Anat Hilel

The professional development of the teaching workers improves the quality of their teaching and advances the educational and scholastic achievements. Professional development is a continuous process of expanding information and polishing the professional skills of the teaching worker throughout his career as a part imbedded in his work.

The process of development occurs when engaging various roles and it is expressed in the knowledge fields, in the pedagogic management as well as in the educational and organizational field. The learning supporting it, is held within the school and outside of it (The Ministry of Education, 2008).

The professional development is perceived as an element in the work routine of organizations and as a means in their processes of improvement and change. Professional developing in schools was meant to assist teachers to expand their knowledge, develop new teaching methods and upgrade skills to progress student achievement and functioning.

* Numerous studies indicate that successful organizations are those managed to create mechanisms learning and organizational development (Milstein, 1994).

* Successful organizations are those nurturing the leadership of the position holders who work for them and encouraged them to take systemic responsibility for what is being done (Toffler, 1992).

* The teachers’ knowledge and practice can change as a result of a vigorous program for professional development (2005, Snow- Renner & Lauer).

* Strong professional learning communities can promote teacher learning and improve their teaching (2005, Snow-Renner & Lauer).

The professional development program of the school includes the main planned actions in the school in this field, as a part of concentrating the effort to achieve the main goals according to the priority that has been determined (as they are deriving from its’ staff’s point of view, its’ mapping data and the objectives of the office, district or authority).

The personal professional development includes the main actions the teaching worker plans to act in order to achieve – his professional development goals regarding the future of his professional career and professional objectives of the school (from The Professional Development Policy document for teaching workers “Ofek Hadash” (New Horizon).

What is professional development during a position?

Already in the 1920s, Lindemann (1925) coined the term “Lifelong Learning”. This term indicates that professional development is a constant development of the professional knowledge and skills throughout the professional life of the teaching worker.

The main objectives of the professional development are an increase in the level of professionalism of the teacher, an increase in the quality of the teaching and an improvement in classroom teaching practices (Emanuel, 2012).

While in the traditional model there was an emphasis on delivering knowledge from an expert to a teacher, then in recent years there is an emphasis on the professional experience of the teacher as a base for meaningful learning and the need to connect the learning to his everyday experiences.

Professional development engages with the development and nurturing of knowledge, role perception and self-efficacy of the teacher. An optimal professional development links between the needs of the individual and the needs of the organization, it aids the teacher to better understand and define the dilemmas and issues he is dealing with, and provides him with tools and a rich repertoire for him to exercise his discretion in the classroom and help his students in their learning process. An optimal professional development process is structured, systemic and continuous as well as combining the teacher’s knowledge, best teaching practices and research knowledge (Webster-Wright, 2009).