I think, I think (with apologizes to Peter King AND Kevin Walsh)

Recently I had the opportunity to prepare an in-service for my new faculty and staff members at Vianney. In-services in general are not "New" to me, this is my 6th year as a school administrator and I have over a decade of service to Catholic education in my rear view window. I've "sat through," participated in, and prepared a number of in-services.
What keeps circling my head is how different last week's professional development was compared to all the others. Specifically a quote from two of my new hires. The first from a veteran educator with 20+ years experience continues to haunt my thoughts, drive me to work harder for my faculty, and truthfully, at my core, really troubles me.

He said, "I just have to say that in my 20 years of education I have NEVER been to an in-service that has been more practical and useful than this. I texted my wife (also an educator) during break and told her I have PAGES of notes of things I'm going to do in my classroom. This is fantastic."

My initial reaction was one of happiness and humbleness. MANY hours of thought and preparation both by me, but also by a number of my faculty went in to creating this in-service. And YES that was my number one objective: "Make it practical; Give them something that can use tomorrow; Don't waste their time, they are busy professionals."

A similar quote was taken from the Facebook page of one of the new faculty members: "Today was AWESOME!!! I learned practical and realistic new techniques to implement into my classroom and met great new people...I don't know if I have ever said this before: today's professional development was amazing-honestly/no sarcasm! Go Griffins!!!"

Again, I was initially pleased, excited, thrilled by the response, and later came back to that pit in my stomach and that voice in my head asking "Tim, isn't it suppose to be this way?"

Since that time though I've become somewhat troubled by the statements of excitement from my new faculty members. I began to review the many in-services I've led as a school administrator over the course of six years (PSA: Reviewing the actions of a six year administration career can cause ulcers, anxiety, and bring downright fear to a person--night sweats are likely to occur). And I keep coming back to one simple question: "WHY AREN'T MORE IN-SERVICES/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS PRACTICAL?"

As educational leaders if we are serious about being lifelong learners. If we truly value our faculty and staff as professionals, then why do we "teach" them in a manner that is the complete opposite of anything we would tolerate from them in their classrooms?

Particularly as educators who sat through the same mundane, horrific, BORING "professional development" in our careers. Why do so many administrators forget their past as classroom teachers and submit our faculty to the same lifeless in-services we dreaded. Isn't history suppose to be our greatest teacher????
The magazines, blogs, twitter feeds, and political activists love to pontificate on the need for education reform. I constantly read about declining literacy rates, higher poverty rates, and failing schools. But if we are honest with ourselves as administrators, the change and reform needed in schools is on the local level. Opportunities for engaging, practical, sustainable learning occurs frequently in our cafes, media centers, and lecture halls with our faculty. To paraphrase a famous quote "We need to be the change we want to see in the world."

I think, I think...