Teacher Specialist Learning Opportunities
The Employee Induction and Professional Learning Team is pleased to announce an opportunity for Central Office Teacher Specialists to explore an evidence-informed resource to use with teachers during coaching and mentoring sessions. Teaching WalkThrus is a repository of strategies that can help impact the quality of teaching and student learning in FCPS. Created by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli, this resource explains the cognitive science behind the strategies, the layout and use of the books, and how to support teachers as they ADAPT the strategies to meet the needs of their learners. This resource provides a common language for all that increases understanding and helps build progress toward impactful use of the strategies. If you are interested in leveraging the support you give to the teachers you serve using this great resource, be on the look out for our upcoming half day professional learning sessions.
Reach out to Maureen.Corio@fcps.org or Tammy.Sander@fcps.org.
The Science of Learning
"... if teachers do not understand the principles behind such practices, they may modify ideas and techniques to such an extent that they are so far removed from the original concept or suggestion that it is no longer effective, or even counterproductive -- a lethal mutation."
"Lethal Mutations in Education and How to Prevent Them" by Team EBE shares three suggestions for avoiding mutating evidence informed learning strategies. Give this article a read and "have a think".
Running the Room Tip
Behavior: “Being well behaved is not an accident of birth.” We all learn our behaviors. Some students come to us having learned behaviors that align with behavioral expectations of the classroom. Others do not. So, we teach them!
Consider: Tom Bennett suggests three levels of insistence regarding behavior:
Suggestion - Ask them to behave the way you want.
Persuasion - Sell the intrinsic benefits of behaving well.
Compulsion - Use disincentives to apply pressure to behave well.
Suggestion and Persuasion are more powerful and proactive. Compulsion is more of a visible reminder to follow behavior expectations, and is often reactive.
Try: Analyze your approach to behavior management. Which level of insistence do you use MOST?
National Board Certification
Why Pursue National Board Certification? (nbpts.org)
Direct impact on students
Relevant and impactful professional learning
Created by teachers for teachers
Changes teacher Practice
In addition, The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future includes financial incentives beginning with a $10,000 annual salary enhancement for NBCTs.
National Board Certification also has a place on the developing career ladder.
The 2023-2024 certification cycle will open Spring/Summer 2023. FCPS partners with MSDE to provide fee support. FCPS and Hood College also offer process support for candidates.
Ready to learn more? Check out the following resources:
Webinars by NBPTS: Introduction to National Board Certification & Planning Your National Board Journey
Webinars by NBPTS: Component Deep Dive Webinar Series
Q&A with FCPS NBCTs: A summary from the FCPS NBCT information session, May 2022
FCPS Timeline: Applicants MUST follow the FCPS timeline to ensure fee support.
Choosing the Right Certificate
Explore the Certificate-Specific Instructions and Standards (by using the dropdown feature) for your selected discipline and developmental age level.
Follow FCPS Coordinator of Teacher Advancement @HinsonFCPS on Twitter and bookmark the FCPS PL website to keep up with the latest information!
FCPS MSDE Course & Credit Information
Classroom Management: How to Run The Room
During this one credit, five week hybrid course, participants will explore the book The Running The Room Companion: Issues in Classroom Management and Strategies to Deal with Them by Tom Bennett. They will analyze practical examples and evidence-informed techniques to promote understanding of classroom management skills and instructional strategies. This course is open to all teachers, educators, administrators, school counselors and behavior support specialists. See the Employee Induction and Professional Learning website for details.
Mid-Year New Hire Symposium
Secondary: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023
Elementary: Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023
The Employee Induction and Professional Learning team is excited to offer our first Mid-Year New Hire Symposium! This two-day experience for late hires includes one full day devoted to an in-person curriculum overview facilitated by central office staff at the LLC. Please see this AGENDA for more information.
RISE and Thrive- Year 1
The RISE & Thrive Year One Induction Experience Course continues to welcome new participants to its roster as new hires continue to seek support from content area master teachers and teacher specialists as we move further into the school year.
Our most recent focus topics included lesson planning, routines/expectations, differentiation, formative assessment and engagement.
While our newest educators engaged with the Employee Induction & Professional Learning team, the NExT (New, Experienced Teachers) group within RISE & Thrive worked as a small group to examine content matched to their readiness level. Teaching WalkThrus strategies were introduced, discussed and then over several sessions, utilized in their own classrooms using the A.D.A.P.T. process (Attempt, Develop, Adapt, Practice,Test). When surveyed about the opportunity to meet and learn as a specialized group, feedback was extremely positive. For example, “...so great getting targeted discussions and strategies that are useful as veteran teachers, and knowing that we are valued in our experience that we bring to FCPS…”
RISE and Apply- Year 2
For our RISE and Apply spring offering, second year teachers have the opportunity to participate in a two credit book study using Zaretta Hammond’s Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. Author Zaretta Hammond shares culturally responsive pedagogy, combined with cutting-edge neuroscience research, to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain-compatible culturally responsive instruction. This online book study is designed to help teachers reflect and refine their current practice by engaging in online discussion, reflections and thinking routines.
RISE and Reflect - Year 3
Rise & Reflect 2 Credit Experience: Participants are nearing the end of their first growth cycle. After reflecting on Danielson’s Framework for Teaching and setting individual growth goals, participants tested strategies and resources, gave and received feedback with colleagues, ADAPTed their efforts and tried again! After reflecting on growth, participants will be ready to begin a second cycle.
Rise & Reflect 1 Credit Networking Nights: Participants have their 3rd support session this month, meeting with content or grade-level master teachers where they collaborate and receive support related to content, pedagogy, Mind, Brain, Education and more!
School Based Mentor Teachers
During our fall mentor forum sessions, mentors reviewed the 10 principles of servant leadership and then spent time working with fellow mentors to make connections between the work they do with our new hires and these principles. They had time to engage with The Framework For Teaching Mentoring Tool in order to come up with strategies to address common new hire challenges. The forum ended with time for mentors to collaborate with each other, to seek help from the mentor advisors present and to create Joy Drops for their mentees. We look forward to spending time with our mentors again for our spring forums in February.
School Based Mentor Spotlight
Jennifer Price, School Based Mentor - FCPS Middle School Blended Virtual Program
When I first decided to become a new hire mentor, I was both excited and nervous, but more so nervous. I know how important it is to have a strong and effective role model during the first few years of teaching. With that being said, my most important goal is to be supportive of the new hires. So far, I have provided feedback on SLOs, lesson plans, and held office hours for anyone to drop in. Each month, we have a meeting and go over various different topics. Most of the time, we just informally discuss how everything is going. Some topics might be celebrations, behavioral management strategies, struggles, etc. I actively listen, leave out judgements, and provide suggestions (when appropriate). I meet with new hires when requested and figure out solutions to an issue together. All in all, I just try to be there for each individual and assist them with whatever they may need!
