I have worked in schools for the past few years
and as a result have attended a few in-house professional development sessions usually run by a middle-management type.

It's too late in the evening for me to rant, or even really make a coherent point, but I am still constantly surprised by how many teachers fail at having basic presentation skills, eg. can't use powerpoint, mumble, talk endlessly, etc.
(ConanTroutman thought we would free the vulture, Tue 20 Mar 2012, 23:34, 3 replies)

I was taught history by a man whose idea of efficient teaching was to spend the entire 75 minute lesson doing nothing but delivering an epic oration in a near-monotone.
Well I say "taught". Most of it went in one ear and out the other.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 21 Mar 2012, 0:42, closed)

As a teacher, I fully agree with you. There are some shocking 'presentation' skills displayed by teachers when talking to adults. In mitigation, the skills of presenting information to children vs. adults don't overlap anywhere near as much as you might think they would. Plus, the difference between talking at a group of 25-30 idiot children who you can send out of the room if they talk back to you, versus a room full of adults who know probably just-as-much-if-not-more-than you is pretty vast.

Not that people being crap at presenting is any good, but just because you can do it to 13 year olds doesn't mean you can do it to grown ups. (or vice versa, if I can somehow turn that into a euphemism)
(Serotonicity was a naughty boy on..., Wed 21 Mar 2012, 18:27, closed)

What annoys me
is the other teachers there who talk all the way through the presentation. They wouldn't tolerate it in their own classrooms.

Anyway, I've stopped going on courses now they are no longer providing lunch.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Wed 21 Mar 2012, 22:14, closed)