Six Unforgivable Sins Of Teacher Professional Development
The beginning of the school year is here in many districts, and that means teachers have entered the first big season of professional development.
Many districts are not really sure what to do with these days. In many districts, an ever growing stack of in-service days is an artifact of successive contract negotiations. "All right," said some school board member. "If we're going to give them more money, then I want to get something for it. Tack on another teacher in-service work day." Teachers, many of whom work several dozen unofficial extra days over the summer anyway, rarely fight back.
And so the district finds itself with in-service days to fill, and much of what the fill the hours with is bad. In the course of a career, teachers will sit through hours and hours and hours of bad presentations. If you are a presenter, let someone who spent thirty-nine years sitting through bad presentations offer you some advice. Avoid all of the following unforgiveable sins.
1) Reading from Power Point slides.
We could discuss the problems of bad Power Point (and you should remember that high school teachers have seen every template a gazillion times, so they know if you've been lazy), but under no circumstance should you read the slides to your audience. They are professional educators. They can read. Hearing it read with whatever special vocal intonations you're fond of will not help. As you read, every teacher in the room has a single thought: just e-mail me the slides and let me read this presentation to myself while I get work done in my own room.
2) Trying to flash credentials you don't really have.
Maybe it is a desire to make a connection with the audience, or CONTINUE READING: Six Unforgivable Sins Of Teacher Professional Development