Do as I say, but am I doing what I am saying? The case for more professional development in higher education

We often contradict ourselves in life. When I say contradict, I mean we do not always practice what we preach. We contradict ourselves with our kids, with our driving, and even with our professions; and education is no exception and is probably one of the worst offenders.

Have you ever found yourself teaching a class, and then all of sudden realized that many of the things you are teaching are not being done by both you and your company? University institutions are full of knowledge and knowledgeable people, but we sometimes take short cuts. Case in point, there are few if any professional training courses for deans, dept heads, and staff in education; most positions are filled by order of seniority, and we all know seniority does not automatically mean you are qualified for the job. Why is that?

Professional development is spoken of, but not often understood.  Yes, you can get some CEU credits, go to a conference, and maybe even take an extra course: but are they going to make you better at your job? Being better at your job, serving your institution and ultimately your students should be the goal of professional development. If you are not feeling excited after that conference, or feeling like you have something you can apply to your job after a seminar, then perhaps you need to find different kinds of development.

You often do not have to look far for that development, but you do have to look with open eyes and open mind.

Dr Flavius A B Akerele III

The ETeam