What exactly is the cause of the
lack of interest in professional
development from Sarah’s story?
I am certain that many of you
have felt like Sarah before.
Barrier #1 Barrier #2
The greatest problem faced by
school districts and schools is
not resistance to innovation, but
the fragmentation, overload, and
incoherence resulting from the
unbridled acceptance of too many
different innovations. Sarah’s conclusion that many of the sessions
were ‘pointless’ matches what we know about
some PD sessions that are not teacher-
centered.
---Sarah in this case did well
in identifying the area for PD
(reading). However, was it a
community decision or an
individual one?
---It is not clear how much
involvement other teachers had in
the decisions to conduct PD. If an
inclusive approach was not used, it
is not surprising that Sarah had such
difficulties.
Often, the “experts” invited deliver knowledge
on a particular topic to a large audience within
a limited time period. Here, teachers’ attitudes
toward the topic are not deemed relevant. This
approach makes the professional development
of teachers intellectually superficial,
disconnected from deep issues pertaining to
the curriculum and learning, and causes it to
be fragmented and noncumulative.
Sarah needs to recognize her peers as experts
too, acknowledge their funds of knowledge
and appreciate how these come to bear in PD
engagements.
11