Initiating Change through a Professional Development School: Three Teachers' Experiences.

This article tells the story of a group of teachers who experienced change in the face of a newly formed professional development school--one that loosely implemented many of the principles associated with the Holmes Group model. Specifically, these teachers became active participants on the Steering Committee, a group formed within the context of the school district/university collaborative partnership. In presenting accounts of the early processes of instituting change, the focus is on three individuals, as the "why?" and "how?" of professional development are explored. Why did these teachers choose to become active members of the school steering committee? What motivated them to think about change and its potential? How has involvement in professional development activities changed their perceptions of themselves as educators? How has it altered their sense of voice and efficacy in the junior high school where they work? This article, therefore, explores elements of both personal experience and group dynamics within the professional development school. The initiative for the formation of this professional development school came from teachers who were dissatisfied with the environment of their school and who wanted a vehicle for improving the school and their own professional lives. (Contains 20 references.) (Author/IAH)