Are teachers excited about this? Those in education longer than 15 years know where we used to be and how to find their way forward with the knowledge you have gained. Grab the hands of newer teachers and show us the way.
How do you feel about this new Every Student Succeeds Act?
READ: THE WHITE HOUSE REPORT
Brain Spects helped us know what was going on with our son. If you don’t know, you don’t understand. If you don’t understand, you don’t know how to help them. If you don’t know how to help a child, they are lost to the world. Take time to learn and understand.
From Jennifer Weibert:
The CDE has released the first draft of the 2016 Science Framework. The document is open for public review and it is very important that science teachers from the Valley have a voice in the Framework. Teachers in grades K-6 are highly encouraged to attend along with 7-12 science teachers.
The Fresno County Office of Education would like to provide a regional opportunity for teachers to come together to read and review and prepare feedback collaboratively. This opportunity will be January 14th from 4:30pm-7:00pm at the Fresno County Office of Education. FREE of charge and dinner will be served.
This is your opportunity to read and review the 1st Draft of the California Science Curriculum Framework.
Participate in a working meeting where you will give feedback in a facilitated setting alongside colleagues (you are welcome to submit your own feedback directly, but we are hosting a public review session to help guide you through the process and allow for a collaborative setting). Your feedback must be submitted to the Instructional Quality Commission by the end of the 60-day public comment period (November 17, 2015 – January 19, 2016).
Be Prepared To Give Feedback
Before attending, check the CDE website for the link to download the draft document Public Review and Comment. Please do the following:
Please email Jennifer Weibert at jweibert@fcoe.org with any questions. You must RSVP to attend so that we have enough space and dinner.
RSVP: http://fresno.k12oms.org/141-108337
Jennifer Weibert
Science Coordinator
Science Fair Regional Director
Fresno County Office of Education
(559)265-3057
Under Stress, Students in New York Schools Find Calm in Meditation
By ELIZABETH A. HARRISOCT. 23, 2015
Fourth graders at Public School 212 in Queens practice mindful exercises in the classroom. Credit Lindsay Morris for The New York Times
On the first day of the new school year, the schools chancellor, Carmen Fariña, stood in an elementary school classroom in Queens beaming at a hushed room full of fourth-grade children sitting cross-legged on the floor.
“Please let your eyes close,” said a small boy named Davinder, from his spot on the linoleum.
Davinder gently struck a shallow bronze bowl.
Gong!
“Take three mindful breaths,” he said, and the room fell silent.
“Do you do personal visits?” Ms. Fariña asked after the exercise was over. “Like to offices?”
In schools in New York City and in pockets around the country, the use of inward-looking practices like mindfulness and meditation is starting to grow. Though evidence is thin on how well they might work in the classroom, proponents say they can help students focus and cope with stress.
At the Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School in Windsor Terrace, 15 minutes are set aside at the beginning and end of every school day, when students must either meditate or sit quietly at their desks.
The goal of mindfulness exorcises, practitioners say, is to get students into the habit of calming themselves and their minds. Credit Lindsay Morris for The New York Times
“It’s built into the schedule,” said Linda Rosenbury, founding principal at Brooklyn Urban Garden, a middle school. “Everyone clears off their desks. They shouldn’t be chewing gum, but if they are, they spit it out. Their hands are free. We ring a bell.” A building full of preteens and teenagers goes quiet, she said.
“It used to be that you wouldn’t say ‘meditation’ in polite company,” said Bob Roth, executive director of the David Lynch Foundation, a charitable foundation founded by the director of “Blue Velvet,” that promotes and teaches Transcendental Meditation to adults and children, including those at Brooklyn Urban Garden. “Now we’re working with all the large banks, we’re working with hedge funds, we’re working with media companies. People are having us come in as part of their wellness programs, and that wasn’t the case even two years ago.”
While Transcendental Meditation entails silent inward repetition of a mantra, a mindfulness exercise might ask children to focus on breathing in and out. In a classroom, both activities have similar goals; the idea, practitioners say, is to get students into the habit of calming themselves and clearing their minds so they can better focus on the day’s lesson.
“We’re putting it in a lot of our schools,” Ms. Fariña said about mindfulness, on the first day of school, “because kids are under a lot of stress.”
The Department of Education does not keep track of how many schools have mindfulness programs, but a spokeswoman said that grants and professional development seminars have provided some training to school staff members.
The city’s Move to Improve program has also taught nearly 8,000 elementary school teachers how to use activities in the classroom that can include things like mindfulness, balance exercises and stretching.
In many cases, schools are finding their own way. To mindfulness, in particular.
At Public School 212 in Jackson Heights, Queens, the school Ms. Fariña visited on the first day of classes, a literacy coach named Danielle Mahoney began doing regular mindfulness exercises with some classes the year before last, while taking a one-year certification course.
Last year, the school converted a large closet in a subbasement into a room devoted to mindfulness, complete with dim illumination and a string of rainbow Christmas-tree lights, allowing users to switch off the harsh fluorescent light overhead.
This sort of homegrown effort has created a patchwork effect; “mindfulness” might look a little different in every school.
“It’s a bottom-up process,” said Mark T. Greenberg, a professor of human development and psychology at Penn State. “You have very early adopters who are very interested in the ideas, and they are trying out different ideas and venues.”
Some districts, however, are experimenting with a more holistic approach. In Mamaroneck, N.Y., in Westchester County, the district has funded mindfulness training for teachers and parents in each of its six schools, and is encouraging the use of mindfulness exercises as part of an effort to address the social and emotional needs of students.
In Louisville, Ky., more than half of the city’s public elementary schools are expected to participate in a randomized study next year that will teach mindfulness exercises to some students as part of a so-called health and wellness curriculum.
Donna Hargens, the superintendent of the Louisville district of Jefferson County’s public school system, said that in classrooms a teacher’s reflex is to say, “ ‘Focus! Why aren’t you focusing?’ But what does that really mean, and have we given them any tools to help them do that?”
Research in a classroom setting appears to be picking up steam. In Britain, researchers from Oxford and University College London are studying whether teaching mindfulness in schools can improve the mental health of students, and some studies have shown benefits for many adults. Still, little is truly known about how, or even whether, children benefit from the practice in an academic setting.
“It definitely doesn’t address poverty, and it may not work for everybody,” said Patricia Jennings, an associate professor at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia and the author of a book called “Mindfulness for Teachers.”
Mr. Greenberg of Penn State cautioned that even if the practice does provide benefits for students, the research has yet to explain how.
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Staying Centered |
First Year Pitfalls
As a former mentor for new teachers, and, currently, as an instructional coach, I help new teachers avoid common pitfalls and find the wisdom that makes teaching a fulfilling experience. New teachers, whether right out of college or transitioning to a second career, often come into their new schools with abundant enthusiasm that can revitalize a department or grade-level team. Too often, however, that spark dims and is eventually snuffed out as a teacher tries to traverse the education landscape without the support of a competent guide. Avoiding these common pitfalls can help a teacher’s first year become the beginning of a satisfying and fulfilling journey.
Pitfall #1: Wanting Your Students to Like You
Of course, we all want our students to like us. The reality is that most will, but there might be some who won’t. All too often, new teachers spend a great deal of brain power on how to persuade students to like them, which is the quickest way to alienate students. I have seen every technique that you can think of: letting students misbehave, bribery, self-deprecating humor, class parties, and so on. These techniques only lead to a disorganized and ineffective classroom full of disgruntled students.
So, what is the secret to success? It’s simple, actually—students will like you if you do your job. Students are in school to learn, and if you help them do that while providing a safe and respectful environment, they will like and respect you. This is especially true of hard-to-reach students. If you can help them succeed, you will witness something powerful and beautiful. Offering stickers and allowing misbehavior does not possess the transformative power that good teaching provides.
Pitfall #2: Wanting to Change Too Much Too Soon
New teachers enter their careers with freshly written philosophies of education and a plethora of new ideas. They are eager to get into the trenches and change students’ lives. But many teachers make a crucial mistake by trying to change too many things too quickly. You have a long career ahead of you and plenty of time to make your mark. Remember that other teachers in your department or grade level have years of experience and most, if not all, are willing to share their wisdom and lesson plans if you just ask. Your first year will be difficult enough without trying to create all new curricula. Additionally, failing to ask experienced teachers for help may cause them to perceive you as a “knowitall,” even though that is not your intention.
The first step to build trust and collaborative relationships is to work with those around you, take what they have to offer, and offer your input when appropriate. As you move into your second year, when you have established trusting relationships with your colleagues and you understand the school district’s curriculum and philosophies, offer your ideas more frequently.
Keep your focus on doing the best job you can, not trying to change what others do. Many new teachers are shuffled from classroom to classroom and end up teaching the classes that others don’t want to teach. Show your moxie as an educator by taking these things in stride and focusing on what you can do for your students, rather than who has the best classroom or the classes that you want to teach; those things will come to you in time. Innovation is wonderful, but make sure you mix that with wisdom from experienced teachers and administrators.
Pitfall #3: Taking It All Too Personally
Teaching is an extremely personal career. Most teachers enter the profession because they want to make a difference in the lives of young people. They want to be role models who lead and inspire others. Effective teachers are deeply invested in their careers, so it is easy to take things personally. And yet it is equally important to learn early that you must look at things logically and never make assumptions. This shift in perception is extremely difficult and will take practice.
For example, if a student misbehaves or has a meltdown, don’t assume that you know the reason. You may be sure the trigger was something you said, when in reality, it was something that happened to the student at home that morning. Or, if you get an e-mail from the principal asking for a meeting, don’t assume that you have done something wrong. There are many reasons you might be called on. If you find that the principal wants you to change something you are doing, do not assume that you have failed. Feedback makes teachers better, and without feedback, it is hard to know where you need improvement.
In the new landscape of teacher effectiveness programs, you can expect to have peers, administrators, and coaches observing in your room on a regular basis. Don’t become nervous and stressed about these visits. Instead, see them as opportunities and look for something to learn from every experience.
Pitfall #4: Burnout
Teaching is an extremely rewarding career, but it is also highly challenging. Don’t burn out by trying to do everything yourself. If your school doesn’t provide mentors for firstyear teachers, don’t be afraid to ask administration for one. Find out what your resources are at the very beginning of the year. Librarians, custodians, secretaries, instructional coaches, K–12 coordinators, and department heads are all valuable people to seek out. Most are just waiting for someone to ask for their expertise. Take the time to ask them what support they offer for you and your classroom. The right resources can save you hours of time and frustration. With the right attitude and a few tips for success, every new teacher can have a rewarding first year.
Amy Stenzel is an instructional effectiveness coach in Whitnall School District in Milwaukee, Wisc.
ASCD Express, Vol. 11, No. 4. Copyright 2015 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.
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Staying Centered |
Five Habits That Hurt Teacher Motivation
Teachers know that motivating students and engaging families is part of the job. Sometimes, however, just keeping ourselves motivated can feel like a full-time job. Although we may daydream about our students sitting attentively with a look of delight that shows their love of learning, this ideal is certainly not always the case.
Here are some reasons why your enthusiasm might be lagging and some tips for making it through the slump.
Classroom Task Creep
With all there is to do every day, it’s tempting to funnel your off hours into teaching tasks or turn your home into a satellite office for your classroom. Although this may seem like a sign of dedication, it’s likely that if you’re never 100 percent clocked out, you’re never 100 percent clocked in, either. For the kids’ sake and your own, mornings should always feel like the start of a new day, and Mondays should always feel like the beginning of a new week. This means putting realistic limits on the amount of work that you bring home, scheduling specific hours to work on it, and then using your personal time for your personal life.
The Never-Done To-Do List
As teachers, we are our own secretaries. Nothing reminds us of this like looking at a to-do list of administrative tasks, especially one on which certain items seem to be permanent residents. To keep your list manageable, break big goals into smaller jobs that can be fully completed in a reasonable amount of time. “Print student test scores” is a good, list-friendly item. “Analyze student data and form long-term plans for each student” is a multipart project more likely to shut down your engine than get you in gear. Remember that your goal, when putting something on your list, is to cross it off.
The Wish-List Pretending to Be a To-Do List
Another hazardous habit is adding items to a daily task list that are actually long-term goals or ideas for the distant future. Not only do these items stay on our lists, but they also constantly remind us of our shortcomings. With this in mind, don’t write, “Be better at parent contact” on your to-do list if you really mean, “Call Javier’s dad.” For ideas that you’re not ready to implement, set up a computer folder, or even start a designated e-mail account where you can send ideas when you’re on the go. The important thing is to keep wish-list items off your desk and off your list of things that need to get done this week.
Dispiriting Discussions
Dealing with kids all day can make you crave the company of adults, but not all adult conversations help equally. Teachers’ lounge gripe sessions may help let off steam some days but feel toxic on others. Other times, you can find it more discouraging to talk to the teacher down the hall who’s sure she’s doing a fantastic job and can’t wait to tell you about it. Just remember—productive conversations comfort rather than overwhelm. Pay attention to which types of discussions drag you down. Then, look for ways to cut them short, tune them out, or avoid them altogether.
The Ill-Fitting Teacher Style
People constantly tell you to choose your battles in teaching. What they don’t tell you is that some of the battles not worth fighting are with yourself. Despite your best efforts, strengths and weaknesses from your personal life will carry over into your teaching style. You’re still more organized than creative (or more creative than organized). You’re still more ambitious than patient (or more patient than ambitious). The good news is that many different traits make a good teacher. No one has them all, and some of them can even contradict one another. Your goal is not to conceal your weaknesses or disguise them as strengths; it is to identify your true strengths and use them to reinforce potential weak spots.
So, the next time you feel your motivation waning, don’t despair—take a moment to examine if you’re guilty of any of these common motivation missteps, and adjust your attitude accordingly.
Roxanna Elden is a National Board-Certified teacher and the author of See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers. More recently, she has created the “Disillusionment Power Pack,” a free, one-month series of e-mails for new teachers in which she shares journal pages, stories, and insights she would have shared with the first-year teacher version of herself. E-mails begin with signup and arrive every few days for one month.
ASCD Express, Vol. 11, No. 4. Copyright 2015 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.
PORTS is proud to announce the completion of the PORTS Unit of Study Common Core Alignment Project. All of the Units of Study are aligned to the Common Core State Standards. It has been exciting to note that our videoconference presentations are already aligned with the Speaking and Listening standards prominant in the CCSS:
Speaking and Listening: Flexible communication and collaboration
Including but not limited to skill necessary for formal presentations, the Speaking and Listening standards require students to develop a range of broadly useful oral communication and interpersonal skills. Students must learn to work together, express and listen carefully to ideas, integrate information from oral, visual, quantitative, and media sources, evaluate what they hear, use media and visual displays strategically to help achieve communicative purposes, and adapt speech to context and task.
To register for a PORTS distance learning program, complete the PORTS Registration Form (PDF) and email it to your local PORTS Program Coordinator or the PORTS Interpreter listed for a specific Unit of Study.
PORTS Registration Form (PDF)
5E Lesson Plans
PORTS is piloting a new format for our lesson plans called the 5E that better aligns with the critical thinking skills being promoted by Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards . The 5 Es of teaching science with inquiry are Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation. Our newest units of study, Mammals and Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle and Migration, are written in a three column version of the 5E lesson plan that shows teachers what to do and say, what types of probing questions to ask, and how students might respond.
Explore the art and architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans through the art and artifacts of Hearst Castle (6th grade)
Ancient Civilizations Unit of Study
Soon students can explore the coastal resources of Point Lobos Natural Reserve and learn how Marine Protected Areas are being used to help protect them.
For now, you can check out the following units of study which are already discussing Marine Protected Areas.
Elephant Seals
Tidepool Ecology
Salmon Lifecycle
Science of Habitat Restoration and Protection
We will also soon unveil our new Marine Protected Areas online modules here.
Coastal Resource Protection Unit of Study
Explore Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to discover its stories of change, preservation, extinction and protection. (4th and 6th grade)
Students are introduced to the evolutionary history and adaptations of the northern elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Reserve. (7th grade)
Learn about the California Gold Rush from Columbia State Historic Park. (4th grade)
Explore the topic of immigration through the stories and lives of those who came through the US Immigration Station at Angel Island State Park.
Explore the mystery of Monarch butterfly lifecycle and Migration from Natural Bridges State Park. (Kindergarten – 3rd grade)
Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle and Migration Unit of Study
Find out about the unique redwood forest ecosystems of Humboldt Redwoods and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks. (6th grade)
Students are introduced to the life cycle of salmon and the importance of watersheds for their survival at Del Norte Redwoods State Park (3rd, 6th grade)
Students discover how human impacts degrade some of California’s native ecosystems and habitats while getting a first-hand look at the work California State Parks has done to restore the coastal sage scrub habitat at Crystal Cove State Park. (6th-8th Grade)
Science of Habitat Protection and Restoration Unit of Study
Engage students in researching information about their state representatives, the law-making process, and how they, as citizens, have a voice in government. (8th (adaptable for other grades)
State Government Units of Study
Experience life at the ocean’s edge and find out why life in the tide pools is no day at the beach. (4th, 5th grade) new test
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook is a great place to observe weather. Students will learn about weather, climate and the story of this unique park in Los Angeles. (5th grade)
Weather and Climate Unit of Study
Explore how mammals are different from other animals by learning unique features of mammals and comparing them to reptiles, insects and others. (Kindergarten-2nd grade)
What is a Mammal? Unit of Study
Check out what else we have to offer!
(K-12th grade)
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Stay tuned to our #TransformationTuesday as cabins go from planning to breaking ground. (Image is artist rendering)https://t.co/s8NS31m0pn1h
Copyright © 2015 State of California
Image from a presentation of first-year findings via Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research
Teachers who participated in a year-long study comparing video-recorded and in-person classroom observations found the video observation process fairer and more useful overall than in-person observations, according to a new report from the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University.
The report, “The Best Foot Forward Project: Substituting Teacher-Collected Video for In-Person Classroom Observations,” summarizes the findings of the first year of implementation of the Best Food Forward Project. The researchers studied 347 teachers and 108 administrators at schools in Delaware, Georgia, Colorado and California. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. Those in the treatment group received a video camera and access to a secure site to store and view recorded lessons, and those in the control group continued to use in-person classroom observations.
Initially, teachers in the video group were reluctant to record themselves in the classroom but acquiesced when they were given the option of controlling the camera and choosing which lessons would be submitted for review. At the conclusion of the first year, the researchers found that allowing teachers to control the video observation process did not affect administrators’ ability to identify stronger or weaker teachers because “teachers who were stronger (or weaker) in their submitted lessons also tended to be stronger (or weaker) in the lessons they chose not to submit.”
Giving teachers control over the video observation process resulted in numerous benefits for both the teachers and the administrators, according to the report. For the teachers, it increased their perception of fairness and made them more self-critical of their classroom instruction. For the administrators, it enabled them to shift their observation work to quieter times of the day or week and resulted in reduced teacher defensiveness during post-observation conferences.
Other key findings from the report:
The researchers have released a freely available toolkit to help teachers and administrators who are interested in piloting video observations. The kit includes “advice and a suite of resources for leveraging video technology for teacher development, choosing the right technology for the classroom, and protecting the privacy of students and teachers,” according to information from CEPR.
The Best Foot Forward Project report and the Best Foot Forward Video Observation Toolkit can be found on the CEPR site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached atleilameyer@gmail.com
Hiring and retaining talented teachers can be a challenge in any district. But finding recent teaching college graduates who are ready to excel in the classroom their very first year can be even more difficult.
This leaves administrators continuing to question whether college teaching programs are adequately preparing each new generation of educators.
A successful prep program should be rigorous and purposeful, and get student-teachers into actual classrooms earlier rather than later, says Hamlet Hernandez, superintendent of Branford Public Schools in Connecticut and member of the District Administration Leadership Institute.
“Early and consistent classroom experience allows teacher students to see the role of management, routines and rituals in practice, and cannot be accomplished in a two-week field experience,” he says.
New teachers have historically struggled to manage their classrooms, says Hernandez. “Prep programs do not emphasize behavior management—the practice of recognizing how to mitigate different behaviors for different age groups.”
New teachers must be to able to precisely assess students’ ability to learn. They must also understand that students come to the classroom with different abilities, says Hernandez. “It is important for new teachers to know how to differentiate teaching practices, such as providing highly visual cues and clues for ELL students,” he says.
The colleges that produce successful teachers require early and frequent clinical work, integrate technology and set high standards for admission and grading.
Teachers-in-training must complete a preparation program during their undergraduate or post-grad master’s studies. States have different requirements for the level of education that must be completed; most require a student teaching experience and passage of a certification test.
Montclair State University in New Jersey produces effective teachers because its standards are clearly defined, says Susan Taylor, director of the Newark-Montclair Urban Teacher Residency. Taylor’s program pairs Montclair State teaching students with Newark Public Schools mentor teachers and classrooms.
Some education experts have called for a massive overhaul of teaching colleges, claiming institutions are graduating students not ready for the classroom.
Yet others insist the colleges are doing a fine job, and that leaders from K12 schools and higher ed institutions simply need to collaborate more closely on how teachers should be prepared. Here are two opposing views:
Roderick Lucero, vice president for member engagement and support, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Kate Walsh, president, National Council on Teacher Quality
The university’s “Portrait of a Teacher” standards list 12 pieces of knowledge, skills and dispositions every graduate must develop. Included in the portrait is creating learning experiences that promote critical thinking and problem-solving; appreciating diversity among students and colleagues; and possessing strong literacy and communication skills.
When student-teachers practice job interviews or write essays, they must be guided by “Portrait” principles such as demonstrating expert knowledge of the discipline they will teach and promoting communication in the classroom.
The standards have made Montclair State’s student-teachers popular with local districts. Over the past five years, more than 100 of the student-teachers have been hired and retained by a local district, says Jennifer Robinson, director of the university’s Center Of Pedagogy.
Administrators get to know the candidates during their student teaching assignments and therefore have insight into their performance that cannot be gained when a random teacher comes in seeking a job.
“The student-teaching experience is like a 14-week job interview with highly effective candidates for the schools,” Robinson says.
The program at Western Governors University in Utah meets or exceeds every state’s standards for teacher prep to ensure all graduates are qualified to teach in any district in the nation.
The curriculum is competency-based, meaning graduates must demonstrate they have mastered each standard before they advance. Instead of earning credit hours and grades for a specific course taken during a set period of time, students take an assessment when they feel they have mastered a certain skill.
“If a student takes tests and does homework and gets a B in a specific course, what that represents is ambiguous,” says Phil Schmidt, dean of the Teachers College. “But at WGU, students demonstrate in a concrete way that they can lead a class.”
The Missouri Department of Education also sets clear standards. To ensure graduates are ready for the classroom, representatives from the Department of Education observe and grade students during their student-teaching on four highly critical standards: content knowledge, differentiating instruction, using data to inform instruction and classroom management.
“So all teacher colleges in Missouri know they must instill these skills in their students before student-teaching,” says Paul Katnik, Missouri’s assistant commissioner for education quality.
Just because today’s teaching students are digital natives does not mean they know how to use technology in the classroom, says Christina O’Connor, co-director of the Teachers Academy at University of North Carolina Greensboro.
“The current teacher prep students don’t have the benefit of observation because when they were students, teachers did not use technology as an instructional tool the way they do today,” O’Connor says.
University faculty integrate technology in teaching courses so students can observe how to use it in their future classrooms. Simulation software, for example, allows student-teachers to interact with virtual students and exercise the classroom management skills they are taught in their theory classes, such as quieting a noisy room.
Source: National Council on Teacher Quality Teacher Prep Review, 2014
“The level of disruption and types of misbehavior, such as a student pestering a peer, can be adjusted so the teacher students can practice all types of scenarios they may not see in their clinical experiences,” says O’Connor.
Student-teachers also observe their fellow student-teachers and veteran teachers on live streams from real Greensboro-area classrooms. “The class can have a discussion on what the educator is doing correctly or can improve on, and their commentary can be attached to the video so the observed educator can reflect on their own practices, too,” says O’Connor.
At Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College, students fully immerse themselves in a K12 classroom during their senior year. “Instead of following the ASU calendar, our seniors follow their clinical district’s calendar,” says Cory Cooper, interim director for teacher preparation. “They arrive at their school two weeks early to prepare.”
In this model, the mentor teacher and student-teacher are considered co-teachers from the first day, says Cooper. They conduct parent-teacher conferences together and grade papers as a team. “When the student-teachers begin their first full-time teaching job, they are more like second-year teachers who know how to manage a classroom and use data,” Cooper adds.
To ensure positive experiences for student-teachers, a full-time supervisor from Arizona State visits each host school. The supervisor observes in the classroom to determine where student-teachers are struggling so the mentor can focus on building certain skills. The supervisors also offer professional development to mentors so they can effectively coach student-teachers to improve classroom management or content delivery skills, says Cooper.
Such methods appear to be working. Over 87 percent of Arizona State’s graduates remain in the teaching profession after three years, which is 7 percent higher than the national average, says Cooper.
Only the best students from high school should be accepted into teaching programs, says Neil Duggar, dean of Dorothy M. Bush College of Education at Dallas Baptist University.
“The requirements for entry into our program exceed Texas standards and those of most other teacher prep programs to ensure we are getting top-performing students,” Duggar says.
Applicants to the College of Education must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, whereas the state requires only a 2.5 for teaching colleges.
Student-teachers prove themselves capable educators before entering a classroom for their clinical experience. “In addition to passing both Texas teaching certification tests, teacher students must teach a sample lesson to a panel of veteran teachers,” says Duggar. “If they are favorably scored, then they can begin their clinical teaching.”
Additionally, while Texas requires that student-teachers observe classrooms virtually for 30 hours prior to clinical teaching, Dallas Baptist students must watch for 220 hours.
One of the biggest issues with teacher prep programs today is the overall fear of the word “training,” says Kate Walsh, president of the National Council on Teacher Quality.
“In the 1970s, it was decided that ‘training’ was a word that undervalued the complexity of education,” Walsh says.
It was feared that “training” would give teachers preconceptions about what students need. Training could create teachers who, rather than reflecting on the appropriate response, were more liable to pull a predetermined reaction from a set “bag of tricks” when, for example, a student spoke out of turn, says Walsh.
Yet for specific challenges, such as reaching growing populations of ELL and minority students, Walsh concludes, teachers need training in proven practices to provide meaningful praise and to establish rules and routines.
Kylie Lacey is associate editor.
Science competitions and research opportunities can pave the path toward STEM degrees and careers. But low-income students often face barriers to participation, including lack of support.
The nonprofit Society for Science & the Public (SSP), which runs the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and Intel Science Talent Search, has launched a pilot program to address that gap.
Armed with a $100,000 grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, SSP aims to recruit nine teachers, counselors, and scientists who can serve as coaches and advocates for between 30 and 50 low-income students in grades 6 to 11. The advisers – nine in total – would receive stipends of $3,000 to coach groups of “exceptionally promising” students in how to apply for and participate in science contests, reports The Journal.
Schools in the pilot program are located in Conyers, Ga., Durham, N.C., and Evanston, Ill. Participating organizations include Environmentors, Project SEED, Stanford RISE and Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science.
Filed under: Competitions and Contests, K-12 Education News
Tags: diversity, Intel ISEF, Intel Science Talent Search, low-income students, Programs for Teachers, STEM, STEM competition, stipend
