Search results matching tags 'teachers' and 'professional development'

Resurrecting a Post: Advice to New Teachers

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:18:47 GMT

I have been incredibly busy the last couple of weeks, and between moving two hours away to a new city, transitioning to a new, very exciting and amazing job, and finishing projects at my current job, I’m a little swamped.

I found this post from August, 2011, that I just had to repost because I still mean every word I wrote. Best of luck to all of you teachers (new and experienced) as you start this school year!

Practical Advice for New Teachers

This will be my fifth year as an educator and, probably, the first year in which I feel confident, competent, and ready to branch out to new teaching strategies. All new teachers need to be told that teaching gets better with time. For me, years one and two flew by in a blur, year three was when I got the hang of classroom management, and year four was when I stopped sitting in front of my computer every night researching, researching, researching to prepare for the next day’s lessons. This year, I have some pretty lofty goals for myself and my classroom, but I have loftier goals for myself as an education and teacher advocate.

As a teacher advocate, I want to give some philosophical and practical advice to support new teachers. You, new teacher, need to know that it will get easier. Your first year will be the most difficult and draining, but it will get easier–just wait it out and don’t give up.

A mantra for new teachers: “Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” (Michael Caine) It is possible to be a nervous wreck without having to appear like a nervous wreck. (*I remind myself of this quote every time I willingly accept a new role, responsibility, or duty into my already full life!*)

Dealing with challenging kids: Know that kids are resilient, and you’ll screw up when dealing with them. When you make mistakes (say something you probably shouldn’t, accuse a kid of doing something they may not have been doing, etc.), apologize and move on. The next day is a brand new day.

Dealing with challenging parents (something I’m still struggling with!!): As a parent myself, I now know that feeling of protection parents harbor for their children. I do want to protect my daughter from everything and everyone. Unfortunately, for some parents, this sense of protecting manifests itself in attacking the teacher. In these conversations, remind yourself that it is the parent’s right and responsibility to stand up for his/her child, and no matter what form this takes against you, you need to be firm in your own beliefs. Always do what is educationally sound, always apologize when something you said or did was a mistake, and always support those parents who email you once a day to check in on their children–over-involved parents are better for a child than apathetic and/or absent parents.

Also…when a parent, administrator, fellow teacher, other stakeholder, etc. sends you an angry email, or an email that sounds angry, open a new email, don’t type anything in the “To:” line, type the response you’d really like to send–complete with expletives, angry words, perfunctory remarks, and accusations–fume as you’re typing, sit back and pretend to hit the send button…then don’t. Close/delete the email. Then, type your less impulsive reply to the parent, administrator, fellow teacher, other stakeholder, etc. and actually it send.

Dealing with the stress of teaching: Take care of yourself. Know your boundaries and limits as a professional, and conduct yourself in a way that is aligned with your boundaries. If you cannot take that voluntary duty your administrator has asked you to do, tell him/her no. Teaching is both your job and your life, but that doesn’t mean you need to bleed for your building.

And now, some practical tips I’ve learned:

When you create a multiple choice test (I know, I know, not a good way to assess, but if you do create them…) make your left margin .5″ and format such that your answer lines are left aligned. When you grade, you can line up an entire class period horizontally across your desk/table and grade a group of them at once.
Know that when you need the copier, it will be down. Make your copies in advance.
Along with copying, reduce the number of copies you need. Be innovative in finding ways to reduce your handouts, worksheets, etc. No kid is benefiting from the stack of 150, one-sided copies of crossword puzzles you are using to practice vocabulary.
Touch the paper in your staff mailbox only once. Put it where it needs to go when you get it and avoid the every-growing stack of useless papers, magazines, surveys, and trash that accumulates on teacher desks.
Use dropbox.com. Many times I have gotten all the way to school only to find I left my flashdrive at home on my office desk. Dropbox saves all your files online to be accessed from any computer. Try it out–there’s nothing worse than having to come up with a lesson on the fly!
Assign seats. So many teachers today let students choose where they sit, but I have had much more luck with assigned seats. I think this is helpful in creating a collaborative, cooperative, discussive classroom because it avoids the cliques in the class who end up controlling all of the discussion (and the tone of your room).
Teachers make it a habit of moving the “annoying” kids toward the back of the room; I make it a habit of moving them right next to my teacher’s desk. This is my way of saying “I care” to the child while challenging myself to make every day contact with him or her.
Always do what you believe is right at the time, and be willing to admit when you have made a mistake. You will have to defend your choices at some point, be able and ready to do so.
Organize!!! I have a stack of “in boxes” and a stack of “out boxes” by class period. When I take work, I immediately put it into the “in box”. That way, I’m not losing papers. If you have a tendency to lose papers, your students will pick up on that and use it to their advantage!
Find coworkers who are supportive to talk to. Don’t be a “closed door” teacher; it’s a lonely way to teach.
Write your agenda on the board every day. Your students like to know what’s coming next, and it will keep you on track as well.
When you start feeling negative about your job, the kids, your school, the district, your peers, etc., stay out of the teachers’ lounge for a few days!!! I hate to say it, but sometimes, lunch is the most depressing part of the day. If the Mr. Curmudgeons are bringing you down, stay away for a little while. Just don’t make a habit of it and become an outcast!
Finally, “Fake it till you make it.” I participated in theater productions in high school, and I think this was one of the best experiences to guide me through teaching. When you don’t know the answer, when you aren’t prepared, when something happens that pulls you out of your routine and into chaos, act like you know what you’re doing, and eventually, you’ll feel more comfortable in the unpredictable. Youdon’t know everything, so when Mr. Smartypants in the front and center of your class asks a question just to challenge you, admit that you don’t know and TEACH HIM how you go about finding the answer by hopping on the computer yourself!

Remember, you are a professional, so act like one.

Best of luck in your first year. Stick around for years 2, 3, and 4–they get so much better!

Achieve the Core: Introductory PD Module Notes

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:59:17 GMT

I’m working through the PD modules recently posted to the achievethecore.org website. My notes from the 46 min introductory webinar are below (my thoughts included).

Student Achievement Partners

Claim no intellectual property to modules/materials—use them at will
Receive no state/local funding
Have no financial connections to textbook companies
True goal is to just offer information and resources for others to use to aide implementation efforts

Modules

Feel free to adapt and modify
Can be done in 1.5 hours
Could do all modules over a few days or just one
Can be done for full staff, small PLCs, just interested teachers (Personal thought–I think this is wonderful. Here I sit, by myself, working through these modules simply because I am interested in the information contained therein–interested in learning and keeping abreast of available common core resources. Because I can do it on my own and engage in my own professional learning without an administrator, department head, curriculum person, etc. telling me to do the work, any teacher can engage in this learning as well. Educators should always be advocates for their own professional growth)
All very relevant work, created for and ready to be used in a variety of contexts by curriculum coordinators, principals, teacher leaders, teachers, etc.
All come with annotated PPTs—“so individuals feel comfortable to deliver this information”
Quality implementation of the standards demands attention and thought, so modules include hands-on activities and discussion topics (It has only been through really diving into the standards and trying some of the work on my own that I have been able to continue developing my understanding of the standards. 10 months of intense standards study, and I’m still learning all the time!)

Why these modules first?

Math: Key Shifts—really understanding the “forest for the trees.” This module outlines what really is different from previous standards. Really understanding these shifts deeply is a very important first move.
ELA: Key Shifts—Same rationale as Math
Text-Dependent Questions—The questions students respond to must require evidence from the text. Explains why these questions are important, evaluating these types of questions, and how to develop. Added with first batch of PD modules because 1) It’s a K-12 concept, 2) It’s a cross-content concept, 3) You don’t have to buy or change anything to just ask better questions using the materials you already have. (The school year is coming quickly, and if you/your teachers haven’t been doing intense work in the common core this summer, this is a practical place to start. Increasing the quality and level of questions asked in classrooms subsequently increases the rigor of lessons, holds students to higher expectations, and allows for more critical thinking. It’s also a relatively easy change to make in all content areas.)
Implications for Instructional Leadership—RTT schools went from rating instructional leadership at beginning of RTT as least important to now, it is the most important piece of implementation. Because CCSS is about changing practices and redesigning our education paradigm, it takes leadership to lead CC implementation. This module is appropriate for leaders at all levels (including teacher leaders!).

We are all learning—there was once a time when we thought instructional leaders had to be experts. This is not the case. We are all learning as we go, and these modules support that mindset. (I appreciate that she said this. I don’t think anyone is an expert in common core at this point, and it’s important for teachers to collaborate and come to common, and informed understandings of common core expectations.)

Accessing and Using the Modules

Though the PD section says it is “creative commons” license, you do not have to attribute use of the modules to them. They have changed their mind on this—they do ask that people are pointed to the achievethecore.org website to access the documents instead of hosting them elsewhere.
Each module includes: Facilitator’s Guide for notes and guidance, Presentation slides (with and without facilitator’s notes), handouts and activities
Can click email icon to receive an email when there are updates to each resource

Qualities of Outstanding Teachers - According to Students

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 20:29:00 GMT

Photo from Teaching English

I stumbled on an article at Edutopia about six outstanding teachers in California who were honored by their former students. The article ended with the following "Keys to Success". What I find most interesting is that the qualities that the students valued were not about entertainment or easiness - but rather that they were challenged with high expectations by teachers who were genuinely interested in their students and passionate about teaching and their subject.

I wonder, what would teacher evaluation schemes and professional development programs look like if these "keys to success" were the criteria? That is obviously a tongue in cheek question, as it would be difficult and disastrous to try and measure these qualities. But, as a teacher, I should strive to embody these!

Keys to Success

In addition to working in schools with challenges, the winning teachers have many things in common. Tim Allen, Director of the Carlston Family Foundation, interviewed hundreds of students who listed the qualities that make their favorite teacher stand out from the rest of the faculty. Here are nine of the key qualities/strategies that outstanding teachers share.

They show a deep passion for teaching; they love their subject matter and know it thoroughly.
They hold high expectations that are fair, reasonable, consistent and clear.
They are scholarly and love learning themselves.
They hold all students equally accountable and responsible for learning and for their behavior.
They plan every minute of class time; there is never a wasted moment.
They will never leave students behind and will allow other students to help those who have difficulty.
They make the subject matter relevant to the lives of students and their immediate experience.
They have respect for students, are insightful about them on a day-to-day basis, and are non-judgmental.
They are authentic, real and appropriately autobiographical.

Wild Jungle Brains...How to Tame the Beasts

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:09:00 GMT

Yes, that's right..my brain is a wild jungle full off all kinds of gibberish. I'm on overload right now. I know it's the summer, but I have been going at a frenzied pace speaking, researching, tweeting, reading, writing, learning, blogging, planning because the summer is the time I can really dig into new ideas. I have the time to read. I spend more time on Twitter and reading other people's blogs. I meet smart educators at all of the conferences where I travel to speak. All of this brings amazing epiphanies and new plans for next year.

BUT...I find myself struggling now to focus on one thing. As I sit here typing on my antiquated desktop (my laptop decided to go on permanent vacation this summer), I found I needed some quiet time for my brain to slowly begin to formulate some clear thoughts. I needed to find some takeaways from all this PD I've been shamelessly partaking in for several weeks now.

That is when this occurred to me...maybe in the rush to meet all the standards, pacing guides, and mandates and still provide our students with the hands-on, student-directed learning they crave, we bombard our students with so much stimulation that they struggle to actually form one clear and concise thought or sentence. More is not actually better.

We have no idea what is already going on in their heads. They already have a jumble of thoughts before they walk into our classroom. We need to make sure that we are making purposeful choices in what we bring into our classroom, whether it's a hands-on activity or a new tech tool. We need to ask: Is this the most powerful opportunity to support my students' learning or is it a fun activity that kind of relates to the topic at hand?

We are the content specialists and strategists in the classroom. It is our responsibility to provide our students with the BEST support that we can. We aren't doing them any favors by bombarding them with a lot of mediocre projects/stations/tools/activities that will cloud their minds from what is most important...their learning. They need the time to formulate ideas, plan projects, reflect on their progress, and set their own learning goals. By providing them the support and time that they need, we can tame those overstimulated brains and help them find their own paths to success.

Achieve the Core Professional Development Modules

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:05:50 GMT

Student Achievement Partners at achievethecore.org have created professional development modules for implementing common core. The work includes an introductory module, modules for the shifts in ELA and Math, a Text Dependent Questions module (one I’m particularly interested in and will be visiting after this posting), and an Instructional Leadership Module. Each module comes complete with facilitators’ guides and slides, and handouts.

Educational Leadership: Supporting Beginning Teachers: Stop the Exodus

Anonymous — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:52:57 GMT

Educational Leadership:Supporting Beginning Teachers:Stop the Exodus.

I thought this article was fantastic–simple tips to keeping great teachers in the classroom. Help them get acclimated (don’t overlook them during testing weeks); help them figure out how to manage time and work/life balance; give them leadership and clout in decision making for the district. Excellent

CCSS Tip Sheets from ODE

Anonymous — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:46:33 GMT

Yesterday, ODE produced tip sheets for school boards, superintendents, and teachers about what they should be doing right now to continue (hopefully not “begin”!) implementing the common core.

In summary, School Boards should be

creating an implementation timeline
reviewing curriculum crosswalks
checking out these simulated letter grades for schools or districts (based on the letter grade system I’ve detailed recently and have been following as it moves through legislation)
begin conversations with teachers and administrators about those new evaluation systems I’ve been telling you about (see also: consequences as delineated in SB316, state approved assessments for the student growth measures portion of the evaluation, and the changes I discussed after the common core meeting)
send someone to the evaluation symposium I’ve been touting (and am attending)
talk about embracing technology, of which I am a huge proponent
use the technology needs assessment survey and check out the minimum qualifications established by PARCC
keep your community engaged and informed

Superintendents should be

reviewing curriculum crosswalks
checking out these simulated letter grades for schools or districts (based on the letter grade system I’ve detailed recently and have been following as it moves through legislation)
engage in those evaluation conversations and decide if the district will use the state framework (OTES/OPES) or its own (though, that development will have to happen fast!)
register for the evaluation symposium
developing professionally and planning for professional development for staff (I might have some great ideas for that )
diving deeply into and analyzing data
checking out what students currently know and are able to do. Where is work going to be needed to raise the rigor and academic expectations for students?
ensuring teachers are prepared to use formative and summative assessments to direct their instructional practices
discuss and begin embracing technology
Complete that technology readiness tool and look at those minimum technology requirements
engage your community

Teachers should be

taking an active role in all the initiatives happening right now–instead of sitting back and waiting for things to happen to you, be an active participant (leader?) in your profession. (Ok, that was not on the ODE tips sheet, that came straight from me!)
reviewing the crosswalks and revise your instructional practices. Remember, the common core isn’t as “common” as you may be thinking, and meeting the standards means more than aligning to the words–it’s aligning to the intent
developing professionally (following this blog is a great start!)
analyzing data
bringing those formative and summative practices into their classrooms and using them effectively to guide instruction (beginning with clear learning targets and evaluating their own grading practices)
getting comfortable with and using technology
being involved in the conversations about evaluations–just as an aside, sometimes, it’s incredibly beneficial for teachers to make grassroots efforts to come up with and propose ideas instead of waiting for admins and school boards to do all the leg work
attending the evaluation symposium

Change happens; be a part of it.

The Networked Educator Presentation

Anonymous — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:17:34 GMT

This is from a presentation I am doing this week with my ORC work. Feel free to use:

Social Networking for Teachers

New Evaluation Images

Anonymous — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:48:39 GMT

Hot off the presses. Here’s your updated information on Ohio’s Teacher Evaluation System.

Aren’t infographics just wonderful? From this image, you can see the three levels of expected growth and their associated paths. What you don’t see in this image is the ability for a teacher to have a say in his/her evaluator based on his/her evaluation.

A teacher with above expected performance will be able to

Develop his/her growth plan independently

Choose his/her credentialed evaluator (remember, these can come from within or can be contracted from without the district, but evaluator must have an administrative license and must attend and pass the OTES state-sponsored training)

A teacher with expected performance will

Develop his/her growth plan collaboratively with the evaluator

Have some input on choosing the credentialed evaluator

A teacher with below expected performance will

Develop his/her growth plan with evaluator

Be assigned an evaluator

The infographic also shows the timeline for evaluation pieces and conferences throughout the school year.

Recent amendments to SB316 also delineated the consequences for “ineffective” ratings on a single and successive evaluations.

My district isn’t in RttT. Do I need to worry about this?

Yes. If you haven’t already, then not later than July 1, 2013 (according to ORC 3319.111), your district must adopt an evaluation plan that aligns to the evaluation policies. If you are a traditional public school not receiving RttT funds, and your bargaining agreement was entered into before September 29, 2011, your evaluation system must be in effect at the end of that bargaining agreement. If your agreement was entered into after that date, your evaluation system must be in effect at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.

This infographic shows the requirements for value-added data in teacher evaluations. Notice the percentage of the teacher value-added data or vendor assessment can be as low as 10% of the 50% student growth measure portion of the evaluation.

eTPES: This is the first time I have heard of an electronic performance evaluation reporting system, but here’s the info:

The electronic system, Ohio eTPES (electronic Teacher and Principal Evaluation Systems), is a Web-based educator evaluation system for statewide use by Ohio school districts. The system will enable evaluators to collect and store evidence, artifacts and documented observations to determine educator performance based upon defined rubrics. The electronic system will include multiple measures of performance (50%) and student academic growth (50%). The Ohio eTPES products are under development by contractor RandA Solutions. The Ohio eTPES system will be available September 2012. This system will be available to all LEAs at no charge.

The information contained in eTPES will follow the information in the Ohio Teacher and Principal Evaluation Systems. Before using the eTPES, LEAs must align any locally developed or purchased teacher evaluation rubric to the OTES rubric.

The eTPES will be used by all LEAs to report teacher and principal effectiveness ratings. eTPES will include help screens and tutorials to assist LEAs in its use.

Training for Evaluators: ODE has posted a schedule of training opportunities (you have to register through STARS to go). They have plans to train 15,000 people in the next three years to administer these evaluations. Because I love screenshots:

Links and More

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:55:51 GMT

Full disclosure: The ORC provides free resources for teachers in Ohio and beyond. Any and all resources I link to from my blog are free and do not require any sort of registration.

I have to share. The ORC has just revived and published its online literacy journal, In Perspective, and you have to check it out! The theme for this issue is text complexity. Who knows, you may even see a writer you recognize

Also, I have to plug the ORC’s In Perspective blog. Here you can comment on articles from each issue and have access to additional articles and information related to ELA and the CCSS.

Finally, I have to send you to my collection of ORC- and Internet-based resources that supplement the theme of the publication.