It's summertime, and I am fresh off a week of math professional development. There's more to come, of course. Who started that urban legend that teachers get summers off? I am equally tired and invigorated, if there is such a thing. I love learning new things, so I really enjoy getting information about new approaches to teaching math. On the other hand, the time does tend to weigh me down. After years of these trainings, I'm still surprised that I still hear the same concerns from teachers: (1) How can we apply this new-found knowledge to every child in our classrooms, and (2) When will we have the time to apply this new-found knowledge, given the pressure to prepare students for testing?
I, by no means, have the answer. I struggle with the same issues. Our group completed a very interesting activity on volume and graph relationships. I was blown away. I loved it! My brain started working on all the ways to implement the activity in my classroom. Then, I started thinking about the time. Or, what my evaluator would think by some of the more "off-task" components the lesson requires for success?
Now, I'm thinking I need to take professional development on time management and differentiation, and other subjects critical to my enrichment as an educator. But, I've taken those types of PD sessions before. Some things I've gleaned from those sessions worked, and others...not so much. The realities of a classroom full of students changes the perspective of a teacher working in a room full of other teachers. Maybe therein lies the true lesson, and why we all sign up and attend numerous PD each year. We realize that we'll get something, but not everything. So, we have to go back. Learn. Teach. Repeat.
Ahhh, the joys of professional development.
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