In this pathway, school communities design long-term, principled approaches to professional learning in order to support the ultimate goal of interconnecting best-practices for student learning with the deep thinking, applied learning, and global and intercultural competencies inherent in the Global Impact School model.

The criteria in this section are based on Inspire Citizens’ work with Dr. Kevin Mattingly from Plussed and Teachers College, Columbia University, in which research into best practices for professional learning were synthesized into design principles and pillars. The criteria in this pathway helps ensure that the professional learning approach is supported by research, is personalized to the contexts of the school community and educators, is inclusive of and responsive to the implementation of other supportive pedagogies and initiatives, and will ensure more successful implementation via internal, sustainable capacity building over time.

Often times, the greatest challenges to successful implementation of any strategic, pedagogical choice are initiative fatigue, alignment concerns, and teacher wellness. This third pathway of the self-study works to ensure that professional learning is rooted in best-practices, where professional learning time is richly valued, all initiatives have an interdependent synergy, and teachers feel motivated and supported in becoming expert practitioners over time. 

Pathway 3 in Practice