Latest Goal in Life–Changing Staff Development

I’ve spent the summer in Staff Development or Training Sessions.  Some have been really good, and some have been really bad.

The highlights of the bad:

PowerPoint slides filled with information or the equivalent

Presenter talking too much and too fast

Before a staff development session, think about your audience and what you want them to do.  Do you want them to change their behavior?  That is the typical goal.  If so, figure what what you want them to do, give them a reason to do it, and a reward for doing it.  That’s Behavior Analysis 101.  Bludging them to death with information isn’t going to do it.

For example, I want more students to take AP Computer Science and I want them to pass the test.  The reward for that in one less prep (or more), and that I get incentive pay for each student who passes the AP Computer Science Exam. 

So show me how to get more kids in the door and how to get them to pass the exam.  Easy.