Professional development is vital for teachers. Ahem, let me rephrase that. Valuable professional development is vital for teachers. Not the run-of-the-mill "we didn't pass AYP so we're going to repackage the same old stuff and regurgitate it to you again so we can say we're doing something" type. I spent the last two days learning all about background knowledge, differentiated instruction, graphic organizers, reading and writing in math, formative assessments and dealing with total boredom. (As you know, Writer, I've already had extensive trainings on the above mentioned subjects. As had many, if not all, of the other teachers in the academy). So, 12 hours of rehashing stuff I've gone over in the last 3 schools I've been at. Yawnfest Ought-nine. The good things about my last 2 days:
I ran into a bunch of old friends from the various schools I've been at.
I got to get to know the Math teacher's I'll be working with better.
$200 a day for the two days.
Free, and good, lunch.
Relicensure points.
Lane change credits.
The academy continues through the entire school year. Once a month. Now, from the way I described my last two days, maybe that's not such a good thing, eh? If they keep their promise, then it is a good thing. Their promise that at the monthly meetings we will get actual activities to do in our classrooms. Ones that we will be expected to try out over the next month and report back on when we meet again. This is good. Some of the biggest complaints I've heard about professional development is "yeah, great ideas, but how do I put them to work?" We are, theoretically, going to be given ways to put them to work. Some may be good, some may suck. But at least with the ones that suck, I'll be able to come back next month and tell them "that sucked." Well, I'm off. I've got only 2 more days of total freedom (no school, no Chevron, no church) before I show up for faculty meeting. Gotta make the best of them....
