The one thing that I value the most as a teacher is my time. That's it, simple. Don't waste it, and we'll get along fine. Time, is something that I just can't get back. I have a thousand and three things to do to get ready for the next lesson, week, assessment and not too mention all the other stuff at home too(just ask my wife).
I'm not sure what it is, but something in my brain starts to explode the minute I detect a meeting becoming a waste of time. It's probably somewhere between the speaker talking about personal boring, yack yack stuff, and stretching out a short, simple point to a 15 minute discussion. It's always around that time that I start to wonder just what exactly did I get myself into?
Don't get me wrong. I love my work, and everything that comes with it. Teaching is a very demanding occupation. From the moment I step inside, till I step back outside, I'm going full speed teaching mode. Guided reading, Stations, writing, small groups.
I have a passion for learning as well. Anything that I find interesting and even applicable, I'm all in. I can go to toe to toe with anyone on my campus for being a person who loves reaching and exceeding all of my students expectations. I'm also a first time father, a graduate student, and a night time ESL teacher, so any free time that I have is really precious now.
Which brings me back to my topic at hand. Since my time is very important to me, if I find myself having to attend one of those "mandatory meetings", the very least they can do is try to make it interesting. Reading right from the power-point, talking while sitting down, printing out the handouts, are all a few of things that all presenters need to avoid. These are killers to any presentation and instantly changes what could have been a interesting meeting to a waste of time, boredom.
Here's a blog which very nice and neatly lists out the top ten things you can do to make a great presentation.
4 comments:
OMG I can relate to that.
Great post Joseph.
I recently wrote on this topic too. I listed the top 10 things to do in a boring meeting (though I blew it out to 12 things, then added a short list of what not to do). It is a bit of a laugh though based on a series of terrible presentations/meetings.
We had someone talk to us at our workplace a while back; a specialist. As you noted they read from the (highly detailed) Powerpoint, handed out notes, apologised for their presentation (because they were tired). What was probably worse was the way management then kissed arse, "let's thank.......for the valuable information...
BTW, 2 absoluetly must have books to improve your presesnting are:
1. Presenting to Win by Jerry Weisseman and
2. Presenting magically by Tad James
I have school in a week and am dreading the meetings. We have "staff conversations" every Wednesday and staff meetings every fortnight plus faculty meetings. They do my head in. I thought this was why email was invented. People in management thinking up extra work for tecahers who ahve had a demanding day already. what ever happened to pastoral care for teachers, not just students! Thanks for the tips. I will add one more; do your pelvic floor exercises.
Great read, thanks for writing this
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