Realistically, adult learners DO NOT want their time wasted. You want to make sure that you are completely maximizing your PD time with your teachers. Be it a quarterly meeting, a weekly meeting, or a week long session, you want to make sure that everyone gets the most out of their time. Below are a few things that are necessary to maximize your PD time.
#1: Do you have a clear mission & vision? This creates a sense of ownership and accountability. Everyone needs to know the big picture and their role in achieving that goal.
#2: What is the purpose of your PD? Are you determining PD topics from week to week, or have you planned out the year with check-ins along the way.
#3: Are you setting S.M.A.R.T. goals for your PD? Remember, S.M.A.R.T. goals means that your goals are SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RESULTS-FOCUSED, and TIME BOUND. You should be able to clearly articulate what people are doing, why they are doing it, and by when it needs to be done.
#4: Deliverables, deliverables, deliverables! Make sure that all participants have a deliverable. Deliverables provide participants with the change to actually think about and apply the information that you are giving them. In addition, this will also give participants something to take back to their classrooms, schools, companies, etc.
#5: Notes and Reflection. Be sure to take notes during your professional developments and reflecting on those notes. After you reflect, be sure to make changes accordingly. You may need to pick up the pace, slow the pace, or add another tool or strategy to help your PD participants better understand a concept.
#6: Follow-up. Follow-up with your PD participants! Monitor their progress. If they need additional support be sure to provide that for them.
Now this is by no means an exhaustive list, but it will definitely help you create a more focused purposeful professional development session for all those involved!