Mr.+Maz's+Blog

// Partnership for 21st Century Skills // // As our state and nation push for better education and accountablity the talk of new observation reports have come up. From my research teachers must hit on fhe four domains of teaching. Here is my plan. // Stephen Frears, British film director, once said, “I know it seems crazy when everyone else in the world wants to be a film director, but for me, teaching is one of the few heroic jobs left. All the biggest miracles take place in classrooms. Nothing happens without teachers.” I wrote this application from an administrator’s prospective, showing what I would expect my teachers to design their curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As a principle working as a year teachers it is my job to make them into heroes. If you were to walk into a classroom, what might you see or hear there (from the students as well as the teacher) that would cause you to think that you were in the presence of an expert? What would make you think: “Oh, this is good // ; // if I had a child this age, this is the class I would hope for.” This is the response I hope for when people enter my classroom. It is the same reaction I would want from my teachers. The use of framework with first year teachers will help them earn those types of reactions. No first year teacher, or even veteran teacher, should feel they are an expert. They should all be using framework with their supervisor to work to become a master teacher. If they feel they are always in need of improvement than they will get to this point. Framework for first year teachers in my building will be imperative. It is important because if gives them structure. It is a road map for navigating through, the complex territory of teaching. It starts with its four domains. // Domain 1: Planning and Preparation; Domain 2: The Classroom Environment; Domain 3: Instruction; Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities //. These domains will be inspected by me (principle), the supervisor, and even their mentor teacher. First, domain 1 (Planning and Preparation) has many aspects that teachers must try to display in their teaching. My viewing lesson plans or curriculum mapping by my first year teachers I would be able to see if they are demonstrating knowledge of content, and their students’ level. How much of the content can the students handle? Are they making the light go off in their students’ heads? In this domain I would also be looking to see if they are setting objectives, or instructional outcomes. In New Jersey we are now calling this our essential question. What are the students trying to answer with this lesson? I will also be looking for their knowledge of resources. Are they taking advantage of resources to help them deliver their lesson? Do they use computers or power point presentations? Does their instruction make sense? Are they using concrete examples or explaining in a logical way? Finally, I will also be able to see how they are planning on assessing students. I will be able to make sure they are using formative and summative assessment. Also, I can see if they are mixing up their assessment, by using performance assessment. Next, I will be investigating the classroom environment through class observations or walkthroughs. Here I will be looking for how the teacher optimizes and organizes space in the classroom. If the teacher is big on cooperative learning is their space for the students to move around and work in groups. I would also be looking for and noting if there is an environment of respect and rapport among the students and with the teacher. If there is a good rapport and students see a teacher who cares, they will work harder. I will also look and note for a culture of learning. Are the students expecting to come into class each day to learn through a variety of ways, such as: investigation, cooperative learning, discussion, etc? Is there structure in the classroom? I want to make sure my teachers manage classroom procedures. I would want all my teachers utilizing bell to bell instruction. I want them to start with a “Do Now” question everyday, and I have a pattern they use everyday in the beginning of class. Lastly, through the interaction with students and going through the lesson, I want to see how the teacher manages student behavior. Do they have effective classroom management skills? The next domain, which is instruction, will see only through a series of observations by me, the supervisor, or even their mentor teacher. I would now truly be able to see the rapport the teacher has with his or her students by observing how he or she communicates with the students. Communication is the key to the delivery of the lesson. Does the teacher adopt a constructivist technique on lecturing by using questioning and discussion? Just because you are not working in cooperative learning groups does not mean a student cannot participate and develop their own understanding. This is way a teacher can make their lecture more engaging. A constructivism approach is the technique I am looking for in my teachers because it keeps students engage in learning. I will also be looking for how assessment is used in their lesson. Through observations I will see if the teacher is checking for understanding of all students, not just the students who the teacher knows understands the material. Sometimes in during a lesson things do not work the way you want them to or they work so good that you are done with your lesson before the class is over. I want to see how flexible and responsive my teachers are. Do they always have filler planned just in case their lesson goes quickly? What happens if the lesson falls on its face? Can the teacher demonstrate a way to save the lesson, and have the students learn something that day? Lastly, and possibly the most important domain of framework is domain 4 professional responsibilities. Much of the work for this domain will be taken care of by having pre and post observation conferences. One the best courses I have ever taken in education were Reflective Teaching. I would want my first year teachers to write up a reflection of their lesson after our meeting. I would also ask for weekly reflections on their teaching. They should also be documenting their meetings with mentors and what was discussed and the outcomes of those meetings. As professional educator first year teachers must display their professionalism through their teaching, planning, reflection, appearance, professional development, and communication with administrators and parents. First year teachers should probably shy away from working on their masters right away, but should be enrolled in the district’s “First Year Teacher Program”. Levels of Performance In conclusion, first year teachers will then be assessed on their level of performance which will fall under the category unsatisfactory, basic, proficient, or distinguished. The next step is developing a plan to continue to grow, or become effective. It is my opinion, that if a student knows you care about them and how they perform in your classroom it becomes contagious, and they will do their best to perform well. That is why teachers should remember the quote from Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel”.