{"id":540,"date":"2015-01-30T15:30:42","date_gmt":"2015-01-30T21:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/?p=540"},"modified":"2015-11-10T08:08:08","modified_gmt":"2015-11-10T14:08:08","slug":"no-time-for-continuing-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2015\/01\/30\/no-time-for-continuing-education\/","title":{"rendered":"No Time for Continuing Education?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by John Meyer<\/em><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have time<\/em> for continuing education! That\u2019s what nearly 8 of 10 Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod (WELS) teachers reported in an August 2014 survey (figure 1<\/a>). \u00a0It\u2019s not surprising. According to the 2003-04 School and Staffing Survey, WELS teachers spend more time per week (60.4 hours) on all teaching-related activities than any other <\/em>group of teachers\u2014public or private (see 2003-2004 School and Staffing Survey<\/a>). At the same time, Lutheran teachers in the early part of their careers are most interested in growing professionally (figure 2<\/a>), but they also report being the most pressed for time (figure 3<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The survey results are understandable given commonly accepted calling practices among Lutheran congregations and schools. Many congregations and schools seek to maximize the talents of and their financial investment in called teachers and add duties beyond classroom instruction into the call. Such duties may include coaching, directing the church choir, teaching Sunday school, leading the youth group, or playing organ for worship services. Additionally, teachers are urged to be seen as leaders in the congregation by participating in choir, fundraisers, fellowship meals, and a variety of other church-related activities. The called worker, often mistaking busyness for faithfulness, feels stretched.<\/p>\n

In many Lutheran schools, teachers find it difficult to prioritize the most important aspect of their call\u2014teaching. When this happens, preparation gets shortchanged, relationships are strained, and time for professional growth is eliminated. If Lutheran schools are to develop a community of professionalism and continued growth, they need to view classroom teaching as sufficient for a full-time call. What follows are some suggested ways to increase time for teacher professional development.<\/p>\n

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  1. Focus the called worker on teaching. <\/em>Eliminate any duties from the call that may\u00a0\u00a0distract from the classroom. This allows the teacher to maximize the amount of time devoted to teaching and improving her craft. As added blessings, it enables others to offer their gifts of time and talents, and it lets teachers volunteer their time\u2014making tasks joyful offerings instead of tiresome duties.<\/li>\n
  2. Encourage experienced teachers to volunteer for additional school responsibilities<\/em>. Typically, veteran teachers are assigned fewer duties than new teachers. Teachers report that as they near retirement, they have less desire to grow professionally. This creates a situation in which younger teachers who want to grow lack the time, but older teacher who have lost their zeal to learn more have more time. One way older teachers can contribute to overall school ministry is to volunteer for additional duties so those most eager to learn have the time.<\/li>\n
  3. Maximize already scheduled inservice days for high-impact professional development. <\/em>Public schools figured out a while ago that building professional development time into the regular school day works. Lutheran schools often do not utilize those days for teacher growth. They may hold class for maximum student learning and for parent convenience, or they may simply take the time off to give the busy Lutheran teacher a time to get caught up or rest. A school that prioritizes professional growth will utilize the embedded inservice opportunities for teacher learning.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Lutheran teacher\u2019s perception that lack of time prevents professional growth is real. At the same time, people make time for what is most important. If school and congregation leaders truly believe that teachers\u2019 classroom instruction is the most important aspect of the teachers\u2019 calls, they will find ways to provide needed time for teacher professional growth.<\/p>\n

    Figure #1<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"3\"<\/p>\n

    Figure #2<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"2\"<\/p>\n

    Figure #3<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"1\"<\/p>\n

    John Meyer, PhD (DMLC ’87) is the director of graduate studies and continuing education at Martin Luther College, New Ulm MN.<\/em><\/p>\n

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