Accounting for Vulnerability in Peer-to-Peer PD

What's not to love about peer-to-peer professional learning? It affirms teachers' expertise, builds on community values, and creates a culture of curiosity—not to mention that students ultimately benefit when their teachers share good practices. Although outside experts can offer helpful perspectives, many teachers express understandable frustration when a highly paid guru without knowledge of their instructional context comes in and tells them what to do. And with COVID-19 still a threat, it makes more sense than ever to draw on insider knowledge rather than cross-expose with outsiders.

But even if teachers have the time to devote to the extra work of presenting, and schools have the budget to compensate them, school leaders should recognize that peer-to-peer PD presents a challenge for teachers that bringing in outsiders doesn't: It creates the potential for vulnerability.

Why Presenting to Peers Makes a Teacher Vulnerable