Comments on: In one California school district, teachers help teachers get better

By: TESOL English Language Bulletin | Revista Educación, Tecnología e Idiomas

TESOL English Language Bulletin | Revista Educación, Tecnología e Idiomas — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:10:23 +0000

[...] In one California school district, teachers help teachers get better [...]

By: Josephine Bon

Josephine Bon — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:11:41 +0000

I teach in Long Beach. Write From The Beginning has been around for years. Get your facts straight. Did you know Jandella has never taught 30 children and she’s been out of the classroom for over 4 years. I don’t know how that gives her a “feel” for the realities of classroom teacher daily responsibilities. I know several of the trainers and their not getting paid for it.
One thing you can say about Long Beach’s in house training is that something new is added everyday and most of us are in a state of exhaustion wondering what is expected of us on any given day. I’m not sure that’s conducive to good student learning.

By: Angela Duff

Angela Duff — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:40:48 +0000

We have been using teacher coaches in Kentucky for a few years. It is happening in more school districts with the budget crunch in school systems.
I was a Curriculum Coach for several years, and it was one of the most rewarding positions of my career. One of the obstacles I faced in the beginning was the perception that I was part of “the administration” and was there to evaluate their performance. When we got past that, we both increased our knowledge. I often learned new strategies and approaches that I could pass on to other teachers. The classroom teacher was able to learn from me in ways that are not possible in a “sit down” professional development sesion.

By: Peter Pappas

Peter Pappas — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:51:22 +0000

These are challenging times for professional development planners. PD funds are shrinking, and the traditional superintendent’s day seems archaic in the era of #edchat.

While enterprising teachers are finding their own PD support via social media and edcamps, there is still a viable role for district developed PD.

First and foremost successful PD is an opportunity to model the kind of instruction we want to see in the classroom and foster collaborative reflection on that experience.

Here are two of my blog posts that can detail how to support teachers-driven PD.

“Learning Walks: The Power of Teacher to Teacher PD” http://bit.ly/rovLRn

“A Taxonomy of Reflection: Critical Thinking For Students, Teachers, and Principal” http://bit.ly/nErPmE