Anyone else sit through any useless, boring inservices today? Ours was all about the same old stuff. The district paid a consulting firm "no telling what" to come and talk about something almost like Bloom's and how to write lessons that focused on the higher levels and to teach for "deeper" meaning and relevancy. Hello? That's what most of us have been doing. We have another day of it tomorrow, with the same speaker. Okay, give us a refresher and remind us to focus on higher level thinking skills, but don't take two full days to do it, and give us handouts to "fill out" while we sit there. I felt like I was back in grad school again. Sorry, just had to VENT! Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Yeah...we got the "state of the system" address then hours of insurance salesmen peddling their wares. I sure could have used some time in my classroom. We have open house tomorrow night.
Yesteach,
The speaker was a woman with "Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships". I looked it up on the Internet and it's some consulting firm that helps schools improve test scores or something like that. I wasn't impressed with the presentation today. One of our staff members went up to her during the break and asked if this wasn't the same thing as Bloom's Taxonomy, and she said, "Yes, just with a different name". Tomorrow we have to spend the day writing lesson plans according to the "model". Last year it was "DOK" (depth of knowledge). When are they going to give us something really useful?
The part about "relationships" sounded like it might be a little more interesting, but she said she wasn't going to have time to get to that in these two days, and that our district would have to follow up with that.
I'm sure we'll have our share of boring stuff but we do get to hear the teacher from "Freedom Writer's" at our all district kick off. I'm really excited to hear her speak.
I always wonder why they inservice us on a "new" program every year, and they never seem to get to the good parts (to quote your message--The part about "relationships" sounded like it might be a little more interesting, but she said she wasn't going to have time to get to that in these two days, and that our district would have to follow up with that.)
Thoughts on "a new program every year"-Why is last year's program gone?
If the answer is "It didn't work." Don't they realize that the 1st year of implementing something is working out the "kinks"? Give us time.
If the answer is "This is better." Why did you waste my time last year? Aren't you paid the big bucks to get it right the first time?
OR maybe they expect you use both programs-that's always fun to try!!!
Thanks for letting me vent ( and know I'm not the only one feeling this way.)
Welcome to the life of a gifted student where virtually every speck of material is useless...boring...repetitive.
I have had several off-the-charts kids in my classes and this district is so darned chicken when it comes to acceleration ("Oooohhh!!! Think about the social issues!!!!") that these poor kids get trapped in a curriculum that is simply years behind them.
It's almost worse for the ones that go along to get along, do their (mindless) work pull the grades without a sweat and wind up thinking that a.) they've accomplished something, and b.) that this is how school will always be.
And, sadly, it will likely be that way for some time. Until they get to college where they are faced with the sad realization that they are horribly unprepared having never been required to work in school prior to college.
So, please, keep these kids in mind the next time you are torqued off about having to sit through "useless, boring" inservices.
Sorry for my vent, but what I've seen first hand in our district is so painfully depressing.
FranklinQs
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08-04-2008, 02:47 PM
