Very interesting conversation with one of our leaders

Talked to one of our professional learning team leaders today.
She said that at the last meeting, people still expect to be 'taught' by others (ie the leaders) during the Professional Learning Team meetings!
It still hasn't got through to some people! She said she caught some flack about it i.e. 'why do we have to do this extra stuff', 'where are we going to find the time to do this?'.
They just don't realise that they have been given time at the meetings and are expected to find another 15 hours (as part of the EA) to do this professional learning. It is their responsibility to work out what to do not the leaders! Fuck me. Some people are thick.
So I told her that if it happens again, to pass it on to the leadership and we will deal with it.
It's just like teaching students!

All plans were returned to teachers

Sorry, bit of a busy week last week.
We decided to return all plans last week.
A significant minority were approved without comment.
Most were asked to reconsider their plan and make minor changes.
Some were asked to refocus the point of their plans.

Most people seemed to take any criticisms well - only one person questioned the criteria I had used. However, she is changing her plan anyway.
Next meeting is in two weeks time.
Need to look at what the leaders can do for this: maybe revisit the planning section of the PLPs and crystalise what they want to do in Second Term.
Must watch the decline in interest that occurs late in Term 2 and early Term 3.
Maybe have guest presenters at the staff meeting?

Sent out the approvals for the plans

Interesting that most plans just needed slight tweak - either they are trying to do too much or some minor aspect wasn't clear.
Some staff have no idea about professional learning - they don't see the link between what they can change as a teacher and how this can help them in the classroom. It's like they are doing a course. No wonder some seemed quite bemused when they were asked to fill in the plan!
In their minds, they are probably saying, "Just tell me what to do!".
Still following up some tardies. Speaking of professional...

Finished the review of the Plans

Ok, most of the plans. Still the same old excuses with some people.
A couple more observations:

Some teachers don't distinguish between personal development and professional development. For example one teacher wants to improve her understanding of a language; another wants to do a Bible College course, a third wants to learn how to use the Interactive Whiteboard - all worthy end points but something that could be done even if you were not a teacher.
The key is to work out how students will benefit from these end points. It is then a matter of rethinking your focus.
Let me take the IWB example. Such a teacher needs to look at their classes and ask: "What do I do well" and "what is not going so well". (Even better - ask students or get a colleague in). Then, "How could an IWB help strengthen the good aspects and deal with the issues". Student responses (at least) could be measured before and after and then the teacher could reflect on the success of their IWB activity. Here the focus moves from the teacher to the student - where it should be.
The teacher still learns how to use the IWB but it is a means to an end - improved student outcomes. The other two examples are going to be harder but it still could be done.
This is where we are headed but it is taking some teachers a little time to understand this.
Now I have to go and talk to them about it...

Final plans are in

I think I bit off more that I could chew by volunteering to read all of the plans.
I will recommend that the leaders read them first, ok them and then pass them on to the Professional Learning Team for any difficult ones.
Also received the first applications for funding and time off.
Again, need a system to deal with this.
I will put an envelop into my pigeon hole for this, read through, ok it from my point of view and then pass on to the Administrative Coordinator who will pass it on to others.
Then the applicants get a photocopy and I get it back again.
Again, I am astonished about the brilliance of some of the teachers that I work with.
If our school does not change significantly over the next few years, I will be staggered!

Second team meeting

Got to meet the people from the CELT team who showed it to us.
Looks pretty useful - but I want to get into it and try it.
People in the team are looking to use the CELT to add units of work and to come from that process from different angles. e.g. student use, non-confident teacher use, use for moderation purpose, use with a variety of students.

The other thing happening this week is that teachers submitted their plans.
Man, what a creative group of teachers we have. Here are some of the focuses:
Homework, guided enquiry, revamping the library, immersion in Italian, students and fitness, boys and education, engaging teaching methodologies.
Three things were highlighted:

1. Lots of teachers want to use the internet as a source of information. I want to steer them onto online teaching groups and forums which have probably already done the work for them.
2. Lots want to go to conferences but don't know where to find them. In Australia, we have edna.com.au which collects these things (amongst other things) and so I could easily send them out to the staff.
3. Lots of teachers want to do surveys. We have to be careful not to over-survey so I need to come up with a method of randomly assigning students so that they participate in no more than one survey.
4. Staff want to do professional reading. My idea is to work with the Library staff to have journals available to staff in the staff room but with a page of 'highlights' or 'must reads' on the front. If the library staff are aware of the foci of the different professional learning plans, they can also target staff.

Lots of good ideas, just need time to implement them.