Teacher Growth and Development
Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District's Commitment to Continuous Learning
The Importance of Ongoing Professional Learning for Educators
At Bonny Doon School, we believe that learning never stops, not just for students, but for teachers as well. Ongoing professional learning is a critical component of ensuring high-quality education and fostering student success. Research consistently shows that the quality of teaching is one of the most significant factors in student achievement, and professional development plays a key role in enhancing teacher effectiveness.
Our Commitment to Professional Growth
At Bonny Doon School, we are committed to supporting our teachers and support staff in their professional journey. Through workshops, training sessions, peer collaboration, and access to the latest educational research, we ensure that our educators have the tools they need to provide high-quality learning experiences for every student.
Current Professional Learning Initiatives, 2024-2025 School Year
Our staff is actively engaging in a variety of professional learning opportunities, including:
- Santa Cruz County Math Initiative Workshop: Teachers and the superintendent/principal are participating in this workshop along with the SC County school districts as part of a series focused on enhancing math instruction.
- "Teaching Engaged Brains" Conference: A team of teachers attended this San Francisco-based conference exploring the science of attention, focus, and motivation. The event covered the impact of stress, exercise, mindfulness, and technology on student engagement.
- YouCubed High-Level Math Conference: A team of teachers will attend this conference, which delves into conceptual, mindset-infused mathematics. Sessions will focus on teaching methods, classroom culture, and instructional strategies to support conceptual learning.
- Orton-Gillingham Training: Teachers are receiving training in the Orton-Gillingham approach, which introduces the idea of breaking reading and spelling down into smaller skills involving letters and sounds, then building on these skills over time to support literacy development.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference: Attending teachers explored STEM and/or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) in the early learning setting as essential for young children's cognitive development.
- Defusing Anger, Anxiety and Aggression: Improving Student Behavior: Our classroom aides and yard duties all participated to learn how to defuse negative student behaviors and increase student learning, and increase student capacity to interact positively.
- Superintendents’ Symposium: Our superintendent/principal attended the state’s Superintendents’ Symposium, an event bringing school leaders from around the state together for invaluable professional learning, networking and advocacy. This is a time to look at the governor's budget and for superintendents to get together to review the state-of-the-state and the state-of-the district.
Why Ongoing Professional Learning Matters
Teaching is a dynamic profession that requires educators to stay up to date with new research, instructional strategies, and best practices. Continuous professional learning allows teachers to:
- Enhance Instructional Practices: New research in education helps educators refine their teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of students.
- Improve Student Outcomes: Studies indicate that well-supported and well-trained teachers have a direct, positive impact on student learning and engagement.
- Stay Current with Educational Trends: As education evolves, teachers benefit from learning about new technologies, curriculum changes, and innovative teaching approaches.
- Foster a Collaborative Learning Environment: Professional development provides opportunities for teachers to collaborate, share experiences, and learn from one another.
Research on Teacher Quality and Student Success
Research has consistently highlighted the strong connection between teacher quality and student achievement. According to studies by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) and the Learning Policy Institute, students who have highly effective teachers demonstrate greater academic progress compared to those with less-effective instruction. Key findings include:
- Teachers who engage in consistent professional learning improve their ability to adapt instruction to meet student needs.
- Schools that invest in teacher development experience higher student achievement and retention rates.
- Professional learning communities (PLCs) and mentoring programs help educators grow in their roles and refine their teaching strategies.
By fostering a culture of continuous learning, we empower our teachers to be lifelong learners, role models, and leaders in education. We recognize that when teachers grow, students thrive.
For more information about our professional learning initiatives, please contact Mike Heffner, Superintendent/Principal at [email protected].