What action can a principal take to support teacher professional development throughout the year?

Supporting teacher professional development requires ongoing engagement and oversight to ensure that the activities undertaken are effective and aligned with instructional goals. Monitoring professional development activities regularly allows a principal to track progress, gather feedback from teachers, and make informed adjustments as needed to improve the quality and relevance of the training provided. This continuous evaluation helps create a responsive professional development environment that meets the evolving needs of both educators and students.

While delivering monthly sessions can provide teachers with vital information and skills, without regular monitoring, the effectiveness of these sessions may not be maximized. Similarly, increasing funding is beneficial but doesn’t guarantee impactful professional development without strategic oversight. Offering incentives for early completion may motivate some teachers, but it does not replace the importance of a structured, ongoing evaluation process that ensures professional development is consistently effective throughout the school year. Therefore, monitoring is a critical foundational action that supports sustained sophistication in professional development initiatives.