The Science of Learning Corner
It is no mystery that routines are a valuable part of any classroom no matter the grade, content or program. In Peps McCrea’s Evidence Snacks blog, he states that the real value in routines happen once they become automated. Until they are automated, we are investing time to get a refund later. How does that work? When we begin a new routine (teaching or learning) we are often less skilled at it. It can be effortful to learn and practice as feedback and reinforcement may change how we perform the routine at first. If we stick to the routine, it becomes more automated, and the effort required to run it diminishes. As the effort diminishes, we begin to reap the investment dividends because more time and cognitive space is freed for more important things - like learning.
How long does it take for a routine to become automated? It depends on how complex the routine is and how often we run the routine. Simple routines can take 20 repetitions to become automated whereas more complex routines can take 40-60 repetitions. This is why practice and reinforcement are so important to teaching and learning routines.
For more evidence-informed information on routines see Peps McCrea’s Evidence Snacks at: https://snacks.pepsmccrea.com/p/banking-routines
National Board Certification
National Board Certification has a lot of layers this time of year!
Our newest candidates are wrapping their heads around the process and figuring out how to map out their work for submission in the spring. Our candidates from last year are awaiting their component scores that come at the beginning of December!
With 100 NBCTs in FCPS, there are plenty of opportunities to learn about the National Board process and journey. If you are interested in pursuing SY 26 it is never too early to start connecting with resources and current NBCTs to learn more!
Check out the following resources to get you started:
Questions about National Board Certification? Contact amy.cordes@fcps.org
TEACHING WALKTHRUs
What is Professional Amnesia? Professional amnesia happens when once often-used strategies become set aside for the sake of newer, shinier strategies and structures. Many of those often-used strategies from the past are still supported by substantial research but have been forgotten. When COVID suddenly affected how we instructed students all over the world, many of us had to change quickly and quite drastically to accommodate for virtual instruction. Upon return, many educators noted that students “forgot” how to talk to each other. They forgot how to take part in discussions. Educators had to bring back the tried and true strategies that have been evidence-informed and equity-driven for decades. Now, in classrooms, we see a return to strategies like Think, Pair, Share, and Say it Again Better. Sometimes, due to professional amnesia, these strategies come back but have been altered to such an extent that they are not having the impact they once had. We hear a lot about pendulums in education and how strategies tend to loop back into practice. This is part of professional amnesia. Are you finding some strategies aren’t working for you the way they used to? Are you wondering what other great strategies have been lost or set aside? Are you ready to rediscover some strategies that are equity-driven and evidence-informed? Are you a veteran teacher looking to grow professionally and build your leadership capacity? Please join The Employee Induction and Professional Learning Team for Teaching WalkThrus training for veteran educators. For more information, see this advertisement.
Career Development: Leveling Up Learning Series
Check out the latest career support and development resources at: https://www.fcps.org/hr/career-development where we dig into topics to support all FCPS staff! Leveling up is also highlighted on our FCPS PL website at: https://sites.google.com/fcps.org/professional-learning/leveling-up-career-development
Each topic includes a slidedeck of resources and a corresponding “Hire Education” podcast hosted by FCPS Chief of Staff, Dr. Sarah Sirgo.
October: Self-Awareness and Regulating Emotions at Work
November: Managing Stressful Workplace Situations
Responsive, Impactful Support for Educators - YEAR ONE
With many of our new hires experiencing the disillusionment phase, October’s choice sessions were designed to address the challenges they might be facing.
Educators had the opportunity to choose from the following session for their second hour:
Self-Regulation Strategies for Students, Presented by Ann Workmeister – This interactive session focused on equipping staff with effective techniques to enhance student self-regulation. Participants explored strategies to help students better manage their emotions, behaviors, and attention in the classroom.
Teaching Children Impacted by Traumatic Stress, Presented by Lynn Davis - This session explored the impact of toxic stress on learning and behavior, as well as strategies for building resilience through the relationships and routines you establish.
Tier I: MTSS Behavior Supports and Classroom Management, Presented by Tammy Haller, Emily Tex, Amy Power and Ryan Defibaugh - This session focused on classroom management and Tier 1 behavioral support. It covered the essential components for effective classroom management, how to assess fidelity in these practices, and resources to support these efforts.
Here’s what some have shared in their follow-up about what they've learned:
Your calm is contagious. That students' brains and bodies learn and reflect off of our calm responses. So in a heightened situation, it is super important that you are regulating de-escalation exercises. Also the perspective of instead of getting students back to work... Start thinking about getting them back to calm.
The Magic Ratio and 2 Times 10 (6 positives for every negative) (Talk to students for 2 min for 10 days about anything other than school to build relationships.)
The importance of taking care of ourselves as teachers.
Stress levels can reduce your brain volume by 20%- it really made me reflect on how my attitude changes when I am stressed vs. not for a long period of time.
Something new that I learned this week was that when children have trauma, their brain development differs from children who don't have such impactful trauma. The development changes from a large portion being on cognition to a focus in survival.
Responsive, Impactful Support for Educators - YEAR TWO
Participants are in the closing stages of the fall book study course, exploring either Teach Like A Champion 3.0 by Doug Lemov or Why Don't Students Like School? by Daniel Willingham. Throughout the Why Don't Students Like School modules, participants discovered ways to improve learning outcomes for students, using practical and evidence-informed strategies. In the second module of Teach Like a Champion 3.0, participants explored specific techniques to help set high behavioral expectations for students. As educators, it is important to maintain high expectations for all students, knowing that there is a strong connection to student achievement. In module two, participants were introduced to the Establish your Expectations strategy from Teaching WalkThrus. They had the opportunity to watch an embedded video and reflect on their current routines that they have in place in order to assess and reinforce their expectations with an emphasis on positive framing.
Responsive, Impactful Support for Educators - YEAR THREE
Participants in our 2-credit course are wrapping up their first of two Framework for Teaching growth cycles. Every educator self-selected an area for growth, a strategy or resource to implement in support of their growth goal and engaged with mentors and supportive colleagues throughout their cycle. As we wrap up Module 1, educators will self-assess growth and gear up for a second module focus after the new year!
Our Networking Experience participants are gearing up for their third of five Networking Experience sessions, where they continue to collaborate, problem-solve, plan and share experiences and resources under the guidance of a content or grade-band Master Teacher.
Master Teachers
A big THANK YOU to our Rise and Reflect Master Teachers for your time and support of FCPS third year educators! With their guidance and structure, our third year educators are provided a safe and supportive environment to share challenges as well as successes, to collaborate, plan, and share resources to support teaching and learning. Recent session reflections from participants included:
“I think that the ideas my group shared were very helpful for my current situation. They gave me strategies [on] how to implement flexible seating in an effective way.”
“Everyone was able to share some of the ways that they manage their classroom and some of the instructional practices that they implement in their classroom.”
“We talked about how we've been balancing our classrooms and strategies to help keep our students engaged. I learned a few ways to refresh my classroom management.”
Our educators are fortunate to have the support of Master Teachers to round out their induction experience!
Mentor Corner
We’re thrilled to have nearly 40 new school-based and special education mentors engaging with the Mentoring in the 21st Century online course. The course is designed to help mentors build the skills needed to provide effective support to new teachers. This course consists of three modules: Understanding the New Hire, Mentoring Matters, and An Introduction to Teaching WalkThrus.
Through this course, mentors will:
Gain a deeper understanding of the stages that first-year teachers go through and the support they need at each stage.
Learn how to support new teachers using key domains from the Framework for Teaching.
Reflect on their own mentoring beliefs and determine the best approaches to use with their mentees.
Explore and apply a variety of skills, strategies, and techniques to enhance their mentoring practices, including evidence-based strategies from Teaching WalkThrus.
Mentor Spotlight
Samantha Long, school-based mentor at Deer Crossing Elementary, shares what it means to be a mentor at her school.
What is your why? Why did you agree to serve as a school-based mentor?
When I was a new teacher with FCPS I found it very difficult to navigate a new profession full of experienced educators. As a new teacher, it can sometimes feel difficult to be heard. I have enjoyed working with new hires through the Master Teacher role, so serving as a school based mentor really intrigued me! Being able to make new teachers at my home school feel welcome and heard is very important to me. Our new teachers are bringing fresh ideas and energy to the table, and helping them navigate how to share their ideas and put them into practice brings me much joy. As a school based mentor, I hope to help new teachers in my building feel welcomed, comfortable, supported, and confident!
Why is serving as a school-based mentor important to you?
Being a new teacher is not a walk in the park. Teachers are asked to fill many roles that often lead to questions that require experience. While there are many people to support new teachers within a building, asking for help can be hard. Being a school based mentor is important to me because I know that new teachers need someone to help them to answer the many questions that arise during your first few years of teaching. By creating relationships with the new teachers at my building, I am able to be a liaison for our new teachers. Having a strong school support system is what keeps teachers going year after year, and is why this role is so important to me!
Thank you for all you do to support our new hires, Samantha!
To Contact Us:
Email: professional.learning@fcps.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/fcps.org/professional-learning/home
Location: 44 West Frederick Street, Walkersville, MD, USA
Phone: (240)236-8831