Required Summer Professional Development Abecedarius
Attention: please enjoy the carb packed
breakfast of
coffee &
donuts: quite an example of
Extrinsic Motivation, right? Bonus:
free tote bag! Feeling that sugar rush yet? Now
grab your seat and fill out a nametag:
Hello, my name is. First on our agenda:
Icebreakers. Next, we will read a slideshow featuring the latest
jargon followed by–we are so excited about this–a
keynote edustar who hasn’t taught for a decade but Tweets several times a day.
Lunch options: barbeque sandwich or chicken salad for our vegetarian guests. After lunch,
more jargon and
new names we invented for
old strategies because the
pedagogical pendulum does swing.
Quitting? Yes, we are in an Educational Crisis, but
remember your Why. Write it on this
sticky note.
Talk about it with your elbow partner.
Understand that we
value you as professionals (who make our jobs possible).
We hope you leave today with practical strategies (you can put them in your tote).
Extra donuts are left from breakfast (you could put a few in your tote).
You should get an email from us soon about the required August
Zoom meeting. No donuts, but we’ll spend a few hours digging into the data!
7 thoughts on "Required Summer Professional Development Abecedarius"
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I love the use of the form here, and it’s certainly an indictment of the system.
Thanks, Shaun. I’ve been fiddling with this form for a few weeks, but none of the subjects worked. At the same time, I’ve been stewing about having to go to one of these hellish meetings. The two met and it felt right.
This is great, Sue. As a retired educator I could feel the chill of the over-air conditioned room as I read your piece.
So clever! Perfect mesh of form and subject. Love the ironic tone.
“Been there. Done that.” I remember those days so well. Your poem makes me so glad I’m a retired teacher. Thanks! Nice poem!
“new names we invented for / old strategies” struck a chord, but “elbow partner” is a new phrase I’ll enjoy using
This poem made me shudder, not only because like you I hated those days that you have so eloquently lambasted here, but also because I am trying to move into doing more of this work with teachers and do not want to be the subject of such scorn — a good reminder to me.