A few years ago I went to a literacy PD day at a local school. I wanted to see first hand why teachers groaned about PD days. I arrived early and sat near the back of the room so that I could have a full view of the setting. The teachers filed in – some joking about the amount of coffee they already had that morning. Others carried in stacks of paper topped off with multiple red pens. The principal introduced the speaker for the morning, and the teachers politely applauded as the speaker walked to the front of the room. The next 2 hours seemed like an eternity. I observed some teachers constantly checking their phones. Others graded papers. Some left the room several times and returned with more coffee. Now you may be thinking that these teachers were being disrespectful to the speaker – and perhaps we could go that far, but when the session was done, I had a whole new respect for those PD groans.
Here is what I took away from the session:
- I was told implicitly, of course, that I am not teaching literacy correctly, and if I do everything that the speaker instructed me to do, literacy miracles would happen in my class.
- I walked out with a 21 page, single-spaced handout of all the literacy strategies that I should be using in my instruction. Who has time to sift through 21 pages?
- I was discouraged and frustrated.
I talked with some of the teachers later that day and asked them what their thoughts were regarding the PD session. The general consensus was that PD was a waste of time, and judging by what I saw, I wholeheartedly agreed – at least for the session that I sat in. I asked them what they thought would make a productive PD literacy session (something they would want to go to) and here is what they said.
- “Ask us about what we already do regarding literacy.” PD should be a two-way street. Teachers do not want to be told what they should be doing by someone who does not know what the teachers already do.
- “Ask us what our strengths and weaknesses are regarding teaching literacy.” Teachers know what is working for them and what is not. A speaker may not have this insight and assume that the teachers are doing very little that is productive when it comes to literacy instruction.
- “I want to come out of a PD session with something – even if it is only one thing – that is really useful.” Seeing a 21 page handout of literacy strategies does not make teachers excited to use them. I dare say that the handout was filed away in a dark place never to see the light of day ever again.
- “There is no follow up after the session. The speaker leaves, and we just go back to what we were doing. It would be great to try something new and then get together again and share. Or have some kind of support to help us develop the literacy strategies to see if they really work.” Yes, teachers actually want to improve, and support is the key. I think of this as a book club mentality. If you know you are going to be held accountable for something (such as reading certain chapters in a book) then you are more likely to do it. And once the discussion begins, it is hard to stop!
So what is my purpose for writing about PD on my blog? I guess I would like to see PD sessions become something that teachers are excited to go to instead of something that is endured. The importance of literacy cannot be understated, and sessions that encourage teachers to become more effective in their literacy instruction will impact the reading development of all students. Let’s start listening to what teachers want and giving them the support that they need, and hopefully, those groans will turn into cheers!