One of the aspects of the Kenan Fellowship that I wasn’t aware of until it happened was the PRL – my Personal Remote Learning plan. The idea was simple. As part of my program, I was committed to a set number of hours of professional development, but I got to choose what a large portion of it would be. My choice was simple. During the first Professional Advancement Institute, I heard about a course in Data Literacy. I was immediately sold. I love data. It almost doesn’t matter what it relates to. I get super nerdy when data is involved. Educational data is even better. So, taking a course where I got even better at interpreting and responding to educational data, and then becoming certified to teach the course myself? Total no brainer.
It wasn’t until a couple months into the school year that I realized the danger of letting me choose for myself. I had chosen something that entailed significantly more hours than was required, and signed up for it in addition to the professional development course my district was requiring of me, which was even more hours. I have yet to add up the professional development hours I am completing this year, because I am afraid to see the total and realize how insane I am for actually choosing to do this to myself.
Of course, I know that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am getting some phenomenal professional development, which wouldn’t have been open to me if not for the Kenan Fellows. What’s a few (dozen) late nights of work when you consider the outcome, right?