TDD Days From Worst To Best

TDD Days are Teacher Development Days, and the range of emotions that are stirred in teachers upon these days vary.  For me, I'm not a big fan regarding most TDD Days.  This opinion is not based on my current teaching position; instead it's based on the variety of teaching positions and schools I've worked with throughout my career in education.  Here's my ranking from worst to best.

WORST - By far, the worst development days are when some consultant or educational expert is hired to present information to the staff.  Teachers are just like their students when it comes to large group situations like this.  They grade papers, check their cell phones, work on lesson plans, etc...

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE - Teacher selected development opportunities fall between worst and best.  Giving a teacher or a department of teachers flexibility to determine what he/she/they are most interested in exploring, most generally are productive with that time.  Teachers do generally appreciate common planning time to bounce ideas off of each other, determine pacing, or research student data.

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE - Off-site presentations can be very rewarding.  I've been fortunate enough to attend the Illinois Technology Conference a couple of times, and I always leave that conference inspired to try some different things in my classroom.  At these type of large "conference gatherings" there are many topics to choose from, which gives someone a great chance to see a variety of topics in a short amount of time.  Other off-site presentations may include development opportunities on a smaller scale, perhaps only on one topic.  Our Regional Office of Education hosts smaller, single-topic opportunities that have sometimes been beneficial and other times not very worthwhile depending upon the presenter and the topic.

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE - Teacher led development opportunities are better received that "consultant led".  Teachers are much more likely to participate and engage when a colleague or building staff member or administrator is leading a presentation.  And this type of teacher development is a lot cheaper than hiring a consultant.

BEST - In rare situations, teachers get the opportunity to go watch other teachers in the content area.  In my view, the best way to gain professional development is to view a really good teacher, pick his or her brain for ideas, and then steal the ideas that seem to work the best.