How long should a development cycle last?

A development cycle can last anything from a few weeks to a whole year, depending on your priorities, how much time you have available, and how deeply you choose to engage with the different feedback tools and resources. 

You might spend anything from a few hours to several weeks in the ‘set a goal’ phase, collecting feedback on your practice and refining your professional learning goal by gathering insights from self-reflection, student surveys, and feedback from colleagues.

During the ‘explore’ phase, you might take part in an 8-week course, engage with recommended resources, or move more quickly into trialling great teaching techniques. In many schools, we see a combination of these approaches, so this stage can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Building understanding of the underlying theories, insights, and evidence is a vital part of effective professional development, so this phase is particularly important.

Teachers then enter the ‘develop expertise’ phase, applying this new learning in the classroom, adapting and refining their practice. It’s important at this stage to include plenty of opportunities for practice, feedback, and reflection. This is where lasting habits are built. This phase can also last from a few weeks to several months.

How much time each teacher spends on their development cycle will vary depending on context and priorities, but the most important thing is that schools and departments set aside dedicated time for professional learning, supported by clear expectations and opportunities for collaboration.