I just finished a great week of learning with Math Solutions. The topic for the week was Math For All: Differentiating Instruction. Having done a significant amount of thinking and learning about this topic, the ideas were not new to me, but I did find lots of gems and kernels that pushed my thinking to new places. This, for me, is the sign of really good professional development. I always think that a PL event is a success if I walk away with one new idea to adopt or adapt for my class. After a full week of learning, I have LOTS of things to try.
The fact that I walked away with new learning on a topic I am fairly versed in, is not the point of this entry. This is: The lack of professionalism exhibited by some teachers when it comes to professional learning events. This is one of my pet peeves: Teachers who feel they do not need to act as learners when attending professional learning events; Teachers who feel they do not need to engage in the learning tasks put before us by the facilitators. Why were they there? Why were they wasting our time? It stuns me is this lack of professionalism.
In some ways I wish I had collected some data by doing a head count at the beginning and end of each day. Then again, maybe I really don't want to know how many of my peers feel they do not need to fully attend sessions that they probably haven't personally paid to attend. I did, however, notice that, in most instances, it was the same people who gave themselves permission to leave early. They must not know that some of the best learning occurs during the 'wrap-up' at the end of the day.
It is also extremely disrespectful. Our actions send a much more powerful message than our words. Those who leave early and don't participate fully are telling the facilitators (who work very hard to make the learning relevant and interesting) that their message isn't all that important and isn't worthy of time and effort. I often wonder how these teachers view this attitude in their students.
I know I will never be able to convince this particular sub-set of my peers that they are acting in a less than professional manner. After all, they are adult learners who can make decisions for themselves, are they not? But, with monies for professional learning becoming less and less, why are they taking the spot of someone who would actually attend, reflect and change their practice for the better? Why are they not being held accountable for their learning, just as our students are?
I am not tarring everyone with the same brush. Many of the people who attended this event were "there" in every sense of the word. They took the learning seriously and will undoubtedly adopt many of the ideas and strategies we discussed and discovered over the week. Some have been asked to present what they have learned to their colleagues upon their return to school.
My main message: If you are going to ask your school to pay $600 to send you to exceptional professional learning, the least you can do to honour this investment in you is to show up, participate fully--which means being there from start to finish of the day--and really listen to the ideas being presented. As an adult learner you always have the choice to adopt, adapt, or reject the ideas. But, when you choose to act as you do, it is no wonder teachers are not seen as professionals.
