PD. CE. PL. These funky letters are all acronyms that educators have heard many times! We also know that many who are invested in Ohio County Schools don’t hear these acronyms on a daily basis! We wanted to take a moment to explain what these acronyms mean, and how they might affect your family. Read on to learn more about how our teachers continue learning on a daily basis!
PD, or professional development, is a requirement in many professions. Job site Indeed explains, “Professional development includes advancing skills, traits and competencies that contribute to your success in the workplace.” In education, PD is utilized frequently, particularly in summer months. Teachers often embrace this time to learn a new skill, like better understanding AI, or to explore data on a deeper level, like analyzing test scores and adjusting lessons for next year. Oftentimes, teachers embrace the opportunity to teach a PD session to other teachers, especially if they have found a tactic or tool particularly useful in their own classroom.
CE, or Continuing Education, refers to the courses that a professional must take in order to keep their license or certification active. Teachers in the state of WV must complete college level coursework through CE hours every few years until their teaching license is eligible to become permanent. Many local and state universities offer courses designed for working teachers, often focusing on content for their classrooms or new technology. CE courses might also take place in Ohio County Schools when a book study is offered. When a book is particularly useful and a teacher or administrator feels others would benefit from reading it, they can hold a book study through an accredited university and design a course around the ideas in the book.
Another type of CE is not necessarily offered for college credit towards degree or licensure status, but aims to help prepare new teachers to feel supported in our school system. OCS also offers TIPS (teacher induction program) trainings. These trainings are available monthly to help new teachers learn information that can directly help them in the profession. It also helps new and veteran teacher form relationships and learn from each other.
PL, or Professional Learning days, may often feel like a random day off school for students! In reality, PL days are actually incorporated so teachers can meet and learn collaboratively for a variety of reasons. During these days, teachers often meet with their content or grade level to further discuss student learning. They also use this time to partake in new training sessions that are important for the success of all students. For example, teachers may train or retrain on how to help a child who is struggling with trauma, or teachers may complete a CPR and AED course.
These acronyms have the ability to change the way we teach! When teachers learn something meaningful in a training, it often makes its way back to the classroom. All training typically serves the same purpose: keeping kids learning! We are proud of our many teachers who are both leading and partaking in growing professionally! Our OCS teachers are always looking for ways to improve, and they take every opportunity to continue learning for our students.