When the presenters of a staff development session begin by apologizing for the uselessness of the activity, as well as its narrowness, bad timing, and lack of preparation, you know you are in for some mega-cognition!
At the close of today's faculty-district-wide-literacy-staff-development meeting, we were told we were presented with ideas; not true. They asked us how our teaching of reading was going--as if we had all just done it for the first time that day. We brought up some problems we were having with the scripted, but not scripted (? Its just that confusing) curricular materials because there seemed to be a lack of defined scope and sequence. After the presenter agreed with all the complaints, she went on as if the complaints were never made or acknowledged. Another in a long stream of insulting condescension from our "leaders". They may as well tell us to abandon all prior knowledge we have gained over the years, and just believe. I am really bad at that. Thank god!
All the teachers tried to explain that the district seems to have no idea where they are heading, yet they seem to think we can read their minds and know! We don't. Maybe the district, and all school districts for that matter, can get their administrations together and figure out, explicitly, what they want us teachers to do differently, besides teach better, as if that is the problem. I suggest school "leaders" define the problem, then look for a solution, as opposed to this willy-nilly, ask the teachers to fix whatever ails us. We don't know! But we admit it! (Its poverty. Poverty is the problem, with everything. In the whole world. I can tell you the truth because I am anonymous!))
Until and unless leaders figure out where they want to lead us, we teachers will continue to get blamed for not just not educating kids, but for not implementing new nonsense that has not even been thought through by those who call themselves leaders (administrators call themselves that, really!). Seriously, schools are becoming more like factories and prisons; make-work, follow rules just to prove you can, don't think--produce, don't resist, shut up, work. All work and no play.....
I am so sick of it. Anyone looking for a former teacher to employ? Please?
