Scene fades to teachers rolling their eyes, surreptitiously grading papers and wondering if they can slip away unnoticed after lunch. Unfortunately, this depiction is not far-removed from reality. For this, the district probably pays big bucks and kids lose a day of instruction. The answer is yes. The education community is waking up to the need for relevant, teacher-driven, continuous professional development.
Teachers hold the key to change.
By taking control of and responsibility for their own learning, they can make the days of being talked down to by so-called experts fade into distant memory. The worst staff development is when people who haven't been in the classroom in several years stand up and read you something they've created that they believe is going to revolutionize education. They think that what they're telling you is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The expert tells you about some practice that you've been doing for years, and maybe had figured out in your second year of teaching. Taking charge of their profession are Teddi Davidson, Ruth Houseworth.