The Importance of Teacher Professional Development Program

Nancy N. Gamboa

Teachers Professional Development Program (PDP) is essential in ensuring the delivery of quality and relevant education for all learners. As the famous saying goes, “One cannot give what he or she doesn’t have”. This holds true for all, including teachers.

Specifically, the statement means, the act of a person in sharing his or her knowledge, wisdom and skills and the demonstration of his or her skills and competence as a form of modelling. Indeed! The statement sounds practical and logical that is plainly easy to be understood. Putting it this way, a teacher cannot be effective in teaching a lesson, if he or she himself or herself is not well versed in terms of its content and does not know any effective strategy to deliver the instruction.

Furthermore, in the context of education, a teacher will not be able to teach efficiently and effectively, if he or she doesn’t have the competence in the knowledge of the content, wisdom and skills in the use of effective teaching strategies and methodologies and the right attitude that goes with the noble vocation of teaching. Hence, it is imperative that every teacher must continuously improve and develop not only professionally, but likewise personally.

This is where the Professional Development Program comes in as it is an institutional program to be provided in every school for its teachers to be given annually. DepEd order 35, s. 2016, titled, “The Learning Action Cell as K to 12 Basic Education Program School-Based Continuing Professional Development Strategy for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, clearly states what to discuss in the sessions, who to involve, when to implement, including the how to implement and why implement.

Having this policy at hand, it is safe to assume that every school is implementing a PDP that is more relevant as it is customized because it based on the needs of the teachers and students. The School Head, being the immediate supervisor in school, has an important mandate to accomplish, that is to provide relevant PDP for teachers based on needs analysis careful deliberation with the his or her faculty. He or she must ensure that the intended program will develop and enhance not only the knowledge of the teachers in teaching the lessons, but also covers for the teachers’ progress in teaching skills, exhibiting values and attitude, which are precisely the goal of Professional Development Program.

In a nutshell, PDP is essential in every school. Thus, it must be carefully and perfectly planned and implemented for every learner’s ultimate development, after all, they are the future managers and leaders of the future of our world.

--oOo-

The author is Principal I at Telabastagan Integrated School