Teachers Teaching

The district I work in has had some rough years. We've tried implementing standards based grading and it happened poorly. We had poor leaders who had lost touch with what happens in a classroom. We had decisions being made by people that don't have to implement them. There were teacher groups that were supposed to 'guide' the practice but it turned into a "thanks for your ideas but we'll take it from here' kind of guiding.

The same thing is happening at our staff developments.
(insert funny picture of something funny and witty because I'm both those things...)

Friday we had a workshop and it was brutal. I'll admit I stayed up late the night before, yeah I spent some time at a bar with some friends watching any and all sports but I was there Friday morning on time and I ready to go.

Que music teacher teaching us about rubrics from a script created by people that just learned what a rubric was the night before (maybe at the same bar). Across the district (across the 3 high schools at least) we all sat through the same terrible presentation.

Highlights include:

• A 50s TV show reference from Dragnet that went over everyone's head because anyone old enough to watch and understand TV in the 1950's is well retired or will retired after that terrible workshop day.
• an arbitrary out of place Cyndi Lauper audio file.
• Scripted jokes forced in by a teacher who just isn't funny.
• Coloring activities where we identify the noun, verb, capital letters and punctuation.

It was bad followed by worse..."courageous conversations" came after lunch and I can't even describe how painful an experience it was listening to someone not talk about the achievement gap for an hour. 

Enough complaining though, what was good?

• We got work time. Year after year, workshop after workshop they ask for our feedback and we tell them "we need work time" they are starting to listen.
• Our teacher coaches presented and actually made it seem like they know how to speak to adults. More on that later
• Pizza buffet for lunch with great co-workers.

How do we improve it?

It is an embarrassment that a group of teachers can't get together and teach. 

• Some people have a hard time in front of a large groups of their peers. If that is you STOP PRESENTING. 
• Do the same things in staff workshops we are expected to do in class everyday.
• Differentiate.
• Adapt to audience.
• Find out prior knowledge and encourage growth where ever a student is.
• Student centered
• AGE APPROPRIATE learning

The last one is what is going to get me in trouble some day when a professional asks a group of high school teachers to color code something. That kind of crap works with high schoolers because they can't handle more then one thing at a time. Some high school students will drop out, some will become doctors, there is a wide variety of skills in a high school classroom you need to keep it general.

EVERY TEACHER WENT TO TEACHER SCHOOL

We are a group of adults concerned about student learning, that is what unites us. We also all have our undergrads or better, we can all read at or above a high school level, we can focus for more then 2 minutes, and we can think and reflect on something without having to fill time with meaningless coloring activities.

We need our leaders to allow people who can speak to adults do the presenting. This starts with hiring the right people in the right positions. Then letting them present appropriate things based on the group they have.

Thanks.