Supporting Middle School Language Arts Teachers Through Professional Development

In this study, language arts teachers in one middle school participated in ongoing professional development. As part of this professional development, participants engaged in face-to-face professional development sessions, observations/classroom walk-throughs and reflections. Researchers examined the participants' pre- and post- professional development survey responses to determine the professional development's overall impact. Findings show the participants' perceptions of literacy and the impact of a sustained professional development program on their practice. Overall, the participants indicated they were more confident in their teaching of literacy skills and strategies as a result of their participation in the professional development; continued professional development is welcome and needed.