One of my biggest pet peeves in education is when I attend a meeting, or go to a conference, or attend a colloquium and teachers act unprofessionally. It really makes my blood boil to think that some hold such a double-standard for how we demand kids act in school vs. how they act as professionals. In my view, it’s the teachers who should be held accountable for these issues; not the students. If teachers can’t exhibit enough self-control in these situations then why on Earth would you expect kids to, or maybe we just need to realize that humans need to earn respect and lead through example; not demand compliance.
There is nothing better than sitting and imagining the double-standard that most teachers engage in but refuse to accept. Because there is no other way to do this than ask questions, I felt as though I would share some with you and let you ponder.
#1: What’s the difference between a student text messaging on their phone during your class and you text messaging on your phone during one of these functions? How would you react if the presenter came and swiped it from you then made you go to the reception desk to get it back?
#2: What’s the difference between you grading papers during a faculty meeting and a kid working on an assignment for another class during yours?
#3: What’s the difference between a student leaning over and whispering something to another student while you are giving directions and you leaning over to whisper something to a colleague?
#4: What’s the difference between when a kid that raises his/her hand to ask to go to the bathroom and you getting up and leaving to just go?
#5: What’s the difference between your phone going off “by accident” during a presentation of some type and a kid’s phone going off during your class?
#6 What’s the difference between a kid walking in five minutes late to class and you walking in five minutes late to a presentation?
I could continue, but I don’t think I need to. I think I’ll just sit back and wait for the first person to say “we’re adults” so that I can laugh sarcastically and respond with: “if that’s how adults act then we’re all kids”.
Answers? Reactions? Sarcastic remarks?
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Aaron,
First off, let me start by affirming that I agree on so many levels in regards to this post and many of your concepts and opinions – hence the close follow I have via RSS and twitter. Although I’m on the same page, I have to analyze the other end for a bit (as an aspiring instructional leader). I feel that this also lends itself to a leadership issue as well – I mean, it seems that if our leaders, teachers, keynotes, etc, aren’t prepared for the audience – be it student or professional, what exactly is the expectation? I’ve had many conversations about what is it that our district wants from us when far too many times the presentation is just another rehash push with another title. Too many times Professional Development (PD) revolves around what is easily assessable in terms of reaccreditation or what is “thought” to be leading bleeding edge – but never once is collaborated and offered in a variety of contents for one to choose from. I feel that if leaders could truly see the benefit of where PD differentiates among large school districts than I think a presenter could expect more from there “audience”. We need to move away from social engagements with discussions about what kinds of chocolates exist at the center of the table to what change is necessary to shift the culture. When does the top ask the bottom what they want in order to move forward professionally?
AT
You absolutely struck a cord with me on this post. Last week I attended a two day technology training that was fast-paced, and the presenter was both engaging and relevant. Throughout the two days of hands-on instruction, I had to put up with “professionals” who played, laughed, talked and kept me from hearing some of the information and instructions for assigned tasks. It was not only infuriating, it was an infringement on my right to learn. THAT is the reason I expect my students to be attentive and respectful to all who are contributing in the classroom, and that is the reason I enter every setting with the intent to do my best to give others my full attention and respect. I think when we start making excuses such as “This doesn’t apply to me” or “We have heard this all before” then we open the gate to allowing students and adults do whatever makes them happy. I am afraid I can’t live with that on either a professional or personal level, particularly when the ones who are doing the texting, talking, correcting, etc are the first ones to complain when they don’t get the full attention of students or others in the room. In my case, the “professionals” causing the disruption behind me were also the first ones to ask for individual clarification when they didn’t pay attention to the instructions in the first place. Teachers get the respect they deserve, not what they demand.
Aaron you really struck a chord with me. I have seen this kind of behavior many, many times. I am with Margaret that if we expect students to pay attention in class than that is the kind of behavior that we should model when we are in a learning sitation. I agree with Adam that speakers should know something about their audience but it may not be possible to ascertain what every single person in attendance knows about the subject prior to giving the presentation. Some people are so disruptive that they keep others from learning. With teachers coming under such scrutiny now I think we need to be very aware of our image and how we “come across.” This kind of behavior doesn’t make us look like the professionals.
I find myself sitting on the fence on this issue. Not because it’s easier to sit on the fence but because I live in the world of your opinion and day dream about the other. I do agree with you about teachers needing to practice what they preach. It does drive me crazy when teachers interrupt conferences in some of the ways you have mentioned. What I’m not sure about is whether I’m just socialized into that opinion or whether it is the right opinion.
I also have to be honest, I have been “those” teachers on occasion. A double standard I know. In my daydream, audiences (both students and teachers) are free to text when they need to, go to the bathroom when they need to, quietly ask a neighour for clarification when they need to, etc. I know some people will take advantage of this situation and text, go, ask when they don’t need to, but is that a good enough reason to expect the rest of us not to?
Brilliant!!
Simply brilliant!
This may be my favorite blog post of yours EVER!
I couldn’t agree with you more.
Adam,
I understand completely what you are saying about turning PD into more of a transformational function than a transactional one. Here’s my question: if that’s the way that adults act in those types of situations, maybe teachers that have the problems I described above need to think about that when it comes to their classroom practices as well? I would think so, but I am still waiting for a teacher to admit it. They want a transformational PD experience but they don’t want to go through the effort to give their kids the same thing. That’s bothersome to me.
Thanks a lot for your thought-provoking comment!
Aaron,
I lived this same situation last week. I was asked by our admin team to lead a 4 hour PD on creating a Personal Learning Network. I wasn’t exactly excited about the length of time, but thought I could manage. I really wanted to get the tools in the staff’s hands, we had created a Ning to use as a collaborative tool, and I also showed them twitter, google reader and diigo. I gave them plenty of time to work independently and together. Afterwards, I had many people come up to me and say it was a great day of PD, they really enjoyed it etc. One person said, “Yeah, that was great, I could play solitare on the computer”. I wanted to ask, how would you feel if a student in your class had done that, but I held myself. I was saddened that they had missed out on all of the learning. I was a little upset, but man if they’re not professional enough to stay on task, there are bigger issues.
I think your post was great, brought some great points, but what I’ve learned is that some teachers want to get better and improve their practice while others don’t. They’re happy just doing what they’re doing and collecting their checks each month and enjoying their 3 month vacation in the summer.
I’ve read this post three times today and it brings so many thoughts to my mind. Certainly, if we as educators want to be known as respected professionals, then we need to treat one another respectfully and professionally. Too many times, I hear my own teachers complain about the lack of respect and attention from their students, when they themselves are not able to afford that same respect and attention during staff meetings or professional development sessions. Be the change…treat others as you want to be treated…people in glass houses, etc. Let’s take these sayings off our coffee cups and email signatures and make them reality.
I’ve been ‘preaching’ this for a couple of years now. I think the reason is that adults, in general, don’t see children/teens as ‘people’. If we truly see our students as people, just like we are, we will treat them with respect and dignity and we will live up to the same expectations that we have for them.
Many have stated it in prior replies, but in different ways “We are all alike, young and old. We’re people” Conferences, lecture halls, staff meetings, we can all identify our students in the attendees. Make you think, doesn’t it?
When an adult does this in my classes or PD presentations, I assume that they have a good reason to be doing it. They are adults and they decide the times and places that they speak, text, enter, and leave situations. Whether you believe it or not, when an adolescent does this in my class I also assume that they have a good reason to be doing what they are doing. But in this circumstance, I follow up to see what that reason is. We recap the need and decision and revisit whether or not it was the best time for those choices. Why do I follow up with the student? Because their decision making process is incomplete and still plastic while the adults are less likely to change. When I work with adults, I set clear expectations and expect reasonable compliance. I plan break times at the beginning and let people know that they can leave as they need.
In a classroom setting, I know the signs that I am off the mark planning/content-wise. You know it, too. Kids start asking to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, etc. You try to control the behavior but you know that the real problem is your plan and your process. The same is true of adults. You are right. We are all children. Or are we all adults? Are we the same? Do we all have a need for the facilitator to be engaging; providing useful and relevant information in an interesting milieu? When it’s not up to par, do we start to get antsy? Go to the bathroom? Get a drink? Check e-mail? Talk?
Maybe we are all alike and maybe you should have higher expectations of the leader of the sessions rather than the sheeple who are so quick to check out when the work is not up to snuff. Presenters make bold statements about their audiences when they reveal their plan. I have high expectations for quality, content, applicability, etc. If it’s not on my level, I’m busting out the iPhone and playing Scrabble.
The first display of disrespect was not mine, it was made by the leader. The audience is merely a reflection, accepting the invitation of the presenter.