By now you are back from summer road trips, travels or staycations.  Memories of flight delays, flat tires, whining young ones and unimpressed adolescents are rapidly fading.   These travel hassles can be all-consuming.  But once handled, they are soon forgotten.  We are left with the good memories,  breathtaking scenery, crackling campfires, and shared experience.   The shared experience- both the good and the bad- leaves us with a sense of connection.  Such is also true of professional development. It can have its “hassles”: significant investment, logistical challenges, long hours away from other work.  However, it turns out that this experience, too, builds camaraderie and bonding.  Participating together in shared learning helps build strong teams.  Not only do people learn valuable skills, they learn about district norms, each other – and how to be more effective as a team.  Working together through relevant, challenging exercises and experiences creates purpose and pressure – 2 ingredients necessary for meaningful learning experiences.

Albert Einstein once said “There are some things that count which can’t be counted.”  Sadly, we can’t easily measure the true and full impact of quality professional development.  However, if you’d like to build a high-performing team, high-quality shared learning experiences are one of the fastest ways to jumpstart the process.  What hidden benefits is your professional development providing?