Our school has recent implemented a plan to move the initial interventions in the Scientific Research-Based Interventions model (SRBI model) away from a formal, administrative meeting and into an informal, grade-level team meeting where teachers can bring forth problems and confer about solutions. This is a tremendous step forward as it recognizes the importance of informal learning for teachers; additionally, it will boost their self-efficacy by providing them with opportunities to improve their practice without the worry of evaluation and oversight.
While teachers are fairly secure in their positions, the ever-increasing demands to change both what is taught (content) and how it is taught (pedagogy) can be overwhelming for both experienced and novice teachers. Add to this the pressures of keeping up with technology for both teachers and students, and you have a pressure cooker just waiting to explode. Therefore, professional development needs to be tailored for all educators: this means not only presenting information, but creating opportunities for teachers to boost their self-efficacy. It is especially important that our older teachers are provided with professional development that benefit them, including modeling by their peers, equal access to opportunities for development, and encouragement. (adapted from Maurer, 2000).
