As I was reading this week I stumbled across two different
articles that spoke to me. The first was about the need of Professional Development
for teachers especially in the areas of TESOL. The second was about how our
English Learners need more support in schools.
I sat after reading them and wondered if perhaps the two are
not related. We are not doing enough for our students learning English and we
do not currently receive enough PD on topics of teaching English as a second
language.
With limited funding and lack of time, how can we implement
different ways to grow as teachers so that we are meeting the needs of all of
our students?
Two years ago I attended a technology conference in Hershey,
PA called PETE&C. While there I was at an “Unconference” learning session.
When you arrived you could sit anywhere and have conversations about any topic
you chose. While there I began talking about professional development and how
it is a passion of mine. Another teacher shared with me that teachers in her building were
taking time during the school day to discuss topics of their choice with anyone
who was interested. It sounded amazing but how does it work?
Teachers would log onto their school Lino board and use color coded
sticky notes to share topics they wanted to learn about or topics they felt comfortable
sharing about. Once a green and pink sticky note were posted teachers would
post on a blue sticky note that they were interested in attending. Depending on
the size of the group they would decide their location. After reading the
articles about quality PD and finding ways to make our teaching better I
thought that this is something that we all could be doing. It is free and often
times teachers around you are doing things you do not even realize. Using each
other as a resource is the best way to build school culture.
I am excited to potentially continue the Lino board next
year. I am thinking about my green sticky note already…
