Chapter 16: Dissertation in Practice (DiP): Influences to Guide Professional Development Reform

I was teaching first grade in 1997 when I enrolled in a graduate program for my Master’s in Reading as well as my Reading Specialist Certification. I taught during the day and was taught at night. One year later, I became pregnant and decided I would not return to the first grade classroom. Luckily for me, I connected with a professor who was looking for someone to help her with a professional development conference. I immediately jumped at the chance, working from home with a newborn. My operational responsibilities included venue liaison, correspondence, daily schedules, audio visual and budgetary issues. I developed a holistic view of the professional development process. Here, I was in an administrative role, looking at aspects I never considered as an attendee: What is the budget? How many attendees do we need to break even? Can we afford a car service for speakers to get them or do we need to send a student to pick them up? How much food should we order? How many vendors can we fit, etc.? Two years prior, as a first grade teacher, my professional development experiences were the polar opposite: What workshop do I attend? Is my district paying for it or am I? Will I be able to use what I learn in my classroom? Will the topic fit within my district professional development plan? Interesting how quickly the tides turned.