Blog Reflection 2

This is a very good reflection for me to look at. I have a couple of speaking engagements at conferences coming up and I am very nervous about them.
One of the best presenters I have ever seen was at a conference and he was discussing his software, book and magnet school. The presenter was very energetic, had lots of interaction with the audience, was very knowledgeable about his content and provided information relevant to my teaching assignment. I think for staff to learn something, the more of these characteristics you have, the better.
If the presenter is not energetic and a strong speaker, the message will get lost, it doesn’t matter how good the content is. On the flip side, they can be very energetic, but have no idea what they’re talking about so they still do not communicate the message. We had a guest speaker for our students in an assembly that fit this description all too well. He had great relationship with the kids, but never really got to his message and it turned into an hour of him just 'hanging out'. The other necessity I mentioned was relevance. Everyone’s time is precious. When people are stuck in a group because administrators want to put them somewhere, it is very frustrating. For example, as a technology elective teacher I have sat through trainings for a TAKS tracking website, CSCOPE and SMART board use, none of which I have access to or use for. A much better use would have been for us to have an elective team meeting for various ideas, work in our rooms or even have one of our team put together something separate for us.
The recipe for a bad experience at a professional development is the exact opposite of the positive traits I just mentioned. I have one particular experience that is standing out in my mind, and the content did not lend itself to engagement all that well but this thing was awful! I will say it did relate to laws, acts, and other government type things. However, the speaker was seated at a table and monotone read through a PowerPoint for the whole session. There was an incredibly long handout full of many copied pages handed out to all the attendees. There was no interaction, no excitement, and minimal relevance. He did seem competent of the content, but I just couldn’t stay with him enough to know for sure.
Assessing knowledge and skills that are gained and maintained through professional development is very difficult I think. If it is put on through the campus, you can observe classrooms and results from students on how something is working. Things gained off campus are much harder because they are usually self-implemented and assessed. I’m sure I’m not the only guilty teacher of filling up a notebook with great ideas at a particular session to never open the notebook again. It definitely will take a will by the teacher to apply that newly gained knowledge and ensure its implementation.
Professional development can promote the success of the students by bringing in new ideas. All teachers face a danger of getting into the routine of teaching the same curriculum each year with minimal changes. Professional development can bring in new techniques, new ideas, and new strategies to keep a teacher and the subject fresh and engaging for the student. Also, since the diversity among our students grows daily, it can help us be prepared in all the various ways we will need to reach that student.