Any teacher will tell you that the worst part about teaching is the PD (professional development). This is especially true for veteran teachers who have probably "seen it all before" and see district mandated PD as a waste of time. But it doesn't have to be that way. Districts ask their teachers to differentiate instruction for each student to make sure every student has the tools and a unique path to success. Yet few districts take the same approach with their teachers. Why isn't PD differentiated for teachers? Imagine how energized and valued teachers would be if they were trusted to take their own paths to a common end goal.
There are so many things that are amazing about being an Einstein Fellow, but the absolute best part- we get to design our own PD. We lay out goals and WE get to determine how best to make those goals happen. The picture of my new guitar is a symbol of what can be. One of my goals is incorporating the Arts into STEM to make it STEAM. Music, with all it's beauty, is physics. Learning how to play the guitar will help me make better connections between science and the arts and will fill me with a better appreciation of how learning music develops that brain and helps student succeed in all areas
So incredibly empowering! For the first time in awhile, I feel valued as a professional educator and I suddenly want nothing more than to become better: a better person, a better leader, a better educator.
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