Why Teachers Hate PD
I enjoy learning probably more than most people. Heck, the other day when my dentist was giving me a root canal, I asked if he could turn the camera on so I could watch how he did it. As a teacher, I love learning new concepts and reading about current events I can teach my students. That being said, there are few things I hate more than professional development and here's why.
Relevance
The professional development provided in most of our schools and districts is what the administration thinks we should have, not what we want. I teach high school marketing. Less than half of the professional development sessions that I am forced to sit through are directly relevant to my curriculum. I've learned how to develop math skills, analyzed history test data, examined biology standards. I have not ONCE been to a professional development session offered specifically about my content area. It's not all bad; I have been able to select a few sessions that have been relevant and helpful to my courses.
Timing
Professional developments always seem to be scheduled at the worst possible time. Teachers are either trying furiously to get ready for a new year or a new semester, grade finals, or they have to give up their limited planning time. When learners are stressed or preoccupied, they don't learn well. Why can't administration apply those same principles to their teachers?
Differentiation
"Differentiating learning" has become a guiding principle in education. There are areas in which I excel as an educator, and there are areas in which I could use assistance. Yet the professional development that is given is usually in the form of a blanket lecture given to every teacher in the building regardless of their strengths or content areas. I would be a better teacher if I had the opportunity to choose PD that helped me conquer some of my struggles.
Repetition
I cannot tell you how many times in the last 9 years I have sat through the EXACT SAME professional development sessions on multiple occasions. This year, I was sitting in one and flipped to my notes from the previous year. It wasn't just the same content, it was the exact same power point delivered by the exact same individual.
Engagement
I have been taught time and time again that students don't respond well to lectures or "sit and get" lessons. So why am I being taught that way? When I leave a PD session, I don't want information. I want actual tools and activities I can use in the classroom. I want to learn by doing. I want to talk to my colleagues. Sitting in a PD session at a prescheduled time and listening to someone lecture me for an hour is a huge inconvenience, especially when they could record the lecture and I could watch it on my own time.
Contrary to what I said in my headline, teachers don't hate professional development. They hate the way it's done. They hate that most of it is a waste of time. Give us freedom, time and options and there is no limit to how much more effective and happy we'll be in the classroom.
