By Gail Chapman
“We need to train more teachers.”
“Teachers need more training in order to be successful at teaching computer science.”
“More teacher training programs are needed.”
Statements like these are common and reading a recent post on another blog reminded me of just how much I hate the word “training” when it is used in reference to teachers and teaching. (I even had a professional title once that included the word training and I fought against it then.)
Not that I believe that those who use the word intend to be mean-spirited or do harm; it has just become part of the language we use when we talk about the various needs surrounding teacher education.
I’d like to challenge our community to make a conscious effort to remove training from our vocabulary and replace it with words like education, preparation, and professional development.
Is anyone else bothered by this? Will you accept the challenge?
Gail Chapman
Director, Leadership and Professional Development
CSTA