Teachers, there's no Magic Wand
There's no short cut. There's no quick fix.
True Story:
Right after finishing this session on "How Learning Happens" during the recent Innovative Teachers Summit 1.0, where the participants dove into the three major principles of learning, how learning in schools are different than learning in informal contexts, and a bit of helpful ideas to try in the class, one of the participants comes to me and says this:
"this is all good. it's great that we learnt about how learning happens. but..."
I already sensed what words would come out of her mouth. This happens in almost all the sessions or workshops. So much so that if this doesn't happen, I am a bit disappointed.
"...but we have to take 7 periods every day... our school gives us too much extra work... parents are always complaining..."
I know these are genuine problems almost all the school teachers are facing.
But I also know, that was not the aim of the session - to solve all the educational problems we face.
Expectations from Participants:
Here's my simple request to you teachers whenever you participate in workshops or sessions.
Know what the session is about. The context. The content. The limitations.
If the session is relevant to your "problem", take part in it.
If the session seems irrelevant, you might waste your time and money.
If you decide to stay, don't bring in ideas/questions irrelevant to the session's content and objective.
Don't expect to grab quick fixes for the problems you face. There are no shortcuts, there are no magic wands.
I am generally quite respectful to the participants. I smile. I know their pain. I have been there. I am there.
Come to be Surprised
Sometimes, as a participant, I’ve stumbled into many sessions which I didn’t sign up for. It happens. Sometimes, the admins organize it for all the teachers and it can be mandatory. Sometimes, your principal might “force” you to join sessions. You can’t always choose what you do ;)
However, as a professional, even the sessions you didn’t sign up for can be a great learning and networking opportunity.
I totally agree with what Prof. Shyam Sharma shared as a comment in my FB post:
“I would go a step further. When I join a training, I do NOT ask if I think ahead of time it is relevant to my problems/challenges at the time. We should allow professional development opportunities to surprise us, to open up new avenues of practice and reflection/improvement of our profession.”
Even in the sessions, which I deemed a total waste of time, I would take notes profusely. Draw. Sketch. And try to connect the content/activity of that session to my own prior knowledge, habits, and concerns.
I turn “inwards” and test my hypothesis. Sometimes, I start playing the devil’s advocate and list down ideas on “how would I make this session better for the participants like me?”
Either I learn something new, or I have more questions. Win-win for me.
And, I pause a little before I open my bag full of problems I face or share dissatisfaction with the session facilitator or presenter.
No Prescriptions. No Magic Wand. No Quick Fixes.
Workshops are not prescriptions. Even when the facilitators claim that there are “5 steps to make your life easy”. Or when the title is “3 Ways to Magically Transform your School”.
Even what I write most of the time here, are not prescriptions on how to change the education system, find solutions to the problems we face, or change teachers’ mindsets.
You can take these ideas and try them on your own, with your own conscious effort towards making your teaching more effective.
I’m 100% sure that you already know that there can be no quick fixes for the challenges you face in your school or classroom.
Lastly, don’t be that a-hole
I have seen participants grilling the facilitators/presenters - during and after the session - with long winding questions, personal complaints, and meaningless cynicism.
Especially with questions to one-up the presenter, or to subtly trap or humiliate the facilitator.
Stop doing that.
Just grab the tea/cookies from the corner and enjoy the moment.
