These are my NOTES from the NAEYC PDI Conference, Phoenix, June 2010.  

This was a fantastic event! I am so glad that I have started attending this annual convention.  Next year it will be in Providence, RI.  Some of you have expressed interest in me continuing to post notes from the events I attend… so here you go - for your professional pleasure!  And, unless otherwise indicated (as in “SIDEBAR” or, “emphasis mine,” or “my comment”) all the language here is from the presenters.

In General:

These are ALL my comments:

The potential ethical ramifications of not being DAP, or even more, choosing to not engage in DAP behavior, and even deeper still, choosing the non-DAP action even when we know it’s not “right”.

The need for teachers to be “taught” how to be a part of a team and how to be co-teachers. How to teach them how to co-teach, co-plan, share space, etc.

Slight frustration with the overuse of the following lingo:

“lens”

“synergy”

“conversations”

“at the table”

“systems”

The idea that there is a difference between “assisting and supporting” and “doing it for them” (helping) when it comes to coaching.

First do no harm

That there might really be innate teacher dispositions and (referring to #1 above) how are we “doing harm” by keeping warm bodies instead of people who are of the disposition to do this job.    SIDEBAR:  this theme emerged again in October when I attended the Gesell Conference at Yale – those notes have been posted already.