As I started to plan for this post, I became painfully aware that I might be part of the problem that I am describing. So I hope that this will be instructive to me, if no one else.
Recently I participated in an office discussion regarding the number of hours of professional development we would provide for/require of teachers in my diocese. In a moment of pique, I said, “I wish we could hold teachers accountable for development instead of professional development.” This exasperated comment spoke to a more substantial frustration that I've been feeing for a while. We take such a shotgun approach to the ongoing development of teachers, and we have so few outcome demands. In our current system (and the system in most places) we require physical hours of attendance in workshops, classes, or observations. In some cases we might ask for written documentation on what was presented, but there is little concrete accountability that the teacher successfully integrate what was learned into her or his classroom teaching.
In many ways, the entire system of professional development has become the ultimate class audit, pass/fail based on attendance alone. So for many teachers, workshops and classes are like a river rushing over rocks…a few might be pushed on, all are very slowly eroded, but there is very little real movement. Imagine if we handled student assessment in the same way, “Johnny attended 180 hours of class, during which he graded papers and answered emails, therefore he is prepared to move to the next level.”
As I started this piece, my second profession as a PD speaker rightfully comes under criticism in this area. I speak to a large group, usually too large to directly involve individuals in any way, and though I work to provide useful content, I know that I can't alone bring the change that I'm encouraging. In defense, I see my role not really as professional skills development, but as motivational and philosophical direction. I'm saying, “Here's a way to look at this or approach that…now go to it.” I think (and hope) that there is a place for this in the big picture, but there must be more.
True change will only come when we break the paradigm (-5 points for using the term paradigm). Professional development has to stop being about time and start being about skills. Just as with students, we need to define the specific skills and body of knowledge (dare I say, standards) that we want in our teachers. Then we need to say to teachers, “Here are some skills I want you to develop, here are some resources, show me when you're done.” Isn't this the direction of owning the learning that we are all saying we need to go with students? Why do we think that adults should learn differently? Standards, resources, accountability…this is how we move away from “doing professional development,” and actually developing.
As always, I welcome your comments.
Image: 'pocket of rocks' http://www.flickr.com/photos/25258377@N03/4793735094 Found on flickrcc.net
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Some people are disposed to constant growth and education while others, the author of the article not excepted, often spent professional growth days socializing by passing notes or reading. Those committed to growth will be ahead of much of the programs, as they constantly read and study and experiment. Having taken professional growth seriously and followed through on programs sponsored by school and diocese, I found that the administrators were conflicted on what they wanted teachers to do with the material. Implementing and integrating material into my own work environment and methodology was often ill received and the status qua was preferred regardless of the professional growth that was offered. Professional growth that is real cannot be a fad of the moment that becomes irrelevant the space of a few short years. Some people will grow and sharpen their methods and can’t be stopped. Others, will remain in one simple rut, and it is often they who pass the test of the status qua. I have seen the creative ones come and sent packing for it is easier to manage statues than artists.
Continuing Medical Education is a bit of a hodgepodge in this regard– some of it is lecture-based like what you describe above. But because I have three (four) young kids and am not about to head off to a conference and leave them for a few days, I do a lot of journal-based CME, in which I get tested on the journal reading I’ve done. Scan-trons and all– very traditional knowledge-based (rather than skills-based) education, but I guess at least there’s assessment at the end. Online CME usually works the same way.
At one of your professional development seminars, you stated “If you give a child a video game do they ask for more classes to learn how to use it? No, they take it and figure it out and go!” Teachers are constantly asking for more professional development, but few are taking the skills and developing them. It’s not enough to take a class, you have to take the knowledge and bring it into the classroom and use it. And yes, you may have to spend some extra time figuring things out, practicing and developing skills…on your own.
I agree with Tom. Professional development needs to be differentiated for different skill levels of the teachers that are present. If a teacher is actively pursuing new skills and techniques then making them sit through something they already are proficient in is a waste of everyone’s time and money.
I also agree that administration doesn’t always know what to do with these types of people either. When someone has gone out to pursue new ideas and learning on their own, they can be met with hesitation and red tape once they are trying to implement these things in their classroom and school. I have personally tried to present ideas that are good, realistic, and needed, but have only been met with comments such as, “just wait,” or no reaction or action at all. When there are people with the skills, time, and desire to start implementing positive change, why are we holding them back? How can we make progress when things aren’t being allowed to progress?
I think that one solution to this problem is to offer a more individualized approach. For technology, specifically, there needs to be a person that will be able to teach each teacher the things that they are ready to learn and need to know at the time. A ‘Just in Time’ approach would be successful for those that don’t even realize what they are missing out on. The technology coach will be able to see that the new skills get carried out and successfully implemented in the classroom. Sometimes this coach will be able to co-teach in order to ensure that any technology problems that come up can be handled. Principals don’t have time to fit these sorts of tasks into their daily routine so a new position needs to be created. This Coach would be able to report to the principal on how the teachers are doing.
Until this is created, I am afraid that many technology initiatives are not going to see the success that they could. The teachers aren’t going to be able to see the full potential that having technology can bring.
Mr. Dhuyvetter, I am very interested to hear your thoughts on the matter. How do you see it turning around so that professional development is a success? How are we going to hold teachers accountable?