Yesterday I attended my first Teach Meet event. Along with about 40 other teachers I listened as teachers presented either 2 or 7 minute presentations of things they do with their classes. I gave this 7 minute presentation.
Teach Meets take place regularly all over Sydney, with some on the North Shore attracting over 70 teachers with many more watching online.
I first heard of Teach Meets via Twitter. A group of inspiring teachers who regularly share their thoughts and practices (for free!) via Twitter are also instrumental in the continued growth of the Teach Meet movement in Sydney.
Which brings me to the title of this post… (Un)Professional Development.
All of these Teach Meets take place outside of normal school hours. No-one receives a payment to present and they are free for teachers to attend.
And yet, despite not having a conference committee, a series of overpaid key-note speakers, or a prohibitive registration fee, teachers leave feeling enthused, empowered and with a few more connections in their professional learning network.
In particular from last night, I have already acted on @cullo2230’s suggestion of using these YouTube clips as stimuli in HSIE classes and @mickprest’s brilliant idea of using Google Translate in LOTE classes to engage kids in reading things they’re genuinely interested in.
If you haven’t been to a Teach Meet – Go to one.
If getting to a Teach Meet requires you to be covered for last period ask your Principal or Deputy to cover you. In regard to you and your school getting bang for your buck , this is a no brainer!
If you haven’t joined Twitter – Do so! I’ve learnt heaps from Twitter in the last few months alone, in my own time, following people, themes and threads that genuinely interest me.
Need convincing? Read my last piece in the Sydney Morning Herald on the topic.
And to get you started (as well as Justin Bieber) – follow these people. (Tell ’em Dan sent you, and they may even follow you back!)
@edusum, @steve_collis, @benpaddlejones, @liamdunphy, @clarindabrown, @simoncrook, @mesterman, @pipcleaves, @7mrsjames and literally 130+ more here
Hope to see you in the Twitterverse… or at a Teach Meet in 2012!
0 Comments on “(Un)Professional Development”
Great post Dan! Thanks for presenting and sharing! Excellent finally meeting f2f. Keen to network in the future, we will need to push the 2nd March TeachMeet at ATP, Eveleigh and break the world record (currently 350ish)!!! Details to follow.