For four hours, I sat in a comfy chair in a local coffee shop and talked with my friend Nicole. We worked together for seven years, and were teammates and neighbors the last two of those years. She's left our small, rural district and is now working in the large suburban district where we both live. We both have had a range of assignments over the years. She's now teaching 8th grade Humanities, and I'm teaching reading workshop classes for 7th and 8th graders who are significantly below grade level.
Here are some of the topics we covered:
- flexible seating and classroom design
- Make Writing
- book recommendations for our students
- an app called "autorap"
- The Book Whisperer
- how access or lack of access to technology affects our teaching and our students
- the role of money and grants in what our schools offer students
- author visits
- Pi Day
- apps for word clouds
- the importance of writing alongside students
- what makes a good school leader
- how to stay energized and motivated as full time teachers with kids at home who consider us their "default" parent
- pros and cons of large and small districts
- the importance of accepting book recommendations from our students and getting outside of our own comfort genres
- how to find out about local workshops and conferences that would benefit us
Sure, we talked a bit about our lives outside of school. But I'd be willing to bet that 80% of our conversation over that four hours was about teaching. I took NOTES, man!
I hope you have someone like this in your life. Someone who shares your passion, who pushes you to try new things, who values your work, celebrates your success, and helps you problem solve.
It's also helpful if they make you laugh your ass off. Because sometimes, that's what teachers need most.
Having a kindred soul to talk shop with is priceless. You can do all the reading and thinking on your own, but when you get to bounce ideas off another, the thinking becomes clearer.
ReplyDeleteOthers are sometimes baffled at how much TALKING we teachers can do, but I figure it's a sign we're in the right profession if we are so endlessly fascinated by it.
DeleteI wish we could always get PD credit for the wonderful conversations that we have with colleagues. They are often so much more valuable than the lectures and workshops we're forced to take!
ReplyDeleteHave you been to any EdCamps? They are trying to capture that sense of learning together into something that is "official" PD. I've only been to one and a half, but I want to attend others.
DeleteI've always believed that the best professional development comes from talking to other teachers. In my district they never gave teachers time dedicated to doing just that. Duh! Sounds like you are both on the same wavelength and have so much to share and offer each other.
ReplyDeleteYES! This PD is the best re-energizing and brainstorming we can do as teachers. What a wonderful day!!
ReplyDeleteAgreed! This sounds like the perfect combination for PD! So happy you took the time to talk ... and upgraded your mocha! 😄
ReplyDeleteIf only this was the PD allowed all the time! I fe!el like it used to be though. Great slice!
ReplyDeleteA great form of PD indeed...collaboration at its best!
ReplyDelete