Pros and Cons of Ongoing Professional Development for Teachers

Additional training or ongoing professional development does not sound fun when first hearing about it.  When I think further about it, however, I find that furthering my education concerning teaching and methods doesn’t have to be unpleasant or something I dread.

The benefits of additional training are clear to me:  In the ever changing world of education, going back to classes and learning about new methods, findings, research, and ways of teaching will be very beneficial.  A teacher who goes to classes and learns continually will have an easier time staying out of a teaching rut.  Also, in taking part in professional development classes, the teacher will be in contact with other teachers from other schools and could learn things from peers that she might not otherwise learn back at her own school.

The drawbacks are also clear: the additional time it will consume.  I love my free-time immensely, and I dread all the out-of-school things I’ll have to do as a teacher.  Adding on ongoing professional development classes to all the other responsibilities I will have will be a burden that I think I will resent, even with the benefits.  I don’t know if teachers have to pay for their ongoing education.  I would not be surprised if they did, and that, too, would be a drawback.  Maybe they don’t have to pay; that’d be nice.