P r o f e s s i o n a l   D e v e l o p m e n t

By Louise Seaward-Gagnon

Quality professional development is dependent upon sufficient attention being paid to three critical factors: Content, Process and Context. While I have personally focussed extensively on content and process issues over the years in my work as a Core French Consultant, my own evolution has now led me to place the Context characteristics at the forefront of my efforts. Context characteristics refer to the "who", "when", "where" and "why" of professional development and involve the organization, the system or culture in which professional development takes place (Guskey and Sparks, 1996). The reality of the context that continues to haunt us in the second language field (at least in our region of Canada) is that Core French teachers are still largely working in isolation from one another. Recent reading and reflection has brought me to believe that one of the most promising strategies for improving second language learning for students is to create the conditions and nurture the desire of our Core French teachers to function as part of a professional learning community. "Professional learning community"…powerful words that immediately evoke images in my mind such as problem-solving, inquiry, critical thinking, risk-taking, responsibility, connectedness to ideas and people, shared vision and purpose, collaboration, networking, continuous improvement. Professional development at its best perhaps! While such an ideal may appear a formidable task and in stark contrast with our reality of "isolation", the words of Thomas Sergiovanni (1994) can be our inspiration: "Community can begin with your state of mind…From such modest beginnings. Community will take hold, then strengthen and eventually deepen."

Many of us in our careers have been successful in seeking out and/or creating professional learning communities in our quest to continually grow professionally. CASLT itself is an example of a formalized professional learning community whose initiatives and projects contribute extensively to inter-provincial collaboration and growth among educators in the fields. Regional initiatives and local associations are among other examples. It is important to recognize, however, that professional learning communities can be nurtured in many shapes and sizes. Perhaps our greatest challenge lies in reaching out to each and every individual teacher to foster that image of teacher as learner and to help each one of them experience the synergy that results when people connected by their values and beliefs about second language education work, talk and grow together.

Allow me to now share some first-step strategies that I believe will help us begin to break the isolation. First of all, there must be a commitment to support activities that bring Core French teachers together to focus on, discuss and share effective instructional strategies. Attempts to physically bring people together must continue as a preferred option at the local level. Sure, it can be frustrating when only a couple of teachers show up to after-school meetings or gatherings outside of the workday. However, as a community, we must recognize that the context of the

situation is such that people have competing priorities. If we care about these individuals, we will take the fruit of our collaboration back to them through detailed records of discussion or "care packages" of ideas and materials mailed to them. Our mindset must be…"perhaps next time, they will be able to join us".

A second strategy that I have found personally useful as a Consultant is continuous system-wide dissemination of ideas. My greatest learnings have come from observing in many teachers' classrooms; a luxury not often enough afforded to individual teachers. So, I have taken it upon myself to spread the news of all the exciting practices I've observed (I guess some might call me the gossiper of the community). I constantly talk with teachers, on the phone, in staffrooms, at the Mall, wherever about what others are doing and of course I make it a point never to leave without one of their ideas to pass on to others. Gradually, ever so gradually, teachers begin to send me things to share, to make a phone call themselves to another teacher to find out more, to ask a question. The isolation has been broken. The first seed has been planted!

The current context is that it is very difficult to bring teachers together in the same room…substitute budgets have been cut, geography is against us, people have competing priorities. We must seek alternate ways to develop the relationships if we want the concept of a professional learning community to take hold. Technology holds great potential (once we get past the technical problems!!) and this merits being explored. Other possibilities include seeking out links with other professional development programs that are emerging. For example, Beginning Teacher Induction Programs are beginning to flourish in many provinces. Most often, the mentor-protégé relationships are formed from within a school. An interesting added component of this, to further support the beginning Core French teacher, could be also assign him or her a second language mentor from another school. Teacher Leadership programs which are on the horizon hold potential for creating the mindset of building communities of learners within schools…why not across schools as well?

The power of professional learning communities rests in its potential to foster relationships, a commitment and an attitude towards learning and professional development. Professional development as a synonym for "an event we attend" has not served us well. Professional learning communities may very well be the context we need to truly enhance second language learning for all children in our schools.

About the Author

Louise Seaward-Gagnon is now the Coordinator of Professional Development for the Department of Education in Prince Edward Island. Her role is to design, develop and implement professional development programs. 

Bibliography

Dufour, R. "Critical Issues in Learning Communities". A workshop presented at NSDC 1998, Washington, D.C.

Guskey, T. and D. Sparks. "Exploring the relationship between staff development and improvements in student learning" in Journal of Staff Development, National staff development Council, Fall 1996.

Sergiovanni, T. Building Community in Schools. Jossey-Bass Inc. Publishers, California, 1994.

Réflexions February/février 2000 Vol. 19 No. 1

Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers - http://www.caslt.org