Opinions of inner‐city teachers of in‐service meetings

Abstract

education is a vital part the educational process for classroom teachers. The professional preparation teachers is a continuing process, and self-renewal must occur if teachers are to remain abreast changing needs society and students. Effective in-service programs should help the teacher meet these changing needs. education has been defined as all activities teachers engage in during their service as a teacher designed to improve their competence and effectiveness in the school. It can include travel, professional reading, workshops, university courses, and professional meetings in the school organized by administrators and/or teachers. In-school in-service meetings are generally implemented to develop common educational objectives, to inform and to institute curricular and program changes. However, there is a question regarding relevancy and effectiveness in-service meetings to classroom teachers. Too often, in-service meetings ignore practical classroom needs teachers in terms developing techniques classroom management and teaching skills. Instead these meetings attempt to stimulate interest in or provide overviews of new practices. The format follows generally a lecture approach, rather than a participatory activity approach. Frequently, too, in-service meetings are administratively organized and oriented, with marginal or no teacher input. Ruff agrees: In-service education has been neither functional nor useful and most certainly has had little impact on the classroom teacher.2 Because the lack relevancy and