Using Faculty Meetings as Professional Development Opportunities

1

• Using Faculty Meetings as Professional
  Development Opportunities Ravo Root

2
Who am I?

• Cortland Alternative HS
• Pine Grove Middle School
• Principal of Pioneer Middle School
• 2004-2008 Pioneer Middle went from being a School
  In Need of Improvement to being an Essential
  Elements Schools To Watch
• 3 years ago my faculty took ownership over the
  learning that occurs at faculty meetings

3
Raise your hand if you ever attended a faculty
meeting where

• Update on Upcoming Events
• Data Dump
• Principal addresses entire faculty on behalf of a
  few
• Gripe Session
• Last Question

4

• Goals
• Audience will be able to apply practical
  professional development activities that they can
  implement in future faculty meetings.
• Audience will leave with a plan to convert
  faculty meetings into professional development
  opportunities.

5
Legacy Activity - Reflection

• Place your address on the envelope
• This envelope will be mailed to your address
• Use the index cards to write out the following-

6
Legacy Activity

• Think of your favorite teacher?
• What characteristics or qualities made them
  special?
• What was his/her legacy?

7
Legacy Activity

• Reflect on yourself
• What characteristics or qualities do you want
  your peers and students to remember you for?
• What is your legacy going to be?
• Write these down on the index card.

8

• Faculty meetings are part of the answer to the
  time question.
• Follow up and follow through are essential to
  effective professional development.
• Michael Fullan
• Faculty meetings A mandatory
• meeting for all teachers.

9
Link to the Essential Elements

• 5.e The degree to which the educational
  leadership and building administration support
  and encourage teachers to take risks, to explore,
  to question, to try new instructional approaches,
  to continue as learners, and to grow

10
Essential Elements

• Level 4 - The educational leadership and building
  administration empower teachers to continually
  engage in innovative practices that meet the
  needs of their students and school.

11
Faculty Meetings are similar to your building
walls, they need to represent what you believe
in.Good News Reflection - Collaboration
-Commitment to Learning-
12
Faculty Meetings

• Staff Takeover
• The Experts Are Among US
• Teacher Leaders
• Transfer Learning Into Classroom
• Follow up and Follow Through
• Culture Change

13
Faculty Meeting Topics

• Opening Day or first faculty meeting determine
  topics
• Provide a few examples and brainstorm with entire
  staff
• Integrating technology in the classroom
• Brain based learning
• Classroom Management
• PBIS

14
Faculty Meetings - Topics

• Create a list of topics
• Eliminate duplications
• Give every teacher ten stickers and have them
  place the stickers on the different topics
• They can place one or as many as they want on any
  topic

15
Faculty Meetings - Topics

• Tally the total stickers on each page
• Write down the top 6, 8 or 10 topics, depending
  on how many meetings can be dedicated to
  professional development
• Non professional development topic budget

16
Integrating technology into the classroom

• Smart Boards
• Wireless chalkboards
• CPS clickers
• Kidbiz
• Internet research skills
• Internet AIS resources

17
Faculty Meetings - Topics

• Either the Principal or a small committee
  determines the schedule for the year
• Strategically place topics either early or late
  in the year

18
Faculty Meetings

• Plan for success in the beginning
• Tap shoulders
• Culture changes
• Experts are among us!
• Leaders emerge from within
• Leaders are celebrated
• Collaboration is celebrated
• Implementation and practice are celebrated!

19
Faculty Meeting Model

• Meet and Greet-5 minutes
• Good News/Postcards
• Introduction Principal-5 minutes
• Professional Development topic-50 minutes
• Snack optional

20
Faculty Meeting Model

• Post the topic/room/presenter
• Staff selects which break out group they want to
  attend
• Strive for a 151 ratio between facilitator and
  staff learners
• Administration picks one to sit in on
• Engage in the learning process

21
Goals

• Audience will be able to apply practical
  professional development activities that they can
  implement in future faculty meetings
• Audience will leave with a plan to help them
  convert faculty meetings into professional
  development opportunities

22
Contact Information

• Ravo Root
• rroot_at_pioneercsd.org
• 7164929375