You want to change your life? Control the only thing you can control: the meaning you give something.
Tony Robbins
In the Introduction, I recounted a particularly bad professional development experience in which I found myself virtually trapped in a writing workshop that I was sure was doing me no good whatsoever. During that workshop, and even for a few years afterward, I complained long and loud about what a waste of time it was for me, a math teacher, to sit through a class on a new writing assessment. But the truth is, I was wrong. While it certainly was not the best use of my time, I did learn some useful things about writing. I was able to absorb new information and apply it to my profession. In fact, years later when I moved into administration and found myself overseeing a wide range of subjects, I wished I had paid closer attention. It presented me with an interesting dilemma—although that particular workshop wasn’t meaningful or relevant to me at the time, it became just that several years later. What if I hadn’t paid any attention during that workshop? I have to wonder if the task of creating #4OCF might have been more challenging. So I guess the moral of the story is, we all have a responsibility to make the best of every situation, and when we do, the outcome can be positive.
The truth is, all educators will have professional development experiences that are terrible. Let’s set the scene: Ten minutes and three PowerPoint slides into a session, the presenter asks a question, but doesn’t wait for a response. He simply begins reading the next slide word for word. You notice a colleague at the end of your cafeteria bench nodding off, ready to get in some well-deserved shut-eye. Another colleague has checked out and is surfing websites on his phone. An administrator sits at the front of the room, checking email on her tablet. As you focus your attention back on the presenter, he brings up a slide promoting active learning and drones on about engaging students using active learning techniques. You decide at this point, twenty minutes into the session, that you cannot sit there any longer. You could get up and leave, but someone would probably notice, and besides, you are contractually required to be there. Here are your options, as I see it:
- Tune out. This option is basically the equivalent of giving up. You sit and stew silently about how miserable you are, thinking about everything else you could and would rather be doing. If you practice mindfulness, you might be able to completely tune out while still appearing interested in the content, but it’s hard to do. Through the years, thanks to sitting through hundreds of professional development sessions, I have noticed that tuned-out educators really do make the worst audiences. Once we tune out, we tend to engage in side conversations, sometimes talking loudly to our neighbors. It’s almost as if many of us have been so prone to students engaging in side conversations that we have accepted it as an appropriate part of listening. It’s not. Just as we teach our students to be respectful while someone else is speaking, we all should do the same during workshops and classes we feel are a waste of our time.
- Sit and listen. You actually can relax and try to absorb something that will impact your students and their learning. It might be something small like a teaching strategy or a lesson format you have never tried. Maybe the presenter will say something that will spark your curiosity or creativity. Remember: Although the content of the presentation might not be relevant to you at that moment, there is the possibility it could be helpful to you at some point in the future. Learning is learning, no matter when. It’s even possible that you might learn something that you should never do. Maybe the takeaway is as simple as, “I should make sure I never try to help students learn by standing and talking at them for an entire hour.”
- Be productive. Face it, you’re a captive audience. But even captives can get things done. So resolve to use the time productively. Grab your phone or laptop and open Twitter. Find resources and professional learning that will be relevant to your role. At most conferences or professional development sessions that I attend, I usually bring my trusty laptop and share resources via social media as I am listening to the presentation. Even if you don’t have the liveliest presenter, you still might hear something worth sharing online. And who knows? Another professional might benefit from the information you pass on.
- Ask questions. If you feel yourself starting to drift, get vocal. Ask questions of the presenter. Some presenters wait until the end of their session to ask for questions. I always try to take questions throughout my sessions because I don’t want people to forget them before the end. Another idea is to have some sticky notes within reach, and you can jot down your questions during the presentation.
- Issue a challenge. It’s tricky, but you can openly challenge the presenter. This action can be difficult to pull off but, if conducted with respect, it can prove productive. Above all, tread lightly and choose your battle wisely. But if you disagree with what a presenter is saying, speak up. As an empowered professional learner, you have a voice, and it is your right to use that voice. Let’s say you are forced to sit in a session on math instruction in which the presenter is sharing drill-and-kill strategies that she promises will improve standardized test scores. As an experienced educator, you know these strategies will take students only so far and that authentic real-world problems are really the way to go. You might be able to shift the conversation by simply asking the question, “If my students have already mastered their facts, how can I incorporate authentic real-world problem solving to get them thinking critically?” Asking the question in this manner conveys respect and allows the presenter to pivot. But be prepared. The presenter might plant her feet and not budge an inch. She might go right back to spouting ideas that you find unhelpful.
- Steer yourself. If you find yourself in an Edcamp-style setting, you can exercise the Rule of Two Feet. If you are unhappy with a presentation, or it is not quite meeting your needs or expectations, you can rise on your two feet, exercise your vote about the session, and leave. Find another session that is more relevant or meaningful. Find a colleague with whom you can have a substantial conversation. If there are no other sessions going on at that time, jump online and continue your learning. As Dr. Seuss said, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
In the case of any professional development that falls short, educators no longer have to “sit and get.” You have options. You have a voice. You have a choice. Don’t just sit and take it. Make the best of a bad situation, and your students will be better for it.
Summary
- There are always going to be professional development sessions that are disappointing. Remember that you have no control over them (in most cases). You can only control how you react to them.
- You can simply tune out. This will lead to you learning nothing.
- You can sit and listen. Hopefully, you will learn something.
- Be productive. Use the time to get something done, like finding and sharing resources.
- Ask questions. Find out specifics and generate critical thinking through questioning.
- Speak up and challenge the presenter. This one might feel the best in the moment, but can still be tricky to pull off respectfully.
- Steer yourself. Ultimately, if you are not getting what you need, exercise your choice and find something that will impact your learning.
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever been in a bad PD session? What did you do? How did you react?
- How do you best learn during a bad PD session? What activity could you employ to make sure that the time is not lost?
- Knowing what bad PD can look like, how would you plan a professional learning session to avoid people fleeing?