Professional Development for Elementary School Teachers
If you’re an elementary school teacher, you have a wide range of choices for professional development. You can earn PD credits by taking online classes and courses, attending workshops and conferences, and participating in activities offered by your school or district.
But what should you study? What would be the most beneficial? That depends in part on your goals – which could range from self-improvement to pay raises – but let’s take a look at some of the primary areas of professional development for elementary school teachers.
Classroom Management
Most elementary school teachers would cite classroom management as one of the most challenging aspects of their jobs, and for good reason. Young students have more trouble concentrating, are still learning rules and boundaries, and have shorter attention spans. Professional development courses on classroom management for elementary school teachers can teach you how to set classroom rules, avoid power struggles, stay calm and positive, involve parents, and more.
Diverse Students and Learning Styles
Today’s elementary schools are full of diverse students who come from a range of economic and cultural backgrounds. Because younger students, in particular, become disengaged more easily, it’s important that they see themselves reflected in what’s being taught. Professional development courses on personalized learning can be helpful in teaching you how to incorporate students’ cultures, backgrounds, and linguistic traits into your lesson plans, group activities, and curriculum.
Continuing education that focuses on different learning styles (visual, aural, verbal, and physical) can also be useful for elementary school teachers.
ESL and Second-Language Learning
in most elementary school classrooms across the country today, there are students who are learning English at the same time as they’re learning math, science, history, and other subjects. This challenge tends to affect elementary school teachers more than it does middle school teachers or high school teachers, because of the higher percentage of ESL students.
Committing to professional development that shows you how to address second-language learning, honor all students’ cultures, and incorporate multicultural materials into your teaching can help ensure that you effectively reach all students.
Education 4 Equity Online Professional Development Courses
At Education 4 Equity, we offer a wide range of online professional development courses for teachers, including 3-credit courses on Personalizing Learning and Classroom Management: Restorative Justice in Action.
All of our 1-credit, 2-credit, and 3-credit online courses for teachers qualify for graduate credit and have been approved for LAUSD salary points through the Los Angeles Unified School District.