Michigan
Teachers Talk about Good and Bad Professional Development
Editor’s Note: Is there an echo of dissatisfaction
with professional development in your school or district? We asked
some Michigan teachers to voice their frustrations with professional
development and found that the responses presented are full of
excellent suggestions for improving professional development practices.
This issue of Leading Change offers a variety of resources and
suggestions for improving the quality of professional development
in your school or district. Share your thoughts and ideas at www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140--80051--,00.html with a reference to this article, or send your thoughts to Holly
Spence Sasso, Center for Educational Networking, Eaton Intermediate
School District, 1790 Packard Hwy., Charlotte, MI 48813. (800)
593-9146 #6, fax (517)541-1351, hss@eaton.k12.mi.us.
“In each school,
staff development must target both building and district level
goals. Imagine your family decides to go on vacation for spring
break. At the last minute, the plan is announced to the family,
maps are outdated, and the car could really use a tune-up before
you head out. Too often, staff development is a mystery unveiled
to staff once they participate. Mystery learning and unarticulated
building goals do not lead a professional staff in an appropriate
direction.
On the other hand,
envision a family who plans a vacation well in advance and agrees
upon the destination. They conduct research and know the data
about which stops they plan to make along the way. A direct path
can be marked out on the map between the starting point and the
destination. Progress can be measured. This family [professional
staff] will experience something more than a dose of staff development.”
Susan
L. Gutierrez
Michigan
Teacher of the Year, 2002–2003
Michigan Department of Education
P.O. Box 30008, Lansing MI 48909
(517) 373-3900, gutierrezs@michigan.gov
“In my view, one
of the greatest challenges of our current professional development
activities is the amount of time devoted to them and the format
in which they are presented.
Quite often, professional
development activities take the form of half- or one-day seminars
that impart information or involve skill practice. Addition-ally,
these sessions may be presented in a lecture format with no opportunity
for presenters to monitor for understanding or for attendees to
interact, experiment, or respond. As a high school instructor,
I would avoid these teaching practices, and yet they are part
of the fabric of many professional development activities. Professional
development lectures without the opportunity for interaction may
not be the best way to impart information to educators. These
activities, in essence, are personifications of what many may
describe as “old-school” or ineffective practice.
I have always believed
that a structured curriculum, with active and hands-on learning,
would be a better choice for professional development activities.
Holding teachers accountable for information, as we hold our students
accountable, would increase the motivation to retain and use information.
A well-structured program, especially one supervised by a neighboring
university, could provide educators with college credit over the
course of the year. This would certainly be preferable to our
current system of small sessions with many topics and little chance
for debate and discussion. ”
Dr.
Matthew E. Ludwig
Director of Bands – Marquette Senior High School
1203 W. Fair Ave., Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 225-5382, mludwig@mapsnet.org
“As a teacher
and now a staff development consultant, I'd say overwhelmingly
that educators find benefit in professional development activities
that are directly linked to a need they find in their classrooms
with the students they teach. In my experience, teachers are not
resistant to invited guest presenters who come to address a topic
for one day or one instance.
However, even in these
instances, all educators usually prefer such one-time events to
be framed around the context of the need they've witnessed in
their classrooms or schools. Such occasions should be a part of
a bigger picture for the growth and improvement of the school
as a whole. Teachers should be able to take away something that
they can use in their classrooms. I prefer professional development
that is sustained—where I can engage in prolonged inquiry
about the application of a research-based strategy.”
Kendra
L. Hearn
Staff Development Consultant
44001 Garfield
Clinton Township, MI 48038-1100
(586) 228-3482
(586) 286-2809 fax
khearn@misd.net
“In my career
as both a teacher and a consultant, there have been many things
that have bothered me about professional development. Here are
some:
- The idea that “one
size fits all” for a presentation. There is no consideration
for the knowledge and the needs of the people in the room.
- Presenters who act
like they know it all, and forget that there are people present
who have incredible classroom experience that they would like
to share.
- Lack of understanding
for adult learners. Just because the bodies are bigger and older
does not mean that they can sit for long periods of time without
interaction, movement, or a break!
- Presenters who use
lecture as their only means of conveying information.
These Are Things I
Love about Professional Development:
- Presenters who have
a sense of humor and can laugh with the audience.
- Presenters who are
knowledgeable about their topic but are also eager to hear about
the experiences of the audience members.
- Presenters who are
willing to deviate from their agenda a bit to answer questions.
- Presenters who use
music and interactions as ways to engage the audience.”
Julia
Reynolds
Professional Development Consultant (Literacy)
Aquinas College
Michigan State University
Wreyno0602@aol.com
“When we meet
for professional development, it makes more sense to let us get
together to discuss what will affect the learning in our classrooms.
Our students make up a wider range of abilities than ever before,
and we must try to make learning more relevant to their lives.
As teachers, we need time to work with our colleagues to express
and to receive ideas. We also need to be reaffirmed in our thoughts
so we will continue to give the best to our students.”
Ann
Dozzi
Surline Middle School,
West Branch-Rose City Areas Schools |
