussions about the content of our presentations and the reactions of participants, it struck me that the most effective professional development addresses what I can only label the WHY. I think the WHY is what is most often missing from the PD we participate in our schools and at conferences. To explain:
- In a word study presentation, many teachers had some experience with word study activities. But it was the developmental spelling stages that had the greatest impact. Having a deep understanding of these stages is essential to choosing the right activities to use with students.
- One classmate presented to her teammates about the relationships and differences between Lexile Scores, DRA levels, and the Fountas & Pinnell reading levels. She reported that, even though these teachers used these systems regularly, they never knew how the levels were determined. They were all so appreciative to know the WHY behind this tiered system.
- Yesterday’s session focused on kindergarten comprehension. I haven’t taught that young of an age for a long time, but this topic has new interest for me as my daughter gets closer to kindergarten. In discussing ways to teach comprehension at this young age, we were all challenged by the simplicity of the kindergarten texts. And I kept asking myself, “Why is sequencing important to a 4 year old? What does it teach her when she’s reading or hearing a story?”

I guess my point is that because we are overwhelmed by the monumental task of teaching all we have to teach, we can become too focused on the WHAT rather than the WHY. While in reality, if we really understand the WHY - the end goal, the focus of our pursuits - then finding/creating activities to address that focus will become much easier. I find myself hoarding teaching materials so often - “Oh that’s great! Let me get a copy of that!” But if I focus my pursuits on the WHY of what my students need at this point, I won’t have to hoard everything I come into contact. I’ll be able to make focused, clear decisions and choose activities more wisely.