Emily Dauber's picture

Post-it Perspective: A Workshop Love Story

Submitted by Emily Dauber on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 8:45am
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The past four years at Developmental Studies Center (DSC) have provided me with several opportunities to plan, attend, follow up, avert crises, and share the love at rep-hosted invitationals and professional development sessions. These events are undoubtedly one of the best parts of my job; but, as with many things in life, even the most exciting activity can start to feel routine. I’ve noticed that life tends to throw in an unexpected (and usually pleasant) surprise just when you start to assume the outcome to a situation—it’s no secret that sharing the story is almost as fun as the surprise itself. My story starts on an excitement-filled, sunny, San Diego Saturday morning in late January…

What sets this Being a Writer invitational apart in my mind is the remarkable number of attendees. Sixty-three local teachers and educators preregistered and attended the free workshop led by Debra Crouch. Yes, these people sacrificed their precious weekend morning, arriving at 8:30 AM in throngs to an unpaid professional development opportunity. Two things became very clear to me as the workshop progressed: first, this was a room full of devoted educators hungry for professional development and education reform, and second, enthusiasm from a rep sets the tone of the workshop and can really go a long way. 

My inner yogi was inspired by Debra’s new twist on an age-old DSC post-it activity in which participants took a few minutes to write down one hope they have for their students based on what they had heard that morning. In a charming and powerful way, Debra then shared her personal relationship with yoga and how setting an intention at the beginning of each class allows her to revisit something inspirational even when she is in the most challenging of poses. In a way only a seasoned presenter can achieve, she then invited the audience to set an intention: something to revisit when Murphy’s Law seems to commandeer the moment, something to revisit when their metaphorical yoga pose has them twisted in knots. My post-it, proudly displayed on the side of my computer reads: “challenge lays the foundation for innovation."
 
The pirate ship was not part of the workshop but was fun to see on San Diego Bay.
 
Emily Dauber is a Marketing Associate at Developmental Studies Center.

 

Comments

My post it notes have

Submitted by Erika (not verified) on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 12:35pm.
My post it notes have passwords on them, except for one that says only,"Love".

It sounds like it was a

Submitted by Nancy (not verified) on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 5:31pm.
It sounds like it was a wonderful event, and I'm thoroughly impressed that so many teachers showed up on a Saturday. It's a testament to their dedication and their desire for good PD, something that has become rare in many schools. Great job, everyone!

Thank you, Emily!  This is an

Submitted by Gina (not verified) on Sat, 02/18/2012 - 9:35am.
Thank you, Emily!  This is an inspirational account of how to take an activity that we do so often to the next level!   Thanks for the wrog!!!  

Wow, such dedicated

Submitted by eva (not verified) on Sat, 02/18/2012 - 10:27am.
Wow, such dedicated instructors!  So wonderful for DSC to make their Saturdays so worthwhile.  I wonder if more Saturdays like this can be offered across the US? Thanks for sharing this story with us Emily!!    

Sounds like a great event!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/21/2012 - 9:47pm.
Sounds like a great event!

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