hairy wong

Here's the thing about many of the professional development opportunities I've had as a student-teacher. They're insulting to our (student-teachers' and professional teachers') intelligence. They try to "teach" us shit they we've already learned. Today, a well-meaning district official "taught" us what a jigsaw activity is. We also "learned" that having effective classroom management strategies are an important way to enhance student learning.

I'm someone who's most certainly not in teaching for the summers off. I love teaching, and I really believe in the profession's importance. Teachers, I think, have the opportunity to create and nurture a space in which students can talk about the complexities in our communities and in our country (as Obama's speech this morning implored Americans to do!)

My point is, I am not a slacker. I like learning about teaching, and I like reflecting critically on my own teaching. And want to know what I thought the best part our professional development day today was? When the district official said that she was going to show us a clip from a video by a motivational speaker, Harry K. Wong, because the evaluation she received on her last workshop said, "We want more Harry Wong!," one of my colleagues whispered, "That's what she said."

At what point can we assume that everyone in the room, when the room is filled with teachers, knows what differentiated instruction is? Why the constant review of basic concepts in educational psychology? At what point can we move the conversation forward in more productive and creative directions?

I found this when I Googled Harry Wong (ha). Like, seriously? Why do professional development things always have to make teaching out to be the most boring thing in the world?:



I guess this is more of a post for the vlog, huh?