Posted by:
Aaron Listhaus
K-12 Classroom teacher
Long Island, NY

Topic:
Aaron Listhaus' Position Statement

Message:

Every conversation between two professionals is professional development. When schools are designed so that teachers have time to talk to one another and have input into curricular design, implementation, and school policy decisions, then teachers will possess the authority to develop and implement solutions to the challenges they face. When teachers are handed curriculum or told how to solve their problems, they come to believe that the expertise to solve their problems lies outside the school. They search for the right workshop, the most popular guru or purchase a one-size-fits-all solution. They come to believe that they lack the necessary abilities to face their challenges and achieve their goals without outside intervention.

There is a connection between how a school or school district treats its teachers and how those teachers treat their students. If we expect students to become articulate, creative, problem-solvers who are active participants in their learning and who are able to apply what they've learned to new situations, then we must foster those behaviors in our teachers. If we hold our teachers to high standards, we must provide a professional development program that encourages active learning, problem solving, and self-reflection. We must provide a professional development program that models the behaviors we expect our teachers to model in the classroom.

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