PD Book

Written by Elena Aguilar with Lori Cohen, this guide explains how to reshape the professional learning that schools offer their staff so that it strengthens the whole school community over time. It sets out seven core habits, supported by a large set of practical instruments for designing and running sessions.

Readers learn how to motivate grown-up learners, why a workshop needs a clearly defined purpose, and how to handle the power dynamics that emerge within a group. The authors also propose a different way to plan sessions, one that tracks small details closely while letting the facilitator respond in the moment to what participants need.

The book is full of practical material, including dozens of tips and techniques, real-life stories, research findings, and ready-to-use tools and resources. Topics include writing useful learning outcomes, building an agenda that follows adult learning principles, using narrative to make workshops and trainings more effective, and working backward from evaluation criteria and intended outcomes to design learning experiences that last.

It is intended for school and district leaders, administrators, professional development facilitators, coaches, and others who hold formal leadership roles, in both K-12 schools and colleges and universities.