I hear this sometimes: “Everyone knows one-and-done PD is bad.” Here are three reasons that I think the thinking behind this line could be improved. 1. If it’s true, then a recent study of 10,000 teachers suggests that “everyone” is wrong. One of the chief findings of a recent study on teacher professional development is that effective PD is pretty idiosyncratic. Basically, […]
Professional Development
Problems = Opportunities
Many years ago, a young community organizer met a man who had worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi. This man told the community organizer that the key to Gandhi’s success was that he viewed every problem as an opportunity rather than a setback. That community organizer took the advice to heart, applying Gandhi’s attitude to all areas of his […]
The Two Most Important Words for Getting Great, According to Daniel Coyle
Over the past year, I’ve been reading, writing, and thinking a lot about what it takes to get great at teaching. This is partly because I’m insanely curious about it. After all, if I’m going to do something, I want to do it (or be on the way to doing it) great. It’s also because of the e-book […]
Takeaways from #NCTE14 (and why professional conferences are worth it)
Two weekends ago, I went to my first-ever national conference for teachers: the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference (NCTE14), which was held in the DC area. In this post, I’d like to do three simple things: Explain why conferences are and aren’t helpful — and how to make sure the next conference […]
We All Need Mentorship: Here’s How to Make the Most of It
Lately, I’ve been kind of obsessed with helping the Teaching the Core community think deeply about their careers. Part of that is because I love writing about this stuff; another part is because I sense that the group of educators who belong to this friendly movement of educators resonate with some of the following questions: Is […]