PDS Orientation Preparation

A critical preparation initiative for interns, partnership teachers and administrators and WSE faculty is the PDS Orientation. All partners experience a common ten-hour preparation that orients them to the goals and objectives of PDS and an understanding of the learning-centered model of coaching. Each partner has well-defined roles and responsibilities that overlap in the aspects of collaboration, reflection, serving as intellectual resource, and commitment to professional growth. Each partner has responsibilities specific to that role as well as established evaluation criteria.

The required PDS Orientation for all partners helps ensure that interns have a well-planned experience with partners who understand the systemic nature of the partnership and the skills and knowledge necessary to implement a comprehensive PDS partnership. The orientation also creates a common language that articulates important tenets of the partnership. We recognize that this is only an orientation and that for lasting change to occur we need to have ongoing professional growth opportunities. This ongoing professional development for our learning community occurs through annual conferences, site seminars, coaching cycles, partnering for presenting at conferences and other PDS growth opportunities.

The Watson School of Education PDS University-School Partnership requires partnership teachers to attend a one day training session that involves the following topics as well other cooperative activities:

What is PDS? What are the Goals of PDS?
Overview of PDS Notebook
What is the nature of a Professional Culture and how do we work to make it happen?
What are the specific PDS roles and responsibilities?
What are the Principles of Learning-Centered Supervision and what is the role of coaching in LCS?

Participants then complete a Learning-Centered Coaching Plan assignment that gives them experiential engagement with the principles of LCS in the context of their site school outside of the session. This assignment, when completed, will earn our partners C.E.U. credits.