Learning Forward Michigan

by Cynthia Carver, Associate Professor, Oakland University, LFM Past President

Earlier this year, I submitted a blog post titled “Defining Teacher Leadership: A Needed Conversation.” In that post, I argued the importance of taking time to talk with stakeholders about their understandings – of teaching, of learning, and of leadership – as a critical first step to elevating teacher leadership at the local level. The importance of this conversation was made very clear to me just a couple of weeks ago.

[Read more…] about Listening to Teachers

by Dennis Sparks Dennis Sparks

“The lesson…then, is that if you want to win the war for attention, don’t try to say ‘no’ to the trivial distractions you find on the information smorgasbord; try to say ‘yes’ to the subject that arouses a terrifying longing, and let the terrifying longing crowd out everything else.” —David Brooks

Distraction is widely viewed as a significant problem in society and in schools. It dissipates energy at work and in our personal lives, and it is truly dangerous when we are behind the wheel of a car.

[Read more…] about Say Yes “to the subject that arouses a terrifying longing”

by Cynthia Carver, Learning Forward Past-President

A couple of years ago, I was faced with a difficult decision. I was preparing for a job move and my eldest was heading off to college. The economy had soured and the future was uncertain. When my Learning Forward Michigan membership renewal arrived in the mail, I set it aside. Was it worth the investment to renew? Would it matter?

[Read more…] about “Activate” Your Membership

 

 

By Dennis Sparks

I am deeply puzzled about why decade after decade professional development remains at unacceptably low levels for far too many teachers and administrators.

More precisely, why do school system and school leaders continue to inflict on teachers the very practices they themselves often complained about when they were teachers?

[Read more…] about Why Doesn’t Professional Development Improve?

by Sara Trotter, Eton Academy

I was asked to talk about professional learning. Within minutes of reflecting on “What does professional learning mean to me? Why do I value it?” I was tweeted a plug for my regular twitterchat, discussing “Changing Public Perception of Teachers” and I realized that I was living in a state of constant professional learning. I seek it out. I am a lifelong learner. I am naturally curious. So, that part was easy – I am innately drawn to learning.

Now, a deeper level of metacognition, “Why do I value it?” I did what I normally do when reflecting: I let myself swim in the words, in the pondering; I read some quotes, like “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge (Einstein).” and let them mix with the ideology floating in my mind as I experience my life: I look at my children, 6 and 3. The way they learn; the strategies they apply; the life skills they need; I look at the teachers I support and the students they work with and I understand completely and wholeheartedly why I value professional learning. “Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.” Noam Chomsky

We, as educators can help create an promising future. Being the very best that we can be for the students that we work with, the children of our future, we can help not only each individual child reach their potential, but collectively help our students to see themselves in the future of their dreams. Sounds idealistic and possibly unrealistic, but if we aren’t in it for the kids, why are we here? A perceptive colleague of mine once told me, “We expect our students to learn something new everyday, why should this not be expected of educators as well?

”In my search for professional growth in my specific field, coaching and consulting, I found Learning Forward. Attending two annual conferences, immersed in topics that mattered to me and sharing ideas with like-minded educators, I was energized and motivated to dig deeper within my work and to be more mindful of my role in supporting teachers to reach the needs of their students. I found an organization whose signature line is, “Every educator engages in effective professional learning every day so every student achieves.” A perfect fit! Although I’m just beginning my professional journey with Learning Forward, I’m excited to explore this path.

Sara Trotter
Learning Forward Michigan, Board Member
Eton Academy
strotter@etonacademy.org

As we settle into the 2014-15 school year, there seems an energizing rise of new tools, new structures, and new opportunities to hone our skills and advance our craft as educators. From Google communities to EdCamps to Teacher Rounds, we are taking real strides to create professional learning opportunities, grounded in day to day teaching practices and designed to advance teachers’ alignment of instructional designs with student learning needs. That is, job-embedded professional learning.

[Read more…] about Evolving Tools for Job-Embedded Professional Learning