Book Review by Ben Thrash
I’ve spent much of my career aiming to design professional learning that matters for teachers. I’d like to think I’ve had some wins and certainly can’t forget the misses. There are so many factors to consider when targeting the disparate needs of 10, 20, 50, or hundreds of colleagues with purpose and impact. Authors Elena Aguilar and Lori Cohen artfully pull from decades of experience to articulate both rationale and guidance in The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development. They explain the significance of doing this work with intention; I often caught myself smiling and nodding along, agreeing with their description of both the challenges and the recommended strategies. I felt they were speaking my language and helping me to improve. In short, this book encapsulates what we know about learning and provides a user-friendly guidebook that scaffolds the process for successfully planning and implementing professional development in schools.