What If Faculty Meetings Were Voluntary?
Are your faculty meetings run by the same people in the same location? Are they filled with scripted monologues and announcements? Is attendance more important than engagement?
If so, it's time for a meeting makeover, says Tom Hoerr, head of New City School in St. Louis, Mo.
Hoerr proposes several ways to distribute leadership and ownership of faculty meetings, turning them into valuable learning opportunities, not just another hurdle between teachers and the end of their workday.
Try changing meeting locations (for example, asking teachers to host meetings in their classrooms), and use the setting as an opportunity to share practices or identify challenges. Likewise, rotate who facilitates meetings and consider using