vendredi 21 avril 2017

Suggestions From Educators Concerning Professional Development For Teachers

By Catherine Hayes


It takes a special kind of person to be a good teacher. It requires patience, creativity, ingenuity, curiosity, and love of learning. A teacher goes into a classroom never knowing whether he or she will need to become a police officer, a judge, a confidant, or an acting parent. They do all this while teaching their classes what it takes to become successful in an increasingly complicated world. Most are happy to take advantage of any professional development for teachers training that becomes available.

Educator feedback is important to the leaders of these training sessions, and one thing they often hear is a complaint about speakers who have never actually spent time in the classroom. They may have advanced degrees and be published authors, but they have never faced a room full of children who would rather be somewhere else. Years of classroom teaching experience is preferable in someone instructing other experienced educators about the job they are already trained to do.

Some individuals in the teaching profession are dismissive of education theory and insist they need practical solutions in the classroom. They are right to a certain extend, but others argue that understanding the science behind the methods used is critical. This seems to be a matter of balance. Impractical theories, that come and go through the years, often threaten to weaken the foundation of education. It can make it harder to convince seasoned teaching professionals that proven theories have their place in a classroom.

Nobody ever got rich teaching children basic skills. The vast majority of educators are dedicated professionals who want their children to succeed and get excited about learning. They value constructive ideas about how to be better and more effective school and community leaders. Spending time on unnecessary reports and paperwork are common complaints made at seminars.

Some speakers at training sessions spend a lot of their time advancing ideas that sound great, but cannot be put immediately into practice in the classroom. These plans and ideas sometimes take weeks and months to develop and may only become practical too late in the school year to be of any help to the staff.

Relevance goes along with functionality. No teacher wants to take time away from their families to attend a training class that is designed for educators of children older or younger than the ones they teach. It can be frustrating if the discussions are not relevant to the situation they face in their classroom.

Very often classroom educators find it challenging and frustrating trying to communicate their problems and concerns to an administration that must coordinate budgets, curriculum, and politics. A lot of educators believe principals and board member would learn much by attending training sessions along with the classroom teaching staff.

Individuals who choose teaching in a classroom, with all the challenges and problems they face, should be given the most effective tools possible to do their jobs. Listening to their suggestions about the best way to do that is important.




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