My best PD experience would have to be the very first one that I participated in. I had just been hired, mid-year at a school, and didn't know anything about professional development or workshops. The principal sent around a sign-up sheet for teachers who wanted to go on a trip to Mackinaw City, MI for a week long professional development on Writer's Workshop. I, of course, jumped at the chance. I had spent a little time in Michigan, but had never been that far north.
During the week, not only did we learn about facilitating Writer's Workshop from Smokey Daniels himself, but we actually participated in Writer's Workshop. We got an opportunity to see various people model what a teacher would do, and we had the opportunity to feel what a student would feel. It was a very powerful experience for me, and one that I cherish to this day. I did continue to use Writer's Workshop as one of the foundational components of my language arts class up until my leaving the classroom. And if by chance I ever found my way back into a classroom, Writer's Workshop would follow me there.
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I wonder which parts made the PD such a positive experience. How much was it being in Mackinaw City for a week? And away from the school and all of the pulls on your time and distraction that you have at home or at your school.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder about the PD model of teaching a lesson as if you are the student. I think it is good to get an idea of what a technique looks like, but I feel that an entire lesson is not productive for me. I can't experience the lesson as a young student because I am not a young student. So I wonder how useful that experience is. Maybe the experience is the same. Or maybe similar. I don't know.
jd
Paulette it sounds like the Writer's Workshop Professional Development left a heavy impact on you. I think modeling/role playing is very important in a P.D. session. It gives the participants a clear visual of what it should look like from the teacher expectation. It is easy to look at student samples, but to actually see how they got to that point(routines,procedures, materials)is very helpful. Also, you had an opportunity to dedicate an entire week to training on one topic and not a one hour session with NO follow up.
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