It is always important to keep your sense of perspective and not be swept along by bad ideas imposed by superiors.
Be reasonable but do not accept the unacceptable. (The Will Smith video was first mentioned here.)
When I read the following, I was tempted to suggest that the local superintendent might order one of those Gates Foundation’s galvanic skin response monitors. But then I realized I was wrong: the purpose of the monitors is to measure excitement, but the purpose of the bobbers is to teach collaboration. I think. Maybe.
Read it and ask: laugh or cry?
This event (having to sit through the Will Smith treadmill youtube video–which, by the way, is still available for viewing by running a Google search) was nothing compared to the inservice the year before in the same district. That motivational speaker’s presentation consisted of a discussion of our positive and negative energy, which was then demonstrated by having all 100+ of us holding a fishing bobber suspended by a chain. We “worked to move our energy” using our bobbers in both small and large groups. Depending on the swing and speed of the bobber, it could be determined (!!!) whether or not we we possess good, positive energy.
From the speaker’s own website: “Participants are instantly affected as they learn to bring positive energy to their relationships and daily lives.”
Thank goodness we were not tested and scored individually on the swing of our bobbers, because I was fit to be tied by the time the presentation ended. The most disturbing thing was listening to some teachers the next day praising their own “successes” with the bobbers. They’d actually gone home and practiced! I, in turn, was reprimanded for my criticism regarding what I saw as the frivolous use of inservice time when I filled out my required end-of-session evaluation. I wrote something like, “Perhaps we can follow-up this ridiculous activity by bringing in tea leaves or pulling out the old Ouija Boards.”
Oh my gosh, do you think bobbers, tea leaves, and Ouija boards will soon be teacher evaluation tools? Egad.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Oh my gosh, do you think bobbers, tea leaves, and Ouija boards will soon be teacher evaluation tools?” It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if that was written into Bobby’s Jindal’s education reform legislation.
(smile) They might be more accurate than some evaluation tools out in the market today and VAM.
What’s worse is the money wasted on such “consultants”. I’ve been through similar in-service sessions.
I started teacher training 9 years ago, and have gone to a zillion district / state / school of ed trainings – most training has been comprably stupid, just not as blatantly worthless.
It has been useful for retired admins picking up a few bucks pimping the latest greatest Ivory tower useless crap.
“But then I realized I was wrong: the purpose of the monitors is to measure excitement, but the purpose of the bobbers is to teach collaboration.”
Diane, as I wrote this in the early morning hours of this morning, I was trying to show just one more piece of the current insanity teachers are forced to endure. If this inservice had involved any type of professional development–including a effort to teach collaboration–I would have been elated. But NO, this presentation was exactly as murphy 12 suggested: blatantly worthless.
According to the presenter, this seminar “will introduce to you the vital message, that, we are all PURE POSITIVE ENERGY; she will teach in two short hours how to use your energy to your advantage.” And, will show “All thoughts whether good or bad have energy associated with them, this has been scientifically proven.” Oh my, throw in “scientific” anything, and we’ll bite!
An entrepreneur indeed. (Or ‘antrepreneur’ as it is spelled on her opening home page) And we paid who-knows-what for this insight when the teachers in my building each had a $50 supply budget for the YEAR?!
I truly do not think collaboration was the purpose.
If you have the time, please read her bio. It explains a lot. http://www.keepyourbobberup.com/about.php
Good grief. I read the bio. I can’t believe a school district hired a massage therapist for professional development! This is worse, far worse than I imagined.
Diane,
Like I wrote earlier, when I “retired” I had a 2 1/2 hour discussion with the superintendent (my previously beloved principal; no joke, he was awesome). The “treadmill” and “the bobber” were just the tip of the iceberg of our discussion. The new bullying principal was my main reason for me to get out while I could. The tide had turned.
When I shared with him numerous instances of her bullying, his reply was, “But SHE’S got the best SCORES in the district.” Her scores???? He did ask both me and my NEA staff member if it was possible for someone to learn the “soft skills” (my term; aka compassion, empathy, interpersonal relations, communications, …). He indicated he’d been working with her on this. My response was “then obviously not.”
Those teachers–my dear friends–are bullied at EVERY turn…and the “climate” is so thick one can hardly breathe. This is no learning environment. For the teachers, it has now become a job and a paycheck.
Wish I could write more, but have to run to my blood donation appointment!
I certainly enjoy your blog, and am in awe of you. Thank you for persevering!
I wonder to whom she gave a massage to in order to be chosen as the motivational speaker.
But, on a more serious note, when the public finds out about these kinds of things they have a tendency to say “See, the public schools have more money than they know what to do with-they’re wasting my taxpayer’s dollars.
“It has been useful for retired admins picking up a few bucks pimping the latest greatest Ivory tower useless crap.”
Strong language from one of the comments above — but unfortunately true. I started researching the backgrounds of national inservice presenters that are contracted by my district after a completely frustrating day working with a man who showed no evidence of mastery in his own teaching field, much less teaching methods. A quick Google search usually shows no history, no professional accolades, just a link back to the program that they are selling, which is usually put together as a “trainer of trainers” event by a photogenic and entrepreneurial university professor. Questions and critique are not permitted — as someone previously noted, bullying is rampant to keep intelligent thought from gaining the upper hand.
Tonight, I just told a friend, “Gee, I hope they don’t ask us to hug each other again?”
She laughed, and said, “Of course they will. It’s called ‘team-builidng. This makes it ok for them to stab you in the back and ignore your emails and talk to you like you’re all dogs over the loud-speaker.”
One year, for team building, they had teachers play a game in the cafeteria where they lay flat (stomach down) on rolling chairs, zooming back and forth, across the cafeteria, in response to certain questions. I pretended I was ill and just looked on in horror. 🙂
What a bunch of useless folderol. What we really want is to be left alone so we can prepare our rooms and materials, and so we can discuss our work amongst ourselves (actual collaboration). This is particularly true in the overcrowded schools where most of the teachers float and don’t have their own rooms. Books and other materials need to be moved all over the building/campus.
Exactly: Just let me teach and LEAVE me alone, leave me alone!!
I was so lucky my first three years, but that principal left and all hades broke loose!
One year, we were told to bring socks the during inservice. I told my friend, “I’ll be damned if I take socks when we should be discussing literacy.” Or, as you said, getting my room ready, looking over rolls, color coding my ELL’s and preparing for the first day of school.
First it was bobbers and then treadmills.
This is the first time in 27 years that I’ve not been at the opening inservice (retired last year AFTER the inservice days). I was anxious to hear what I missed this year–the theme, anyway. The first thing a teacher friend emailed me following the opening was this:
“[The superintendent said] IF YOU ARE RIDING A DEAD HORSE, GET OFF. I started laughing because all I could think of was the treadmill. I told [a colleague] isn’t that like the treadmill. Then we both were giggling. So funny.”
At least the teachers are hanging in there…by mere shreds of sanity, it sounds. RIDING a DEAD horse? Hmmm, makes me wonder…