Teacher+Preparation+-+Thinking+Template


 * Essential Questions** //

"And questions long buried under answers may be unearthed" (Tom Barone, 2001, p. 3).//

In this space, list no more than 5 to 7 questions that would guide others in exploring your topic area in ways that will help them to develop a deep, enduring understanding of it.

1) How do we help teachers develop disciplined instructional design skills and the ability to improvise in the classroom based on their design?

2) What kind of support structures - personnel and implementation - should be in place to provide coherent teacher preparation experiences?

3) How do we establish effective induction programs that will help retain and support effective teachers and how can technology be used to enhance these induction programs?

4) How can we attract/recruit talented people with diverse backgrounds to teaching?

5) How do we develop teachers who are able thinkers within their own learning and in their teaching?

6) What are the essential components of effective teacher preparation programs?

7) How do we allow for differentiated instruction within teacher preparation programs to meet the needs of diverse candidates and circumstances?

Key Concepts** //

". . . the emphasis should be on a few powerful ideas that students are unlikely to discover on their own and that can help them make sense of a wide variety of more specific ideas" (Putnam & Borko, 1997, p. 1271).//

In this space, make a list of key concepts (one- or two-word phrases) that encapsulate important facets of your topic area.

Mentoring Making connections Building relationships Partnership Collaboration Induction Programs for New Teachers Nurturing Flexibility Building Reflective Learners Building On-going Learners Taking Risks to Change Oneself as an Educator Developing Life Long Learners (Foreign Language Teachers as Models for Students ) Igniting the Passion in the Teacher Candidate Teachers as Thinkers Participating in Professional Communities Language, Cultural, and Inter-Cultural Proficiency Transformation Feedback Effective communication

Guiding Principles** //

". . . Search for principles. Carefully separate them from the detail used to explain them. Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances// //. . . . It is worth great effort to organize the truth we gather to simple statements of principle" (Richard G. Scott)//

In this space, make a list of no more than 7 principles (or rules of thumb) that others could use to guide them in applying key concepts from your topic area to their own classrooms or contexts.

1) Teachers need to understand five basic principles to be great teachers: Learning is relational; Instructional design is central; Learning is situated; Meaning is made, not given, and information is necessary to make meaning; Students have to demonstrate their understanding

2) Collaboration by school systems, administrators, university personnel, teaching professionals in the field is needed to develop and maintain excellent teachers. This is a community effort and not the work of the beginning teacher and cooperating teacher alone.

3) Good feedback always balances “commendation” and “recommendation”.

4) Having a positive and fruitful interaction with a cooperating teacher can mean the difference between early burnout and accomplished teaching.

5) Language and culture are inextricably bound together.

1. Learning to teach requires meaningful engagement, careful reflection, critical thought, and fruitful partnerships among preservice teachers, cooperating teachers, and college supervisors. 2. Preservice teachers, cooperating teachers, and college supervisors all play crucial and unique roles as they function in different contexts. 3. Roles and contexts may be different, but all parties involved in learning to teach engage in career-long professional growth and a desire for excellence in the profession. 4. Excellence in the profession is exemplified by teachers who design and implement compelling experiences that result in transformation. 5. Transformation is the goal of learning.

Personal Reflections** //

"For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are" (Lewis, 1955, p. 136).//

In this space, note 1 reflection or personal connection that each person in your group made with your topic area.

Person 1: In order to develop a stronger community to welcome new teachers into the profession, some of the guidelines stated in “Supporting Beginning Teachers: How Administrators, Teachers, and Policymakers Can Help New Teachers Succeed” should be implemented. For example, under the general guidelines section of “School-University Collaboration”, the following is stated: “Goals and purposes of the collaboration should be clear to everyone involved. Schools should provide incentives for new and veteran teachers to participate. This may include stipends, additional release time, college credit, professional development units or steps toward career advancement. Every effort should be made to ensure that adequate funds and resources are available to establish and sustain the program.”

Person 2: When I train student teacher or mentor beginning teachers, I solidify my own practice because I must put a “name” on it. I find I do more reflecting on my teaching as a result.

Person 3:

Person 4:

Quality Models** //

. . . we teach who we are" (Palmer, 1998, p. 2).//

In this space, list no more than 5 quality models of your topic area in action.

1) The Idaho Mentor Program as well as the Washington State Teacher Assistance Program are included in Cori Brewster and Jennifer Railsback’s article, “Supporting Beginning Teachers: How Administrators, Teachers, and Policymakers Can Help New Teachers Succeed”. Both of these programs are funded at the state level. In order for cooperating /mentor teacher programs to succeed, the programs must be funded at the state level and evaluated on an on-going basis for effectiveness.

2) California also has an induction program which credential candidates must complete during their first two years teaching in order to clear their credential. The Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program has been serving the needs of new teachers for approximately 10 years. One of its core principles is the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) which was adopted by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing in 1997. Local school districts recruit veteran teachers as mentors (Support Providers) to work with new teachers one on one for two years, exploring a series of reflective activities called the California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers (CFASST). The BTSA program receives state funding and distributes it to each district which participates. The induction program includes individual mentoring, observation, and professional development at the district level and individually. Participating teachers can also earn university credit to move on the salary scale.


 * Powerful Quotations:** //

"The voice of the mentor becomes the internal voice of the protégé" (Lipton & Wellman, 2003)//

In this space, list no more than 20 powerful quotations related to your topic area. Please use the following format: "Quotation" (Author's Last Name, Year of Publication, p. #). "Quotation" (Author's Last Name, Year of Publication, p. #).

“Lacking the seniority of veteran educators, most new teachers also start with the most difficult assignments, remedial classes, multiple preps and the students with the most diverse and challenging needs (DePaul, 2000; Gordon, 1991; Halford, 1999 Kestner, 1994). Brewster & Railsback, 2001, p. 4

“Teaching should be full of ideas instead of stuffed with facts” (Unknown)

“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn” (John Cotton Dana)

Resources & Materials** //

"The selection of a material or activity is also the selection of an array of forces that will influence how students will be challenged to think . . . the curriculum is a mind-altering device" (Eisner, 2004, pp. 13, 72).//

In this space, make a list of the TOP TEN resources and materials that you would recommend to a foreign language educator who is interested in understanding and using your topic area to improve their practice.

References:**


 * //“Supporting Beginning Teachers: How Administrators, Teachers, and Policymakers Can Help New Teachers Succeed//****” (Cori Brewster & Jennifer Railsback, 2001)**


 * Harmin, Merrill (1997). //Inspiring Active Learning: A Handbook for Teachers//. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.**


 * [|www.teachersfirst.com/tenpoints.shtml]**

Eisner, Elliot W. (2002). //The arts and the creation of mind.// New Haven: Yale University Press.
 * [|www.atozteacherstuff.com] (tips for student teachers, cooperating teachers, etc.)

Lewis, Clive S. (1955). //The magician's nephew.// NY: Scholastic.

Lipton, Laura, & Wellman, Bruce. (2003). //Mentoring matters: A practical guide to// //learning-focused relationships (2nd ed.).// Sherman, CT: MiraVia.

Palmer, Parker. (1998). //The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life.// San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Putnam, Ralph T., & Borko, Hilda. (1997). Teacher learning: Implications of new views of cognition. In B.J. Biddle, et. al. (Eds.), //International handbook of teachers// //and teaching// (pp. 1223-1297). Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers. //**