Professional Development for Middle School Teachers
As a middle school teacher, you have a wide range of choices for professional development. You can earn salary points or graduate credits by taking online courses. You can attend professional development workshops and conferences. and you can participate in education offered in your district.
But if you’re going to invest the time (and sometimes money) in professional development, what’s your priority? Below are some of the primary areas of professional development for middle school and junior high teachers.
Classroom Management
Most middle school teachers would readily admit that classroom management for a room full of seventh, eighth, and ninth grade students can be their biggest challenge. Combine an awkward age with peer pressure and the tension between juvenile traits and thinking they’re grown up, and it’s no wonder that middle schoolers and junior high kids can try the patience of the most tolerant teachers.
Professional development courses on classroom management for middle school students can teach you how to engage with students, set boundaries, discipline properly, and provide ongoing praise and encouragement.
Diverse Students and Learning Styles
in middle school, as with all ages, today’s classrooms are full of diverse students, with diverse learning styles. Professional development can teach you how to “lean into” diverse cultures and backgrounds, in a way that benefits all students. Knowing how to appeal to a diverse set of learners through innovative teaching methods, personalized learning, and a blend of individual and group activities can increase the effectiveness of your teaching.
Subject Matter Expertise
Increasing your subject matter expertise can be satisfying personally and professionally. Whether you graduated from college last year or have been teaching for decades, it can be rewarding to learn more about the subject you’re currently teaching or to expand your knowledge of a new subject. If you’re a math teacher, you could learn about cognitively guided instruction (CGI) or branch out and explore creative writing. If you’re an art teacher, you could take a professional development course on STEAM or dip your toe into NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards).
Even if your main interest in professional development is boosting your salary, by zeroing in on the type of professional development that would most benefit you as a middle school teacher will help ensure that your investment pays off in more ways than one.
Education 4 Equity Online Professional Development Courses
At Education 4 Equity, we offer a wide range of online professional development courses for teachers. We have 1-credit, 2-credit, and 3-credit online courses for teachers that qualify for graduate credit and have been approved for LAUSD salary points through the Los Angeles Unified School District.