Caution: feeding my learning needs can be hazardous!
Mar 8th, 2008 by Mark Spahr
This year at my school, there is a small group of teachers who have participated in monthly, half-day professional development sessions. These trainings are centered around integration of technology in the classroom and have been provided through an eMints grant. Starting last month, our sessions have been facilitated by Jim Moulton. Jim is a nationally known educational consultant, and he is a storehouse of information on the use of technology in education. It is fascinating to spend time with him, picking his brain and bouncing ideas back and forth about this web app or that. I find it exciting to sit and share and collaborate with someone of his level of knowledge and experience. It is the type of experience that really feeds what I need as a learner.
So, excited as I was for today’s session, my enthusiasm was dampened slightly when I learned that our already small group had gotten smaller. Three teachers have dropped out of the program since last month. And I am concerned that I may be partially to blame.
At the start of the school year, our group was made up of six or seven teachers, each with varying levels of technological proficiency. Of the three teachers that dropped out, two of them are on the lower end of the scale. Last month’s session, our first with Jim as facilitator, was just as I have described it above. I could have gone on for hours. To Jim’s credit, I know he was working very hard to include everyone in the conversation, and at a level that they could understand. I worry now that I may have dominated the conversation. I worry that, in my enthusiasm, much of what we talked about was way over the heads of some of our group. Are these some of the reasons why members of our group did not come?
So what’s your point?
When I teach, I always have a wide mix of students in my classes. I wonder if I am doing enough to reach my students at their own ability levels. Or am I just talking over their heads all the time? Are they mentally “dropping out” because another student is dominating the conversation or my attention? How can I adjust my methods to meet the needs of everyone in my class? I don’t think we will get the teachers who dropped out of the group back. How would I get a student back?
What do you think? Any thoughts?
Hi Mark,
I really appreciate how difficult it is to come clean on this stuff. I was in denial for the first couple of years of teaching - anything that went wrong was the fault of the students or their parents. I was easily and naively convinced of that. Then I came to - with the help of supportive peers and mentors. I was exposed to people like you! People with whom I could have honest and downright difficult discussions with - “I need help…I’ve messed up…how can I fix this?”
I work hard to carry this over with my work with teachers. Like you, I try to come clean on my shortcomings and - when I’m aware enough to know I’ve made them - admit to my mistakes. I also look to them to let me know when I’ve flubbed up or not come through. Something that I’ve found helpful is a survey or exit prompt at the end of a workshop or class. And I’m a bit pushy - letting them know that I take their feedback seriously and only want it if they’re going to be candid. Anonymous feedback is OK, too, as long as it’s respectful. If I forget to give the prompt or survey, I’ll follow up with an e-mail or if I’m in the building stop by to get feedback.
It’s never too late to bring them back - let them that you care that they stopped attending. You can let them know what you think may have turned them off, but you may be surprised by the actual reasons (time, competing factors, they don’t like Jim (hah! gotcha Jim)).
Good luck, Mark. And way to go!
Cynthia