The phrenetic video I just watched, featuring Adam Bellow, resonated with me. I know we have all experienced the things he spoke about. I find that that f-word he referred to - FEAR -has hold of many who want to be forward thinking, but are trapped by school board members and administrators who have their lawyers telling them what to do. Yes, and those are lawyers who have no clue what is going on in education right now.
I completely agree with what Mr. Bellow said about Professional Development. We are exposed to so much useless PD because those who rule are susceptible to the influence of those who convince them that what they have to say is important and relevant to teachers in the classroom. My dream PD comes from my fellow teachers, who are, for the most part, busy getting Masters in Education, taking workshops about their subject matter at Universities in this area or online, or are spending time honing their tech skills through tech conferences. My fellow teachers are brilliant and we do not get to spend enough time learning from one another.
This year, we started the year with a PD that was relevant and interesting. It was on GRR - Gradual Release of Responsibility - and was presented by Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey. They had substantive information that will help my presentation of content. I salute the administration for making that happen, but I am already feeling the same groups' hesitation for doing non-data related projects within our classrooms. I am feeling their nervousness about PBL or CBL (Challenge Based Learning) because they veer from the "known" results.
Another thing that resonated with me was his mentioning of the need for continuous training in technological tools. I have thought lately that, when this program is over, we are going to need "booster" classes to keep us up to snuff with what is available and new in education.
It is the "best" and "worst" time to be a teacher because there are so many variables that define our jobs. I think it is the best time because we are in the middle of a fantastic revolution in learning and teaching. It is like the Industrial Revolution, only this time it is the Tech Revolution. We get to be a part of the transformation of how we all receive and transmit knowledge.
It is the worst time because we have to help ourselves, our administrators, our students, and our community make this painful transformation to the new order of education. We also have to take on new roles in the educational world: coaches, counsellors, facilitators, cheerleaders....the list goes on.
That is why I am a believer in the power of collaboration. It is what we need to use to get through all the daunting tasks, both wonderful and scary.