Attitude and Professional Development

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School years have an ebb and flow to them, no doubt. Most teachers will vouch for August and September as more of a tidal wave than flow. Within the tsunami: front-loading of information regarding safety, varying reviews of procedures, the latest whims of best practice, and, of course, actually dealing with students and classroom needs. The cavalcade of acronyms would be intimidating if it weren't comical in redundancy. Certainly this cycles through to students and parents, and we all try to tread these waters until the tide rolls out. By now, West Des Moines teachers have had several professional and staff development times, which contribute to rigorous treading and, eventually, some snarky attitudes regarding the value of professional development. Believe me, it's easy to buy into the theory that "this, too, shall pass" because, well-- it does, it has, and it probably will. New president: new educational fixes; new governor: new mandates; new principal: new beliefs... has, does, and will into perpetuity? Perhaps, but worse that trying to find good change: failing to try.

It is true, instructional coaching could be the latest magic salve peddled on the prairies. It may not last; grants don't last forever. What I do like about this model, though, is the focus on collegiality, attitudes, and building professional rapport. It's not all about the data, really, even though it does use that language. There are intangibles of high value not so easily quantifiable.

Jim Knight, director of the Kansas Coaching Project  from the University of Kansas, researched the affect of teacher perceptions and professional development, published with the appropriate pseudonym, "Another Freakin' Thing We've Got to Do." For educator's it's worth a look-- some corroboration of beliefs, some surprises. Among the findings were these influences on attitudes about professional development:

1. a history of interpersonal conflict with other teachers
2. a historical belief that professional development is impractical
3. a feeling of being overwhelmed by the tasks they need to complete as teachers
4. resentment about the top-down decision-making in the district 
5. anxiety about changes taking place in their schools

West Des Moines has committed to studying Knight's research and is making an effort to make the teaching experience better. I hope this begins to show in the experiences of teachers, students, and administrators alike in the near future. Perhaps, then, we can all desire that it's one thing that shall not pass.