Page 17 - The Architecture of Professional Development

Venustas ‐ Beauty

The third essen al component of the architecture of professional development triangle is beauty,
venustas. The idea that there is an aesthe c component in professional development seems tenuous
given the lack of evidence in the literature and in everyday discourse in
educa on. When we look at monumental achievements in architecture, the Sydney Opera House, the
Guggenheim in Bilbao, and the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC, the
component of beauty is visible and obvious. In professional development, beauty comes from the ar‐
s c arrangement and use of materials and systems to create learning spaces that
engage teachers and administrators in growth opportuni es that meet their needs and change them
as people and professionals. “Beauty, architectural beauty, is the hoped‐for result of appropriate
planning and sturdy structure”(O’Gorman, 1998). How is the beauty
expressed in professional development in schools? One example is the dynamic interac on of teach‐
ers (excitement, engagement, reflec on, collegiality, and commitment) in a study group created to
explore culturally relevant curriculum and its connec on to
instruc onal prac ces. It is the hoped for result of a professional development design that provides
teachers with adequate me, resources, structures, and exper se to examine their work. Similarly,
there is beauty in a mul ‐year professional development design that builds individual and collec ve
capacity to enable the school to transform itself‐‐changing from a
tradi onal teacher‐centered environment into a student‐centered learning community. Thus, beauty
in professional development may be expressed in enhanced mo va on, posi ve
emo ons, and renewed feelings of empowerment.

Crea ng new designs for professional learning for teachers and administrators is anchored in three
essen al components of architecture. The work of professional development architects is to create
ar ul designs for learning (beauty) with structural integrity (structure) that
appropriately meet the needs of teachers, principals, and the students and communi es they serve
(func on).

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