What’s in a Name?

In the field of education I often hear 3 terms used interchangeably. They are all things schools do with teachers to help them improve. But are they really the same thing?

Here they are (combination of Wikipedia’s language and my own):

Professional Development (PD): The acquisition of skills and knowledge, both for personal development and for career advancement. Think conferences, advanced degrees, networking opportunities, certifications, guest speakers, etc. These are opportunities to learn something new, build various skills, and improve overall as a professional. There is no specific objective, rather a general appetite for learning, connecting, and improving.

Training: The teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Here there is a particular goal in mind, a skill that needs to be developed. This is really about teaching - the teacher becomes the student, and someone else (supervisor, other employee, outside party) becomes the teacher. There is a concrete goal, curriculum, and way to assess effectiveness – similar to a classroom lesson.

Support: Assistance to someone who needs help while doing their job. Teachers have challenges, and either they request support or a supervisor sees the challenge from afar (whether the teacher agrees or not) and requests support on the teacher’s behalf. This support is personalized, needs-based, timely, ongoing, and specific to particular circumstances. It can be provided by another employee, a supervisor, or an outside party. It can even be ongoing and built into the culture and structures of the school. Think of a new teacher mentoring program as an example.

Are these all fundamentally the same, or are they fundamentally different? Which is your “must have” and which is your “nice to have?” Which will you prioritize if you don’t have time for all 3? Do you have any instances where what’s needed is X but you’re really doing Y?