I attended a Georgia Performance Standards Math staff development sponsored by a local RESA just last week. It was a typical setting: teachers sitting in cramped student desks while listening somewhat attentively to an expert relaying her educational knowledge. Since we teachers wanted to be looked upon as good students, we nodded occasionally and pretended interest in the topic. We often stared at our watches and breathed a collective sigh of relief when the time finally inched close to 4:00 p.m. This went on for three straight days! Unfortunately, all of the staff development programs that I have attended in my four years of teaching have been identical.
After reading the textbook, Schools as Professional Learning Communities, by Roberts and Pruitt (2003), I learned that there are better ways to conduct staff development programs. The book emphasized practical approaches of developing schools into learning communities where everyone works together to collaboratively focus on student achievement. The ideas presented seemed easy and practical, and I could visualize each aspect actually being used in my school. I hope that all schools in my county will use this book to improve their instructional practices as it would change current staff development programs from being boring and often non-applicable into avenues for positive change and growth among a schools’ faculty and staff.