#memorablemomentsineducation #22:
If you asked any teacher to describe their favorite professional development day, they’d probably stare at you blankly, unable to come up with an example. In theory, PD should be necessary and effective, but in practice, not so much. Yesterday, I had one of those unicorn-like moments in education where PD helped me to get better at what I do.
For the last year and a half, a group of teachers at my school have participated in “Learning Labs” where we research and discuss the craft of teaching, watch another colleague teach while students learn, and reflect on what it all means for ourselves and our students. What I love most about these days is the chance to step back from the day-to-day grind of teaching and think about what is happening in my classroom and what I wish we could be doing–it’s that distance which provides the perspective we all could use from time to time.
In this era of collaborative teaching and learning, I see a constant push and pull between the cherished autonomy of working in my classroom with my students and the isolated feeling of never having anyone see what we do. When PD can find the balance between the two, that’s when I feel like we’re getting somewhere for the sake of kids.
(P.S. I know this post is super late and super un-sexy, which probably explains why it took me so long to write it. My mind has been reeling, and I can’t seem to pinpoint what I really want to say. But I promise to finish out the week strong with something better!)
(P.P.S. This is the second time I’ve attempted to write this because my wonky internet wouldn’t allow me to post the original one I wrote!)