Silvana Richardson and Gabriel Diaz Maggioli are the co-authors of our whitepaper on ‘Effective professional development: Principles and best practice’, one of the Cambridge Papers in ELT series.
We interviewed them at IATEFL 2018, where they talked about their whitepaper, discussed their own professional development and how they work together. In their interview, Gabriel says that he and Silvana and aimed to “bridge the gap between theory and best practice” when they authored the whitepaper.
He goes on to explain: “Professional development is a career-long process, where teachers improve and hone their skills” with the aim of continually improving their teaching. The ultimate benefit is enjoyed by both teachers and their students: teachers feel more refreshed and inspired in their teaching knowledge and practice, while students benefit from better teaching, leading to better learning.
Silvana reflects that the whitepaper does not just present theory, but also guidance as to how the professional development principles can be applied in classroom practice: “The recommendations we’ve included in the whitepaper are all based on very solid evidence, of what constitutes effective professional development”, saying that the guidance provides: “transferable, powerful learning that can be applied in the classroom.” Talking about their own professional development, Gabriel makes clear it’s a continual process for him: “I have a lot to learn, depending on where my career path takes me.” Silvana agrees, stating: “I can’t stay still and be sure that what I know, is what I need.”
Watch the full interview with Silvana and Gabriel:
The whitepaper discusses the key principles that provide the basis of continuous professional development, around the acronym INSPIRE:
Read Silvana and Gabriel’s whitepaper and watch their full talk from IATEFL.