Induction E-letter Blog

Planning with the New Educators

2009-10-06T13:05:00.001-05:00

Planning with the New Educator can be held when there is no intention of following up with an observation. The sole purpose, in this instance, can be simply to plan a lesson, unit, or map out a semester or course. When planning with a New Educator before an observation it is important to ask the following questions. What are the students suppose to know and be able

Enrichment from a New Educator

2009-06-04T09:39:00.000-05:00

The most rewarding aspect of my New Educator Support System experience has been the enrichment I received from my New Educator, Mr. Jayamon Jacob. He has an amazing way of showing the students graphically how algebraic formulas can be practiced. As a math-a-phobic, I am especially impressed by the logical mini-steps he uses to teach a process. Every time I observe him in action, I learn a new

I Can Make a Difference

2009-06-04T09:37:00.003-05:00

There were many rewarding experiences throughout this year. However, my most rewarding would be seeing the new educators’ progress. Starting from scratch and watching them attain the skills, strategies, and management necessary for survival as an educator. Being there for them to answer any questions, model for them and guide them has been unbelievable. In addition, knowing that I can make a

Collegiality and Sharing

2009-06-04T09:36:00.000-05:00

My most rewarding experience as a NESS Liaison has been the ability to provide a monthly special time of collegiality and sharing of knowledge with our NESS ICs and NEs. I believe that making these "learning communities" a priority has provided support and inspiration to, our NEs, our ICs and me as well.Lorilee, Stirling Elementary

Relief on a Teachers Face

2009-06-04T09:31:00.000-05:00

My most rewarding experience this year as school liaison is the look of relief on a teacher's face who may or may not be a first year teacher, but new to the school, when they see that someone is there to help them, to answer any questions, and to guide them where guidance may be needed. It is a lot of work, but it is also rewarding to see these individuals stop relying on me so much and be

Aligning Learning Communities with Real Work

2009-06-04T09:25:00.002-05:00

With new guidelines for learning communities, one way to meet criteria is to have a "follow-up" time at each monthly meeting to chat about how suggestions from the prior meeting were implemented in the NE's classroom. Also, coaches can keep an informal log and follow up as well with how new ideas are being implemented in the NE's room. This also helps with aligning learning communities with the

Mastery Learning

2009-06-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

The idea of mastery learning amounts to a radical shift in responsibility for teachers; the blame for a student's failure rests with the instruction, not a lack of ability on the part of the student. In a mastery-learning environment, the challenge becomes providing enough time and employing the correct instructional strategies so that all students can meet or exceed standards. (Levine, 1985;

Support Binder

2009-06-04T09:13:00.000-05:00

To help the new educator in day-to-day activities, we have created an 8 x 5 spiral notebook for each new teacher that contains:1) HELP-- who to call for assistance from discipline in the classroom to the location of erase markers2) WHERE IS IT- locations of all the restrooms, classrooms, offices, gym, lunch room etc.3)WHAT FORM- how to fill out the basic forms4) GENERAL CLASS RULES THAT WORK5)

Support Meetings

2009-06-04T09:11:00.001-05:00

Start each Support Meeting with a few minutes for people to share "success stories". It will get the group talking and provide a positive start to the meeting. Try it - it works.Source: Jim, Park Lakes Elementary

Adding Value, Increase the School Day?

2009-06-04T09:01:00.002-05:00

American teachers work more hours with their students than do teachers in any other developed country. That would be 1,139 hours a year in elementary schools and a few hours less in secondary, according to a recent survey. The average number of student contact hours in other advanced nations was 803 in elementary, less in secondary.Japan, notably, was at the bottom with 617 hours in elementary,

Recruiting Instructional Coaches

2009-06-04T09:00:00.002-05:00

A report in the Journal of Staff Development (Fall 2002) showed experienced teachers benefited in a number of ways from serving as coaches: through greater appreciation for reflective practice, a greater capacity for leadership, a new perspective on their own practice, and a renewed commitment to teaching.Coaches offered testimony of the positive effects on their own practices: “I have had to

SITE-BASED INDUCTION/STAFF DEVELOPMENT

2009-06-04T08:19:00.001-05:00

The most willing and able teachers should be trained first, because they can help sell and support the training to the rest of the faculty. The decision to train the most needy teachers first reduces faculty buy-in because it stigmatizes training as remedial. Rather than mandating that teachers participate, it is more effective to create a atmosphere of success with strong teachers who

Interviewing A Teacher

2009-06-04T08:08:00.003-05:00

A teacher new to your school should find no surprises. Be honest in the first interview describe the student population, its challenges, and your expectations of the teachers. Every school has its own culture and the primary goal for interviewing candidates is to find teachers that complement that culture. A suggestion explain to the new teacher that although you are hiring them to teach a

The Good Teacher

2009-06-04T07:37:00.005-05:00

305 Broward County Elementary School students were ask to list five characteristics of a “Good Teacher”. The students identified 48 attributes, behaviors, and attitudes they like to see a teacher demonstrate. The chart represents the top 8 characteristics that the students identified most often in their responses. The percentages are a comparison of the 8 characteristics identified by the

Assessing New Educators Needs

2009-04-14T13:32:00.001-05:00

I developed a ticket-out for our NESS support meetings.I first ask the NE to write and tell me one thing that is going well for them. Next I ask them to tell me what they need in order to best meet the needs of the students in their classrooms. Last, I ask them what would be a helpful topic for the next meeting, as well as providing a list of possible choices. This ticket out serves as another

Guidelines for Learning Communities

2009-04-14T13:27:00.002-05:00

Site-Based Professional Development

2009-04-02T10:29:00.002-05:00

Build on StrengthYour department/grade chairs and the most willing and able teachers should be trained first. Often they become co-trainers and coaches that help transfer the new learning to the classroom. In addition, their success and enthusiasm could encourage the more hesitant colleagues to say, "Well, if it can help them, I guess it can help me too." While well intentioned, the decision

OBSERVING NEW EDUCATORS

2009-03-18T12:24:00.001-05:00

During an observation some coaches fall into the trap of interpreting what they think they see rather than recording what they actually see and hear. The following is an excerpt from two coaches simultaneously conducting a drop-in observation of a new teacher on November 18, 2004. Coach 1The lesson plan was ready to go at the bell The teacher explained the directions clearly and asks for

Are we as rigorous as we think?

2009-03-17T10:39:00.003-05:00

The information in the chart above was gathered by Data Works Educational Research. Assuming this information is true and there is no contradictory finding in the research at present, "What are the implications of this data for political leaders, universities, school districts, administrators, teachers, students, and parents?" Respond to all or part of the question above in the comment section.

SERVING AS A "COGNITIVE COACH"

2009-03-17T09:51:00.002-05:00

Cognitive coaching can be applied to specific areas of teacher professional development through three phases of interaction with teacher-learners:A Planning ConferenceLesson ObservationA Reflection ConferenceDuring the Planning Conference, coaches should help teachers think through their planned lessons using the 8-step process and helping them to anticipate what might happen during the lesson.

Colbert Elementary's Induction Team

2009-03-17T09:11:00.004-05:00

At Colbert Elementary Magnet School, we have decided to have a joint effort in supporting our new teachers and second year teachers. This year, we have established a site based induction team that includes:administrators,team leaders,coaches andsupport staff. We set a meeting schedule for the team. We meet monthly to discuss our successes and weaknesses in supporting the new educators.

My Greatest Success

2009-03-17T09:02:00.003-05:00

I think that my greatest success was taking a group of students that didn't necessarily get along well with each other and forming a classroom that learned to respect each other. When I first tried to have the students work in groups, they did not know how to work in a productive manner. There was conflict and they were unsuccessful at completing even simple tasks.They now work very well with

I Ain't Never Leaving

2009-03-17T08:56:00.002-05:00

As a new educator I find myself facing new experiences - new challenges - every day. My greatest success is that I'm still here - I'd thought I'd make a good teacher ever since high school. People always have told me I explain math in a way they can understand it, so I thought that was all I'd need - a good personality and mathematical ability. I was wrong.Education courses I took prepared me

Protocol Practice

2009-02-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

Teachers using protocols during meetings or professional learning communities has brought back a memory from when I taught 4th grade. I’d like to share…I can remember my first time facilitating a Socratic seminar with my 4th graders. Well not exactly. I do not remember the text we used or the questions that was asked. I am unable to recall how long the conversation lasted, or the follow-up

Effective math questions: to promote problem solving

2009-02-24T12:32:00.001-05:00

What information do you have?What do you need to find out?What strategies are you going to use?Will you do it mentally?Will you need pencil and paper?Will you need a formula?What tools will you need? Will a calculator helps?What do you think the answer or result will be?Source: www.pbs.org/teacherline

Root Cause and Impact

2009-02-24T11:37:00.002-05:00

When an intervention does show results in the classroom it is not necessarily the fault of the client or the students. It usually means that the appropriate intervention was not identified or implemented correctly. Last year I was working with a teacher who shared with me that the students were always off task instead of doing their classwork. I visited his classroom and he was right many of

Study Group Protocol: Diversity Begins at Birth

2009-02-24T09:16:00.007-05:00

Most of us believe that everyone looks at the world the same way with just a few minor differences. This may not be a true assumption. Dr. Kevin Leman author of The Birth Order Book says that there are some recognizable differences in patterns of behavior in people that are partially due to the order of their placement in the family. It is a fascinating field of study, and certainly worth

Developing Active Reading with Effective Questions

2009-02-23T12:58:00.004-05:00

Before reading ask….What can you predict about the story form the front and back cover of the book?What does the title tell you about the story?Who or what do you predict this story will be about? Why?Where and when do you think the story will take place?What other stories have you read that are like this one? In what ways?Have you read anything else by this author? Do you see any similarities

Are we teaching too much?

2009-02-23T09:06:00.003-05:00

In many European and Asian countries, teachers spend no more than half their work week in classroom instruction. They spend 17-20 hours per week teaching and devote the remainder of their 40-45 hour work-weeks to planning, collaboration, meeting with students, and observing their peers (Darling-Hammond, 1999). In the United States teachers average 5 to 10 more hours per week in the classroom

Prior Knowledge

2009-02-17T09:23:00.001-05:00

One of my colleagues stressed that “teachers need to know what the student’s prior knowledge is so they can understand at what point the student is at in the learning process.” There was little disagreement on that issue, what followed was just an engaging conversation of strategies to determine student’s prior knowledge.Then I began to wonder what support would look like if coaches determined a

I'm Done!

2009-02-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

When working on the Induction Plan, is it possible to be done?I was listening to a liaison explain how her school was “done” with their Induction Plan. The more I thought about the word- “done”, the more I realized I was not sure of the meaning. Could it be as simple as finishing all of the sections of the planning tool? My first reaction was to look at the Six Steps of Induction. Step 3

Plan, Do, Study, ACT

2009-02-10T09:27:00.004-05:00

In the ACT stage of PDSA, if the result was not achieved, examine the interventions and adjust or change them using knowledge obtained from the Study phase of PDSA. If the interventions were successful and the expected result was achieved, then the client incorporates the new strategy or procedure into his/her practice. The question then becomes, “What is the next steps in continuously

Identify a Promising Instructional Coach

2009-02-10T09:16:00.002-05:00

The most gifted athletes rarely make good coaches. The best violinist will not necessarily make the best conductor. Nor will the best teacher necessarily make the best instructional coach. So it's critical to distinguish between the skill of performance and the skill of coaching the performance, two entirely different skills. The best predictor of the future is the past. If a teacher shows

Induction Team/Shadow Program

2009-02-10T09:07:00.002-05:00

We have chosen our Induction Team/Staff Development Team at Coconut Palm Elementary. We chose our team leaders because they are aware of teachers and their needs. We meet and discuss what Induction is and how we want to go about creating an atmosphere where all of our teachers, not just the new ones, would benefit from the process. We came up with seven topics for panel discussions with the

Preparing for FCAT

2009-02-10T09:04:00.002-05:00

Teachers should always use the "same language" that the FCAT uses because it reduces the chances for students to be confused. New Teachers received an invaluable document from the Florida Department of Education called Reading and Math Performance Task Specifications. This document has an abundance of information. Presently the best sections for New Teacher to review with their students are:The

Quotes from Outstanding Coaches

2009-02-10T08:29:00.003-05:00

Coaches in sports sometimes say things in the most insightful ways . The quotes below were collected from several sites on the internet. As you read these quotes think about how they apply to our work as teachers. Please respond to one or all the quotes in the comment section."If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes." -- John

Teaching Is One Thing… Learning is Another

2009-02-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Teaching and learning are not the same. Teaching is conveying information. Learning requires some kind of engagement on the student part in the process of receiving the information.Many dedicated teachers express their frustration that their students do not seem to be learning. Some seem to feel like saying, “What do you mean you don’t know this, I taught it!” Teachers that focus on teaching,

How To Be An Ineffective Teacher

2009-02-06T09:20:00.006-05:00

Don't take responsibility for results. Its not me I covered the material. The research is clear the only way to increase student achievement is with a competent, qualified teacher.Make excuses for your students. I believe all my students can learn but... The effective teacher not only establishes high expectations for their students, they also model appropriate professional behavior in their

Learning is NOT a Spectator Sport

2009-01-26T11:29:00.004-05:00

One of the most frequently used teaching strategies in the classroom is as follows:The teacher asks a question.Student who wish to respond raise their hands.The teacher calls on a student.The student attempts to state the correct answer.Since this strategy is so frequently used, it is important to ask, “Just how effective is it?” The answer is the teacher is the only person actively engaged with

Incomplete Student Assignments

2009-01-21T12:26:00.004-05:00

Every teacher faces the situation that students do not always complete their classroom or homework assignments. One way to address this problem is to ask the student to fill out an "Incomplete Assignment Log". The log could contain the following:Title of the AssignmentName of StudentDate and PeriodExplanation of why the assignment was not completeThe students plan to make up the work.After the

Next Steps After Writing

2009-01-14T09:56:00.001-05:00

When your Induction Team has completed writing the Induction Plan or even a section of the Plan, what happens next? If you have an idea click on the comment button and add your thoughts.

Study Group Activity: Exploring HRD Podcasts and the Induction e-Letter

2009-01-12T10:08:00.005-05:00

Purpose: Help teachers access and explore the Podcast and the Induction-e-Letter Blog on the HRD website.Preparation: Meeting should be in a computer lab or ask participants to bring their laptops to a wireless location.Access: Demonstrate how to enter the HRD website.1. Start at www.browardschools.com2. Click Departments on left side of webpage3. Click HRD-Professional Development 4. On

SUPPORT GROUP ACTIVITY: Getting Started

2009-01-08T08:01:00.001-05:00

I used a technique from The Power of Protocols, at the first meeting of our NESS support group and I think it really helped to set a tone of individual ownership in the process and cooperation in the group.1. After introductions, and before setting any rules or agenda, group participants into teams of 4 or 5. Ask each team to write down responses to the following prompt: If this support group is

Rubrics

2009-01-06T12:19:00.003-05:00

The rubric is a vital link between assessment and instruction. Rubrics operationalize quality in our minds so teachers can effectively assess student performance. For most educators, a rubric is a printed set of scoring guidelines for evaluating student work and for giving feedback.RubiStar and Discovery are websites to help the teachers who want to use rubrics but do not have the time to

Coaching in Stages

2009-01-06T11:50:00.002-05:00

Coaches emphasize that many beginning teachers progress in stages. The first stage focuses on practical skills and information -- where to order supplies, how to organize a classroom, where to find instructional resources, what kind of assistance the teacher association can provide, etc.During the second stage, coaches and clients concentrate more intently on the art and science of teaching and

Coaching Styles

2009-01-06T11:10:00.003-05:00

The DIRECT STYLE has advantages it is efficient but does little to develop the new educators self-evaluative skills. The direct style should be used if the issue is safety, specific site-based policies, and deadlines. Using the direct style coaches could make statements like:• I know you feel that students should have the freedom to sit anywhere they wish but….• This is the way we teach …

Plan Do STUDY Act

2009-01-06T10:21:00.006-05:00

In previous articles we examined the steps of PLAN and DO in the continuous improvement process (CIP).Plan includes:• Identifying the “Desired State”• Selecting appropriate “Assessment Tools”• Measure “Current Reality.”• Determine Goals and/or measurable objectivesDO includes:• Identifying possible interventions or solutions• Implementing the interventions or solutions.The next

Support Group Activity: Surfing the Net

2009-01-06T09:55:00.004-05:00

Objectives: • To explore the internet for resources on teaching and learning• To use internet resources and web resources for teaching and learningMaterials:A computer lab with a computer for each participant (or each pair – of participants)Essential Question:How can the Internet be used to improve a teacher’s practice?Procedures:Step 1 – The group brainstorms educational terms or phrases

Expand the Lines of Leadership

2009-01-06T09:30:00.002-05:00

A key element of school self-assessment is “distributed leadership,” a concept introduced by Harvard University’s Richard Elmore that speaks to the need to tap a broad range of competencies within a school. By recognizing the potential many teachers have to improve instruction throughout their schools and by building their leadership capacity, the process can give teachers a powerful stake in

Schlechty on Education

2009-01-06T09:14:00.004-05:00

What is learning? How are skills and knowledge acquired? Learning is a process that requires action and experience, specifically voluntary action on the part of the student. What teachers do is less important than what teachers are able to motivate students to do. Students learn by activities that include “imitating, listening, creating, muddling around, and talking (p. 42).” Yet what matters

Where would you prefer to teach?

2008-12-08T12:12:00.000-05:00

What if...?Where would you prefer to teach?School System A:• What if a district department made all of the decisions regarding your NESS/Induction support?• What if the teacher leader coordinating new educator support was omitted from the hiring process?• What if only new teachers hired before the first day of school were provided a comprehensive orientation experience?• What if only

Advice From My Coach

2008-12-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

First year teachers in the Broward County Public Schools shared the best advice their coaches gave them during their first semester on the job. If you are a new teacher and have any additional advice you received please post it in the comments.The best advice my Instructional Coach gave me was...Take one thing at a time. My coach noticed that I tend to take on too much, so he told me to pace

Plan, Do Study Act

2008-12-01T13:44:00.004-05:00

An earlier Induction e-newsletter article described the PLAN phase of the Continuous Improvement Process (CIP). The step after Plan in the CIP is DO. The Do phase usually involves the client’s learning and integrating a new behavior in his/her practice. For example, if the area that needs strengthening is students are off task, a teacher will implement a new strategy or modify an existing one

Barriers and Solutions

2008-11-20T11:23:00.002-05:00

On October 30 2008, South Central Area NESS Liaisons met at the SCA office for their second Collaborative Learning Session of the year. One activity they participated in was a “Carousel” to collaboratively address barriers they have been facing as they work on developing induction plans at their sites. Below are the issues discussed and possible solutions suggested by their liaison colleagues.

Is Professional Development Worth $$$$

2008-11-17T10:16:00.003-05:00

Countless workshops, seminars, retreats, and other training opportunities are offered under the assumption that they can positively affect how a faculty teaches, which in turn will help students learn more. However, there’s evidence that short-term interventions, such as afternoon or early morning workshops, don’t have much of an effect when it comes to changing teacher behaviors. On the other

Teamwork?

2008-11-17T08:42:00.000-05:00

In the book called, “It’s Called Work for a Reason,” Larry Winget explains how Teams do not work. I have been in and heard of many experiences that random grouping of individuals with an assigned task might eventually lead to the completion of that task, yet wonder if the group is functioning as a team or just struggling to get the job done.From Larry’s book he writes, “Instead of teams, we

Technology and PLCs

2008-11-17T07:00:00.003-05:00

NESS Liaison Debra Stahl from Parkway Middle is a participant of a Teacher Leadership Professional Learning Community (PLC) that is learning about developing effective PLCs. Debra journals her experiences with the rest of her team via Tangler.com, an online discussion network. Her latest entry expresses her experience with sharing responsibility, collaboration, and technology."Ms. Badio, an

Is There a Budget for Xbox?

2008-11-13T09:06:00.002-05:00

Kurt Squire, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of curriculum and instruction, spoke on his experiences researching simulations and games in learning environments. David Williamson Shaffer, a professor at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, told the audience about his interest in how computer-based media change the way people think and learn.Researchers say video games have

Don't Waste a Minute!

2008-11-13T08:35:00.004-05:00

What do you do with those awkward moments that arise in every teacher’s day, those times when a lesson ends five minutes before the bell rings or a few minutes before specials? Try some mini lessons, quick activities that fill time without wasting it! The following two examples are from the website.Ask each student to name one thing they learned today.Play the alphabet game, which can be used in

Warm Up Activities

2008-11-12T09:38:00.005-05:00

The following website contains a library of warm-up activities for each day of the school year covering the core subject areas. For example:Language Arts1. Correct all capitalization errors in the following sentence.on mother's day we went to the iowa state fair.Answer: On Mother's Day we went to the Iowa State Fair.Geography1. Name the seven continents.Answer: North America, South America,

Continuous Improvement: PLAN, Do, Study, Act

2008-11-07T10:30:00.003-05:00

Plan, Do, Study, and ACT (PDSA) is a structured process of continuous improvement. This article describes a planning process commonly used by Instructional Coaches. During the PLAN phase the coach together with the New Educator discuss and identify the characteristics of an effective, competent teacher. These characteristics represent the goals (Desired State) that teachers work toward to

The Instructional Coach and More: A Instructional Coach Study Group

2008-11-06T08:51:00.007-05:00

The mission of induction is to support and develop the entire staff in their work, helping all students achieve rigorous standards of learning. An Instructional Coach that uses his/her colleagues’ expertise plays a critical role in accelerating a New Educator’s professional growth and expanding the New Educator’s support network.In your next Instructional Coach meeting ask your coaches some

Student Assignments

2008-11-05T19:00:00.003-05:00

GLE - Grade Level ExpectationsBeginning with Pygmalion in the Classroom (Rosenthal and Jacobson, 1968), an extensive body of research has been developed that describes how teachers' expectations can influence student performance. While it is misleading to state that teacher expectations determine a student's success, the research clearly establishes that teacher expectations do play a

A Teacher’s Influence

2008-11-05T08:54:00.003-05:00

"I have come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations,

Classroom Safari - Support Group Activity

2008-11-04T19:38:00.006-05:00

The purpose of this activity is to examine how a teacher's arrange of classroom furniture influence student behavior.Objectives:Diagram the furniture arrangements in four classroomsDiscuss the effect of furniture arrangement on student behaviorDiscuss the instructional strategies that work best with each room arrangement Note: Facilitator pre-selects rooms with different furniture arrangements.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

2008-10-31T12:03:00.010-05:00

The goal is to encourage and facilitate positive parental involvement in the classroom. Educational research identifies four reasons for encouraging parental support: Students perform better Teacher morale improves Parents become empowered Communities grow stronger.Since there is no one reason for parental non-participation, the following are several approaches that seek to involve

The Good Mentor

2008-10-31T11:03:00.004-05:00

In the past few weeks, new and inexperienced teachers across Broward County will look to their Instructional Coach for the advice and support they need to survive and prosper in one of the world's most challenging professions. Will they find the mentor they need? In this 1999 article from Educational Leadership, James Rowley described six "basic but essential" qualities of good mentors. Rowley

The Role of a Coach

2008-10-30T08:10:00.002-05:00

AREAS OF FOCUS IN SUPPORTING YOUR NEW EDUCATORThe Principal determines the role of the New Educator Support System (NESS) and with the NESS School Liaison identifies the Instructional Coach’s role and responsibilities in supporting the New Educator. The following list contains some suggestions for prioritizing New Educator support:1. Classroom performance Student/Classroom management

PDSA

2008-10-30T07:38:00.003-05:00

Purpose:To enhance an educator's diagnostic procedure in supporting a colleague or change in practiceOpportunities for useWhen an educator is intending to change/improve a work activity or practice.BenefitsHelps us to 'really' learn from experience. We get closer to the improvements we intended. Moves us out of the fire fighting cycle. Adds focus on continual improvement.How to use this

The Effective Teacher: A Study Group Protocol

2008-10-28T15:44:00.003-05:00

One of the first priorities in working with new teachers at your site is developing a common language and vision concerning effective teaching behaviors. One way to begin the process is during orientation, a study group, or learning community ask the group to brainstorm the traits of an effective teacher, while they brainstorm record their ideas and thoughts on chart paper. After the group

NESS REQUIREMENTS

2008-10-28T11:49:00.005-05:00

The following is a list of District requirements that a New Educator must complete to exit the New Educator Support System (NESS):NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!NESS is a site-based support program for teachers new to Broward County Public Schools. If you are interested in discussing this question or any others, please contact your HRD Program Facilitator.

That Blank Look

2008-10-28T09:21:00.003-05:00

Sometimes when I ask my eight-year-old students for their ideas or opinions often they are too shy to put up their hands or offer their thoughts. In this situation I now say, "O.K. tell the person next to you what you think.” I allow the students thirty seconds to a minute, and then call their attention back to me. There will be a noisy buzz while they exchange views, but the result when you

Old Enough to Teach

2008-10-28T09:03:00.003-05:00

My favorite teacher was my high school English teacher. It was fun just being in her classroom. I began my first full-time teaching job two months shy of my 23rd birthday. On a college campus, being over 21 is considered old and wise. While my elementary students appreciate my age, my colleagues don’t. My pigtails and flip-flops don’t fit into this new world. I began coming in early and

Orange Brook Elementary's Instructional Coaches

2008-10-27T10:17:00.005-05:00

The following are stories provided by six of Orange Brook Elementary's Instructional Coaches. The stories focus on the rewards the coaches received helping new educators transition into the teaching profession.Story OneI like to help people. As an Instructional Coach, I have an opportunity to help another teacher get things organized in her classroom and I can offer suggestions to help make her

Ms Bryan's Story

2008-10-16T12:29:00.003-05:00

My greatest success as a New Educator are as follows:Learning time management - earlier in the school year I was running out of time, now I believe my time management skills are more controlled.Being able to attend to each student individual needs and realize that every child has a different way of learning.Improving my teaching skills by way of repetition which allows most students to grasp the

Never Give Up

2008-10-15T12:35:00.002-05:00

It's early yet, but I have one student who spent most of the class with his head down or once I got his head raised, he was doodling or staring into space. This continued for 3/4 of the first quarter. Then, one day, I thanked him for volunteering to be a team leader on a project. Of course, this got laughs--including from him--and he passed on the leadership role, but he started to participate

Chunking Your Way to Productivity

2008-10-15T11:29:00.004-05:00

The following is adapted from Lisa Haneberg’s (2006) Help Employees Improve Productivity by Teaching Them to Chunk! Focus Like a Laser Beam: 10 Ways to Do What Matters Most. In most public schools, the pace of work is hectic and spasmodic. Teachers try to juggle a myriad of projects and tasks at once. Multitasking, or trying to do to many things at once, has become the norm. Unfortunately,

INDUCTION MATTERS: The Difference between Mentoring and Induction

2008-10-15T10:50:00.004-05:00

A growing body of research demonstrates that implementing a comprehensive induction program is one of the most effective methods for retaining quality teachers, and can cut teacher attrition rates by 50 percent. In addition, designing well-crafted induction programs can improve teaching quality and increase teacher retention. (www.teacherquality.org)Mentoring is considered a formal coaching

Teaching Routines versus Announcing Rules

2008-09-16T08:19:00.001-05:00

Research has repeatedly shown that highly effective teachers spend most of the first two weeks of a semester teaching classroom routines. Yet, the older the students are the less investment we make in teaching routines. Typically, by high school, teaching routines has become rather perfunctory -- often consisting of just a few announcements on the first day of school.Teachers who do not make

Creating a Climate for Learning

2008-09-16T08:04:00.004-05:00

Howard Miller, Associate Professor of Education at Lincoln University (Jefferson City, Missouri) suggests 12 steps teachers can take at the beginning of the year to promote effective classroom management.Develop a set of written expectations you can live with and enforce.Be consistent. Be consistent. Be consistent.Be patient with yourself and with your students.Make parents your allies. Call

Techniques that Backfire

2008-09-16T08:01:00.003-05:00

Communication behaviors that backfire include:Raising my voiceYellingSaying “I’m the boss here”Insisting on having the last wordUsing tense body language, such as rigid posture or clenched handsUsing degrading, insulting, humiliating, or embarrassing put-downsUsing sarcasmAttacking the student’s characterActing superiorUsing physical forceDrawing unrelated persons into the conflictHaving a double

"Where does a coach begin?"

2008-09-16T06:41:00.002-05:00

One question all coaches ask is “Where do I begin?” Our profession maintains an impossible expectation that new teachers after five days of preplanning are as effective as veteran teachers. Everyone knows this is not true but we still maintain systems that are contrary to what we know. Broward County Public School has developed important systems to support new teachers. We have New Teacher

The Role of Coaching

2008-09-16T06:25:00.004-05:00

Increased student achievement can only be achieved by improving school effectiveness and teacher skills. In the classroom student success is driven by the teacher’s skills. A football team, for example, does not win a game simply by telling the quarterback that he must complete 25 passes, and that the wide receiver must catch 8 passes, and the halfbacks must run 110 yards. A team wins because

Consequences Protocol

2008-09-16T06:19:00.002-05:00

Effective Liaisons recognize the importance of using activities that are energizing and create intense discussion. Here is a suggestion for your next Support Group/Learning Community meeting. The whole group brainstorms and charts student behaviors that tend to disrupt the academic flow of a classroom. (The following are some ideas to get the group started. Students: chewing gum, tardy, out of

The Leadership Imperative - Coaching

2008-09-15T07:48:00.002-05:00

The major role of the NESS Liaison’s is coach of coaches. Your major role as coach of coaches is to create a environment within which the Instructional Coach can focus his or her energy in supporting the New Educator. The support you provide is specific and based on the needs of each Instructional Coach. The guidance and interventions you provide should be appropriate to the developmental

What teachers hate about the first day of school

2008-09-15T07:20:00.001-05:00

When the rich kid’s lawyer tried to negotiate a “No Fault” deal for homework.When you forgot your “Excedrin.”The lottery ticket you bought just before returning to school had only one matching number.When a third grader gets your computer, you couldn’t start all summer, up and running in five minutes.When the paper reduction memo came in triplicate.Pushy dad and hovering mom and their your own

First Steps for Coaches

2008-09-15T06:55:00.005-05:00

Mentoring new teachers is very demanding especially at the beginning of the year, the main reason is that from the beginning New Educators are expected to carry out all the duties that a veteran teacher routinely performs. The following are some possible talking points for those first meetings with the New Educator during preplanning:Build personal connections with your New Educator by asking

NESS Fast Starts

2008-09-15T06:41:00.005-05:00

Welcome back, NESS School Liaisons, I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. As the new school year begins, the following are seven suggestions from Veteran NESS School Liaisons for supporting New Educators and Instructional Coaches at your site.Initiate your NESS Learning Community for inservice Points before you start meeting. You can no longer post date events/courses. For more information

Turn Word Problems into Pictures

2008-09-05T08:01:00.003-05:00

Instruction Problem:Students are having difficulty solving word problems.One possible instructional strategy -Group Work – Divide the students into groups of three. Give each group a word problem. Instruct the students to brainstorm ways to act out the problem. Then give the group a sheet of paper to write the word problem at the top of the page and then draw a storyboard of the action in the

Director’s Message

2008-05-12T06:29:00.001-05:00

As another year of teaching and learning draws close to an end, I want to leave you with two points that I recently read and are worthy of sharing. Both are excerpts from a publication by Dr. Harry Wong.USE COACHES: A critical component of a successful comprehensive induction program is a coach. An educational coach is a teacher with expertise in classroom management and instructional and

Achieving the Vision

2008-05-12T06:28:00.001-05:00

One of the barriers to achieving the vision is selecting the appropriate leadership method to turn a belief statement into reality. Even though most principals know what might be best for the organization, it is essential that in order to sustain positive change the faculty must experience processes that lead to commitment instead of compliance regardless of district, state, or federal pressure.

Monitoring the Vision

2008-05-12T06:26:00.000-05:00

Where is the integrity of the vision, mission, and implementation plans if not regularly monitored, evaluated, and revised? Most vision activities stop at the faculty/department meetings where brainstorming and wordsmithing are quite common and are not revisited until the start of the next school year. One of the gaps of identifying the vision is to follow through with an evaluation

Do You Offer a Program?

2008-05-12T06:25:00.000-05:00

My first question to the recruiters at Hallandale Elementary was “Do you offer a program that helps new teachers make the transition for college courses to the classroom?” The answer that accompanied a large smile was “Yes, our NESS program is intended to help first year teachers adapt to classroom instruction.”The initial NESS orientation offered at Hallandale Elementary provided to all new

Podcasts as Coaching Resources

2008-05-12T06:24:00.001-05:00

Podcasts can be an effective tool in supporting new teachers. The new teacher can see a strategy or concept in use as well as hear the teacher’s feedback as they perform a particular task. Coaches you can access the latest podcasts at http://hrdpods.blogspot.com/Recognizing Student Differences: The instructional staff at Lauderdale Manors Elementary role-plays to increase awareness of student

Grade Contracts

2008-05-12T06:23:00.001-05:00

Grade contracts are a method that some teachers use to help get their students to take more ownership over their grades. These contracts can take a variety of forms. The most common type of grade contracts have the students at the beginning of a semester or large project declare what grade they are striving to attain. In most cases, the teacher will have them sign an actual "contract" which

First year on the Job

2008-05-12T06:21:00.000-05:00

The NESS program has assisted me in many ways during my first year as an Elementary educator. Fortunately, I was paired up with a wonderful Instructional Coach whom assisted me in understanding the curriculum, the structure of the school, how to properly create lesson plans and report cards and an infinite number of other things that teachers need to know and be able to do.One thing that

Sharpening your Axe

2008-05-12T06:20:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, there were two woodcutters. The young woodcutter was like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the “Terminator” and the older woodcutter was like Arnold the “Govenator.” (The previous sentence may qualify as one of the worst analogies ever used in this newsletter.) The young woodcutter feeling his youth one day challenged the older woodcutter to a contest. “Old man I’ll bet you a weeks

Teaching and Leadership Center

2008-05-12T06:19:00.000-05:00

Education professionals honored with the title of Teacher of the Year, chosen by their colleagues, possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that propel student achievement forward. The Teaching and Leadership Center (TLC) at Florida Atlantic University congratulates each nominee for the 2008 Teacher of the Year. The TLC is especially pleased to report seven of this year’s nominees

Lighter Side

2008-05-12T06:18:00.001-05:00

Have a great summer taking comfort in the fact that the average teacher works about 12 hours a week beyond their contract time during the school year. That means in reality, teachers have already worked their summer hours during the school year.

Research Matters / Improving Teacher Induction

2008-04-11T11:29:00.002-05:00

No new teacher is totally prepared for the first day of school. In assuming all the responsibility for the success of their students, new teachers must quickly learn how to assess students' knowledge, plan the curriculum, set expectations for classroom behavior, and build relationships with parents—all while planning and delivering daily lessons. The choice for Principals is to allow new