The document discusses various programs for the professional development of mathematics teachers, including participation in seminars, workshops, conferences, and online sharing communities. Seminars involve formal presentations by experts to discuss topics of interest, helping teachers improve their skills and student achievement. Workshops are conducted to achieve clear learning objectives, such as developing new skills. Conferences allow large gatherings of teachers to discuss matters of shared interest. Online communities also provide opportunities for teachers to share experiences and resources to enrich their knowledge and skills.

1. Programmes for Professional
growth:
Participation in seminars,
workshops & conferences
Dr. G. Jaganmohana Rao
Faculty of Education
MITE, Kohima

2. Introduction:
The term professional development refers to a comprehensive,
sustained, and intensive approach to improving teachers’ effectiveness
in raising learners achievement. Such programmes help teachers align
their teaching techniques with the needs of their learners and thereby
ensuring better learner performance.
We will discuss various ways of promoting professional
development among mathematics teachers such as participation in
seminars, conferences, online sharing; membership of professional
organizations etc.

3. Professional Development Programmes for Mathematics
Teachers:
Professional development involves adopting a variety of
strategies to ensure that teachers continue to strengthen their
pedagogical skills throughout their career. In formal settings,
professional development programmes are often disseminated
through seminars, conferences, workshops etc. Sometimes,
professional development also occurs in informal conditions,
through interactions across online platforms, peer group
discussions etc.

4. The common modes of professional development are:
 Individual reading and/or research,
 Peer group discussions focused on a common topic or area of interest,
 Observation-teachers observing other teachers so as to improve their own
skills,
 Expert advice-an expert teacher advising colleagues,
 Group meetings to learn a new strategy or teaching skill,
 Adopting reflective and exploratory practices,
 Short term courses designed by experts at local / regional/ national level,
 Seminars/ Conferences/ Workshops to learn from a variety of expertise
from around the state or country,
 Membership of professional bodies to keep oneself updated with the latest
trends , practices and issues pertaining to the field of study.

5. Seminars:
Seminars are formal presentations by one or more experts in which the
participants are encouraged to discuss a particular area of interest. In the
context of professional development, it may be described as an occasion
when a teacher or expert and a group of teachers meet to interact and
discuss the intricacies of a chosen topic or subject. Mathematics as a subject
is very interesting as well as challenging. Sharing experiences with other
teachers and listening to experts’ on the concerned topics help the teachers
evolve into better practitioners of teaching skills and improve learners
achievement.
Seminars may be organized at the local, regional, state, national or
international levels depending upon the needs and requirements of the
teachers as well as the resources available. These seminars help the
teachers update their knowledge base regarding latest developments in the
field of mathematics and pedagogical skills being used. They also provide a
platform for teachers to interact with experts to discuss and evolve new,
effective strategies to deal with difficult classroom situations.

6. Advantages of Seminar:
• It induce people to exchange new information that would not have be available
otherwise
• When a seminar is conducted at its best the purpose of the gatherings fully met
• Confidence and listening skills are developed
• A teacher learns about time management
Disadvantages of Seminar:
• Sometimes it can be costly because the teacher has to attend it at its own cost.
• The chances that the speaker may be sharing incorrect knowledge, or not at all
knowledgeable
• It is time consuming
• The chance that topics may not help you
• The chance that attendants will expect too much

7. Workshop:
Workshop are conducted with a clear set of objectives or learner outcomes.
The outcome will often increase awareness about a topic or learning a new
skill In workshop the behavior's and techniques are replicated by teachers and
teachers can learn behaviors and strategies.
Objectives of workshop:
• It helps teachers to develop sense of ownership in the school reform
program where they begin to share responsibility for all students
achievement.
• By attending sessions a teachers, will be able to help their staff implement
what they have learned in training sessions.
• It also helps to foresee some of the concerns that arise among staff
members

8. Advantages of workshop:
 Users are usually very motivated
 This platform will provide insights and strategies for future
 Have flexibility over length and frequency of sessions
 A wealth of knowledge usually presented by speaker or many speaker
at one time in one place
Disadvantages of workshop:
• Users attending it may have broad range of skills
• If the space is small, it creates problems
• Availability of participants
• False impression of completeness
• Intimidation

9. Conferences:
Conferences may be described as formal meetings in which a
number of people gather to talk about their ideas or problems related to
a particular topic, usually for a few days. It is a large gathering of
individuals or members of one or more organizations, for discussing
matters of shared interest.
Organizing conferences involving members of the teaching
community is an effective way to render professional development to
the teachers. Here, peer group discussions, shared experiences
regarding classroom behaviors and results of action research, adopting
reflective practices are some fruitful techniques that ultimately lead to
the participates becoming better teachers.

10. Online Sharing Communities:
With the advancement of technology, sharing of resources and
experiences among like-minded people through online platforms, has
become a norm. Teachers as a community have a lot of common
interests- issues related to learners, curriculum content and its
implementation, new technologies available to the teachers, etc.
Online platforms such as blogs, Facebook communities etc
provide a good opportunity to the teachers to share their own
experiences among a peer group, hold discussions on pertinent topics,
participate in online seminars ( known as webinars), even avail of
online training courses aimed at enriching their knowledge and skill
base.