The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development

by Elena Aguilar, Lori Cohen

Overview

Develop transformational professional development programs that build and sustain your school community

In The PD Book, bestselling author Elena Aguilar and co-author Lori Cohen offer seven habits—and a wealth of practical tools—that help you transform professional development. In this book, you'll learn how to inspire adult learners, the importance of having clear purpose, and how to navigate power dynamics in a group. You'll also learn a new way to plan PD that allows you to attend to details and be a responsive facilitator. The dozens of tips and tricks, anecdotes and research, and tools and resources will enable you to create the optimal conditions for learning.

You'll also:

• Craft effective outcomes for your adult students and design an agenda that aligns with adult learning principles
• Use storytelling as a tool for effective workshops and trainings
• Plan backwards from evaluations and outcomes to create powerful and lasting educational experiences

Ideal for educational leaders and administrators, professional development facilitators, coaches, and positional leaders in both K-12 and higher education, The PD Book is an incisive resource offering concrete strategies for educators at all levels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781119843351
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	05/24/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	16,263
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

ELENA AGUILAR is Founder and President of Bright Morning Consulting, an international education, coaching, and consulting firm that offers new learning practices to organizations that aspire to build resilient communities and a just and equitable world. She has twenty years’ experience as a classroom teacher and instructional and leadership coach.

LORI COHEN has over twenty years' experience working in public and independent schools as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, administrator, and workshop facilitator. She designs practical and portable learning experiences and facilitates sessions with a strong infusion of humor and heart.

Table of Contents

About the Authors xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction 1

A Couple Notes on Anonymity and Terminology 4

Pulling Back the Curtain 4

Defining Professional Development 7

Creating the Conditions for Learning 12

What If PD Could Be More Like a Party? 16

Who We Are and Who You Are 18

What Is in This Book? 20

Before You Go 23

1 Determine Purpose 25

Dismantling PD Apathy 26

Purpose: The Foundation for Transformational Learning 27

Create Purposeful Plans 32

Communicate: Make the Learning Matter 37

Putting It All Together 40

Assessing Impact 42

Before You Go 47

2 Engage Emotions 49

What You Need to Know about Emotions to Deliver Transformative PD 51

Grumpiness, Pet Peeves, and Triggers 59

Creating Psychological Safety 64

Mitigating Dominant Culture: Creating Safe-ish Spaces 75

Beyond Psychological Safety 80

Before You Go 83

3 Navigate Power 85

Sources of Power 88

Leveraging Power 99

The Impact of Power 102

Possibilities for Navigating Power 106

How to Dissolve Resistance 112

Start and End with Relationships 117

Before You Go 118

4 Anchor in Adult Learning 119

You Can't Make People Learn 121

Adult Learning Theory 101 126

The Stages of Learning 133

Adult Learning in the Virtual PD World 138

You Can Create the Conditions for Learning 140

Before You Go 141

5 Design Intentionally 143

Tools for Intentional Design 146

A Process for Intentional Design 154

Shift the Dominant Culture in Design 171

Before You Go 175

6 Attend to Details 177

Details Matter to Learning 179

Long-Term Planning: Get Ready 182

Short-Term Planning: Finalize the Details 196

The Day Of: Go Time 200

Closing: Leave Things Better Than You Found Them 205

Before You Go 208

7 Facilitate Adaptively 209

Detours Happen 211

When Harm Happens 214

The Roots of Adaptive Facilitation: Know Yourself 217

Becoming an Adaptive Facilitator: Skill Sets to Refine 221

Addressing PD Detours 228

Reimagining What's Possible 236

Before You Go 237

Conclusion 239

Appendix A The Core Emotions 243

Appendix B Nonviolent Communication's Universal Human Needs 247

Appendix C What- Why-How Agenda Template 253

Appendix D Structures for Virtual Learning 255

Appendix E Checklist for Attending to the Details 257

Appendix F Resources for Further Learning 261

Glossary 263

References 267

Index 269

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Elena Aguilar brings to The PD Book a wealth of knowledge and expertise delivering high-quality learning experiences for teachers and leaders. Educators who design and deliver PD will gain unique, interesting, and pertinent insights from Aguilar’s ideas, her research, and the tools she offers for making PD joyful, meaningful and equitable."
—Robert Ryshke, Executive Director of the Center for Teaching, Westminster School, Atlanta, GA

"Grounded in research on adult learning and drawing from many years of experience, Elena Aguilar and Lori Cohen take readers on a journey into creating transformative professional development. They share strategies for building community and creating spaces that are antiracist and welcoming for participants of all backgrounds. Chapters show presenters how to engage emotions, effectively counter resistance, and navigate power. This book is a must-have for new as well as seasoned professional developers, invigorating all with the courage to provide bold, motivating, and magical sessions."
—Becki Cohn-Vargas, Ed.D. Author of Identity Safe Classrooms, Places to Belong and Learn

"Ever wonder how to craft the kind of PD that changes hearts, minds, and behaviors? Mystery solved. Elena and Lori provide us with the concrete knowledge, tools, and skills to create inspirational PD that ultimately transforms schools."
—Jenn David-Lang, Editor, THE MAIN IDEA

"In this book, Elena invites educators to level up their ability to humanize learning for adults. These are the key skills we need today if we are serious about reimagining what teaching and learning look like for equity-minded coaches and teacher-leaders who are in charge of professional learning."
—Zaretta Hammond, teacher educator and author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain

"Today's students need their teachers to be engaged in professional learning that helps these educators develop new relationships to learning and to each other. Aguilar's latest book shares key guideposts, facilitation moves and reflective questions that will help novice and experienced PD leaders alike to change how educators are thinking and feeling about professional learning so that it truly transforms their teaching."
—Jill Harrison Berg, Ed.D. Author of Uprooting Instructional Inequity: The Power of Inquiry-Based Professional Learning

"Elena and Lori's approach to professional learning is truly transformational. The tools and insights transcend any sector and prepare readers to facilitate professional development that pushes leaders and learners further down path toward justice."
—Sherene Judeh, Chief Program Officer of Ampact

"Aguilar and Cohen have written the quintessential book on adult learning. With a keen eye to equity, The PD Book provides the perfect blend of anecdotes, tools, and practical guidance for anyone wishing to design and deliver transformative professional development in the education space."
—Ben Owens, Co-Founder of Open Way Learning

"Elena has created a refreshing blueprint for every leader who is striving to create a healthy and intentional learning organization. If you are a leader searching to create opportunities for deep connection and learning through PD, this book will take you on a transformative journey and push you to design PD that shifts thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of every human in your care. Elena and her team truly "pull the curtain back" on fostering environments for change- her work and her generosity are a true gift to leaders and PD practitioners."
—Shawna Wells, CEO of Wells Coaching and Consulting and B is for Black Brilliance