7 Connecting preservice and inservice teachers as a tool for supporting both

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices. Committed Leaders.

I currently teach middle level education at a small university. While my role as an educator has centers around the importance of serving pre-service teachers, I am now convinced that connecting pre-service and inservice teachers could be a powerful tool for 1) giving preservice teachers insight into what is really going on in today's schools; and 2) could provide advocacy for beginning teachers.

A year ago, I wrote the following:

We must find ways to promote the connections of our middle level pre-service teachers. Social media allows us to reach out and across our nation and the world to make these connections. We are hopeful that our next generation is able to spread the passion and commitment to serving young adolescents. CMLA is one avenue to connect pre-service teachers.

We know that there are over three hundred middle-level programs housed in colleges and universities across the United States.  In addition, a 2005 study reported that approximately 17% of teachers hired each year are new to the profession (NCES, 2005). And while only about 2% of new hires are newly graduated students, those trained in middle level education have the opportunity to and should be supported as our next best hope for middle level education. Is it possible that we, at the university, should become more intentional at helping retain new teachers and helping grow our next generation of middle level leaders? A buzz-word is PLN (Professional Learning Network). Here is one idea.

I believe our role as educators, administrators, and teachers must include support and advocacy for pre-service and beginning teachers. In October, at the AMLE middle school conference, I witnessed middle level preservice teachers "on fire" for middle level education.  The energy and presence of these future educators provided insight into the future and hope of middle-level education. We, professors of middle-level education, are inspired by the work of our pre-service teachers; we are thrilled to see our students collaborating with one another; and like proud aunts and uncles, we felt the fire of hope and commitment these young leaders are bringing to schools across our country.

But it is time to move further. We must create opportunities, intentional opportunities, for our wonderful alumni and colleagues across the nation to find ways to advocate for them.

To that end, I created a blog called "Checking in/Reaching out." (One of my colleagues, John Niska, taught me an advisory activity called "checking in" where everyone has the chance to share what is going on and ends with "I have checked in." ) I invited about 20 alumni to participate in a collaborative blog. We have been blogging for the semester. At present we have twenty-four posts and 589 page views. 

The teachers range in years of experience from first year to seven years. Their topics include sharing strategies that are working, challenges they face, and whoo-hoo moments. The following is a quote from this week's post from Jeanie, who shared her focus on giving her students challenges to learn geography, 
"Woo-Hoo moment of the day: One student, who has proven to not be proficient in many areas, asked where Easter Island was. I told him that Chile owns it, so you know it's near there. He then instantly pointed just west of Chile on the map next to him and said "So somewhere around here?" My heart swelled with joy!!"

I send an email out every week, usually on Friday. Here is the email I sent in October.

CIRO!!!! Happy Friday! (: Enjoy your day!

How are you? What can you share that is working?

I have just had a presentation accepted to the European League of Middle Schools on integrating advisory in the academic classroom and for teachers. I would love to share how you build a culture of care in your classroom.

I know you are out there and doing great things!!!

I hope this finds you well and that you have had a fabulous week! Want to share anything on the blog? 

Check into the checkinginreaching.blogspot.com

How are you? What is working? What challenges are you facing? What WhooHooo can you offer up?!

If you need anything, let me know.

Sincerely to my CIROs,

Nancy

Is it working? Does it matter? 

We have been meeting once a month to share ideas in person. Jeanie is using the blog as part of her Professional Development Plan.

She and I met last week to share ideas of the importance of sharing ideas but also the importance of talking to one another, to our colleagues. We believe the sharing of ideas, strategies, and challenges, validates our efforts as teachers and reminds us that we are making a difference in their lives! And we believe that even when we are so busy, we don't have time to do 'one more thing;' we want to encourage all of our CIROs to 'do one more thing,' and share their joy of working with middle level youth!

I am thinking it might be time for us to join the #mschat group set up by AMLE!

We invite you to follow us! (:

Check into the checkinginreaching.blogspot.com

PS: Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Holidays.