I read Protect the Teachmeet Format by Tom Barrett, with a slight feeling of guilt.
I had only been to my first Teachmeet in January (Teachmeet BETT 2011) and was so enthused about it I felt I should organise one in Birmingham - Teachmeet Brum. However, Teachmeet BETT was perhaps not a normal teachmeet, and so perhaps gave a skewed pictures of what normal Teachmeets look like. There were lots of people there and it was incredibly well sponsored - I felt we should get as many sponsors as possible on board for Teachmeet Brum, but now I'm wondering if we've overdone it somewhat. There are so many sponsors that I felt it necessary to make a video of their logos for the simple reason that I had made such a mess of the wiki trying to size and re-size their logos.
And I wonder if there's a temptation to over-commercialise these events.
The great feeling I experienced at Teachmeet BETT 2011 was due to listening to all sorts of interesting teachers sharing their many and varied ideas.
Don't get me wrong - the sponsors do a great job. All the sponsors of Teachmeet Brum have a proven track record for supporting education without an in-your-face sales pitch. They have been very generous in supporting the food, the venue and supplying raffle prizes. I also think there is a strength in schools engaging with the private sector. And yet I still have a nagging feeling about this...
As I read the posts inspired by the purpos/ed campaign and consider Tom's words about small Teachmeets, I wonder if we're heading in the right direction.
It's Teachmeet's 5th anniversary in May (#tm5). What will it look like by its tenth birthday?
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