Leading with Voice

Personalized Professional Learning by Allison Rodman
ASCD, May 1, 2019         

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In Personalized Professional Learning, Allison Rodman calls for the need to change our existing ideas about what professional development looks like. Passive, all-school professional development sessions for teachers are a common practice in schools. However, these types of experiences do not typically improve teacher performance or school-wide success. Rodman's goal is for school leaders to use her book as a guide for planning more meaningful training for teachers and administrators. She outlines four attributes of professional learning to keep in mind: voice, co-creation, social construction, and self-discovery. Listening to and proactively planning around teacher voice is instrumental to the creation of a positive learning culture at a school. Rodman encourages school leaders to establish a vision for professional learning through working to align school goals and teacher goals. Teachers and leaders can then work to co-create more personalized sessions, with an emphasis on them being supportive, social, and hands-on. The ideas and skills that come out of the sessions should continue to be used and developed, promoting a sense of self-discovery and continuous growth. Personalized Professional Learning is a helpful roadmap for school leaders looking to inspire their faculties through cooperative learning experiences.