We started our January 18 meeting with a few questions and answers about Certification changes and the Reduction In Force ("RIF") process. Matt assured the group that RIFing is generally not anything to worry about as long as (1) District funding from the State of Illinois remains solid, (2) student numbers in your grade level remain the same, and (3) teacher performance and certification is up to par with your teaching assignment. In other words, keep working to help your kids learn and grow, be open to improving your practice according to your principal's suggestions, and keep your certificate up-to-date, and the rest will sort itself out. Control what you can control, which is YOU, and try not to worry about the rest.
Matt demonstrated how to use the Educator Certification System (ECS) on the Illinois State Board of Education Web Site to record professional development. We also briefly discussed the process of moving from an Initial Certificate to a Standard Certificate. Contact Matt if you ever have any questions about this.
Books were distributed at our first meeting. Matt took the group on a quick tour of the book, using the presentation embedded below.
At our next meeting we will look at the 4 Domains in a little more detail and examine the levels of performance.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
2012 Book Club Begins!
Welcome Back! Our
Spring New Teacher Learning Team meetings will be in Book Club format. This
year’s book selection is:
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| Image from www.ascd.org |
Early indications
point to this work as the possible foundation for the State of Illinois’ new
teacher evaluation process, which is still under development. Regardless of whether or not the new system
will end up looking like Danielson’s Framework, this book is sure to
help you develop the skill of self-reflection and build confidence in your
classroom practice, and may help dispel the dread that many associate with the
evaluation process in general.
Books are offered
free-of-charge to any first- or second-year teacher (in District #205 or KWSED) who can attend one or more
of our meetings. The focus is on discussing the principles and helping you reflect
on & improve your classroom instruction & professional practices. While all are
encouraged to participate, you are of course welcome to simply drop by and just listen
to the discussion, too! As always, time will also be set aside for peer-to-peer
problem-solving (and a little venting, as well).
Meetings will be
held every-other Wednesday, from 3:45-4:45 pm, at the following times &
locations:
Jan 18 – GHS Library: Distribute books & Overview of the text
Feb 01 – Board Room: Discuss Assumptions & 4 Domains (pgs. 1-42)
Feb 15 – Board Room: Discuss Domains 1 & 2 (pgs. 43-76)
Feb 29 – Board Room: Discuss Domains 3 & 4 (pgs. 77-108)
Mar 21 – GHS Library: Discuss Specialists, Using the Framework, &
Appendices (selections from pgs. 109-end as appropriate)
Apr 11 – Board Room: Discuss Applications of templates, rubrics, etc.,
throughout the text
Apr 25 – GHS Library (Make-Up Date)
May 09 – Board Room or other location: Celebrations!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Great Story of High School Sportsmanship
As November begins, so do the Dark Days of Doldrums in many schools around the nation. Days are shorter. Winter is coming. It’s several weeks until break, and May seems like a lifetime away.
But here in the Midwest, we like to think of ourselves as a tough lot. We’ll get through it… we always do… Even so, its always nice to hear encouraging stories to remind us to pull ourselves up and keep fighting the good fight, teaching kids how to do the right thing whenever the situation calls for it.
So, for those of you who need a little pick-me-up to renew your optimism in the work we do to help students, I hope you’ll enjoy this article as much as I did this morning. It’s a great reminder that there’s more to school than books and computers and homework and tests. In my book, these guys should get an “A” in The Test of Life.
Well done, Gentlemen. Well done.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
New Teacher Survival Kit at Discovery Education
Here’s a link to some great resources to help new teachers adjust to life in a new District. Plus, it’s all FREE!
The site is divided into four major parts:
- Survival Tool Kit – some basics for everyone
- Technology 101 – tips for using tech tools in your classroom
- Homeroom HQ – tips for classroom management, parent communication, etc.
- It’s Elementary – not just for teachers of the little ones, this part has simple tips to help you get started in your classroom, as well as a reminders of often-forgotten things, like student learning styles, dealing with food allergies, handling bullies, and interacting with parents.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Successful Teaching: 10 Tips for Confronting Difficult Parents
This is a great post from the Successful Teaching blog, though I might change the term “confronting” to “working with” or something a little less… well… confrontational.
Regardless, you’ll find good advice as you prepare for Parent Teacher Conferences here.
The author’s suggestions about focusing on sharing objective information with the parent is vital. Remembering that you are the Professional, they are the Parent, and that you’re both here to help the child be successful, will help both find a compromise that benefits this child. If helping kids is not the focus of the conference, you-the-Professional should redirect the conversation toward working together to find solutions.
Read their list first. Here are some suggestions that could be added to the list:
- Accentuate the Positive: A positive, welcoming phone call home early in the year or term can win you lots of points later during the time you spend with the child in your classroom. Parents often complain that they never hear from teachers until after a small problem has become big enough for a conference.
- Back It Up With Facts: Save work samples that exhibit your concerns and celebrations, and use these to help the parent understand what you are seeing in the classroom. If these are observational items, start making tally marks on a seating chart, calendar, etc., to show frequency of behaviors that concern you.
- Make Sandwiches: No, not literally. “Sandwich” your concerns between positive comments during the meeting. Asking for help from parents and finding out what works well at home will help make a great cooperative sandwich. For example,
- I’ve noticed that Johnny loves to read a lot. I notice that he will be reading a book or a magazine when I’m teaching the class, and I’m concerned that he may not be paying attention to the lesson. I’ve marked this on my calendar and it seems to happen at least 3-4 times a week. It’s great that he loves reading so much! <there’s your sandwich, supported with objective data… now follow it up with things from the blog post, like…> I want to help Johnny find a way to enjoy his reading habits at more appropriate times, and I’d really like to build on the foundation that you and his other teachers have built. What kinds of things work to redirect Johnny’s attention at home?
Successful Teaching: 10 Tips for Confronting Difficult Parents
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