Shameless self-promotion

This is exactly what it says, but it is also an example of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). 

http://www.theinspiredclassroom.com/2011/08/a-pd-retreat/

On Twitter a couple of nights ago, Elizabeth Peterson of The Inspired Classroom asked for her Twitter followers to answer the question: "What do you think of when you hear the words 'professional development'?" My quote is in the article:

"@eliza_peterson Depends - sometimes it's painfully boring meetings. Othertimes it can be productive if I can find uses for it in my clssrm"

And it seems that all of the respondents are on the same page - teacher-centered PD is much more fulfilling than something that doesn't appear to apply to our classrooms.  In some instances, teachers can be the worst students b/c if he doesn't see a need or use for what is being presented to him (I'll use myself as an example), the teacher can switch to "multi-tasking" mode which means really only paying 1/2 to 1/3 attention to the presenter.  A teacher's time tends to be so crunched with so many different priorities - lesson planning, grading papers, additional meetings, copying, not to mention anything that the teacher's regular life might demand after school is over - that like a small deck of playing cards, the PD that he is not finding stimulating goes to the bottom of the deck while the next card gets dealt.  Or, whatever is higher on the priority list gets done, or if he's planned ahead and brought work to do at the PD, then the time crunch gets eased. 


This myth that the teachers' work day ends when the kids' day ends is erroneous.  If kids have homework, what makes rational adults think that teachers don't have some kind of work to get ready for the next day, week or month?  Some teachers may just do the bare minimum, but most do not.  They push themselves and push their kids.  And the best teachers treat their work like it is a craft.  To quote Elizabeth, "Teaching is an art form in and of itself and to get better at it we need to constantly learn and grow."

To do less than give it your best is to discredit yourself, the profession, and the students.