Planning with the New Educators

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 to do?
• How are the objectives related to the State Standards.
• How will student progress be measured?
• What will the New Educator do?
• What will the students do?
• How will the assessments be used to adjust the lesson or re-teach the lesson?

Contributed by: Dr. Doug Miller

Enrichment from a New Educator

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 math concept!

Charisse, Whiddon-Rogers Education Center

I Can Make a Difference

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 difference in their first year is an amazing feeling.

Vanessa, Lake Forest Elementary

Collegiality and Sharing

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

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 successful on their own, finding supportive people around them. That makes me feel like I've done my job in guiding them to the right places, but not doing the work for them!
Jodi, Bair Middle

Aligning Learning Communities with Real Work

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 teacher real work in the classroom and it helps with accountability, encouraging regular on-going contact between coaches and new educators.

Source: Laura, Blanche Foreman Elementary

Mastery Learning

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; Bloom, 1981)

Support Binder

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 markers
2) WHERE IS IT- locations of all the restrooms, classrooms, offices, gym, lunch room etc.
3)WHAT FORM- how to fill out the basic forms
4) GENERAL CLASS RULES THAT WORK
5) PROCEDURESWHEN YOU (the teacher) ARE ABSENT
6) LIAISON AND INSTRUCTIONAL COACH names, extension numbers, planning time, home phone number etc.

Source: Kate, Seagull School

Support Meetings

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?

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, 513 in "lower secondary," and 449 in "upper secondary." Japanese teachers spend time outside their classes collaborating to develop and improve their lessons. This may explain why Japanese students consistently score at or near the top in international competitions.
If the school day is extended school districts, rather than extending student contact time, may benefit more if teachers plan together and demonstrate their lesson to their peers before presenting the lesson to their students.

Recruiting Instructional Coaches

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 re-examine my teaching practices,” said one. “I have found the remarkable enthusiasm of beginning teachers to be contagious.” One teacher spoke of the choice between being negative and a complainer . . . or being solution-oriented. What are your site’s criteria for selecting Instructional Coaches.
Source: Randall, Broward County Public Schools

SITE-BASED INDUCTION/STAFF DEVELOPMENT

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 volunteer.

One of the hardest things for an administrator to do is permit a program to gain strength gradually as people discover its value. There is not training that will fix a faculty in one year. Professional development is a career-long process and administrators need to develop systems that support the continual growth of everyone on their faculty.

Interviewing A Teacher

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 specific grade or subject that they work for the school and are expected to help every student be successful not just the students in their classroom. Finally, what are you looking for in your first interview?

Knowledge

• Student centered
• State Standards
• Multiple instructional techniques
• Strong subject matter knowledge

Skills

• Effective classroom management
• Communicate learning processes
• Proficient technologically
• Treats students with respect

Attitude

• Likes kids
• Positive
• Flexible

Aspiration

• Reflective thinker
• Desire to continue to learn and improve
• Comfortable with risks

Behavior

• Can work with others
• Communicates high expectations
• Accepts constructive criticism

The Good Teacher

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 students. The survey results are not scientific but could be used by your faculty for developing a common language and understanding of “Good Teaching” and what it means to your staff and the students at their school.

The following is an agenda you could use for a faculty or a department/grade level meeting.

1. Ask the group to brainstorm, What are the characteristics of an “Effective Teacher”?
2. Next, share what the State and District have identified as the characteristics of an “Effective Teacher” and the responses by the students above or your own students.
3. Then have the group reexamine their list and discuss any possible additions or revisions.
4. Finally, have the group identify the top five characteristics of an “Effective Teacher”.
5. A possible follow-up could be using future meetings to discuss those characteristics and what they look like in real practice.

Assessing New Educators Needs

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 way to prevent needs from falling through the cracks and empowers the NE.

Source: Melissa, Liberty Elementary

Guidelines for Learning Communities

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 teacher real work in the classroom and it helps with accountability, encouraging regular on-going contact between coaches and new educators.
Source: Laura, Blanche Foreman Elementary

Site-Based Professional Development

Build on Strength
Your 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 to train the most needy teachers first reduces faculty buy-in by stigmatizing training as remedial and not part of a natural career long professional development process.

Make Training Voluntary
Changing habits of teaching requires that teachers focus on new ways of doing things as they begin each day or class period. Teachers must want to change. Sharing data, encouraging professionalism, and showing respect is more effective in creating a critical mass of success than mandating that teachers participate. Once training becomes mandatory it is impossible to determine which teacher are really committed to improving their practice.

Diversify Training
One of the hardest things for an administrator to do once an excellent program demonstrates its merit is to slow down. "Let's train everyone on the faculty" can prevent the systematic process of training that permits a program to gain strength as people discover its value. Another challenge for administrators is developing a differentiated, systematic approach for training your faculty that will provide immediate results as well as long-term sustainability.

For more information on developing an effective site-based professional development system please contact Deborah Porter at 754-321-3521

OBSERVING NEW EDUCATORS

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 1

• The lesson plan was ready to go at the bell
• The teacher explained the directions clearly and asks for questions regarding clarification
• The teacher used specific desist (names) to get students on task
• The teacher gave an excellent suggestion that another student read
• The teacher has good relationship with students but this could be misconstrued as loose discipline

Coach 2

• All students working on warm-up activity when bell sounded
• Teacher talked with a student who had been absent
• Warm-up activity stopped and transitioned to lesson for the day
• Looked for handouts to give to class
• Students began talking
• Found materials and redirected students back to task
• Reviewed material covered yesterday
• Objectives for today were addressed
• Directions given for today’s activity
• Checked student’s comprehension by asking two students to repeat directions
• Students took 4 minutes to transition to reading/activity groups
• Students were redirected back to task

Observations are important in providing data to strengthen a professional’s practice. Both coaches observed the same lesson. Questions for reflection:

• Which observation provides more detailed data?
• What areas of concern did the first coach reveal? The second coach reveal?
• Which observation provides the best information for writing goals or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely (SMART) objectives for the new educator?

Are we as rigorous as we think?

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"

Cognitive coaching can be applied to specific areas of teacher professional development through three phases of interaction with teacher-learners:

• A Planning Conference
• Lesson Observation
• A Reflection Conference

During 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.

I. Planning:

• Identify standard and objectives
• Determine how student will demonstrate mastery
  
• Select appropriate learning strategies and content
  
• Identify how the teacher will determine effectiveness of lesson
  

The Lesson Observation coaches keep notes about what happened during the lesson so that this information can be shared with his/her new educator.

II. Lesson:

• New educator gathers information to share with the coach in the Reflecting Conference

o Evidence of student achievement
o Their own strategies and decisions

• The coach observes the new educator present the lesson and gathers information to share with the new educator at the Reflecting Conference

o Observation Instrument
o Analysis of observation

During the Reflecting Conference, coaches should discuss the lesson, with the new educator sharing information that was collected, and the coach encourages the new educator to reflect on what happened and consider ways to apply what the new educator has learned through teaching the lesson.

III. Reflecting:

• Summarize impact of the lesson
• Identify evidence that supports those impressions
  
• Compare planned with performed teaching decisions, and student learning