12. The Campfire in the Hall

12. The Campfire in the hall

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate. Adult Advocate

It happened quite by accident. One of our teachers had to leave school fifteen minutes early so we put the children in the hallway to work on homework or read. What we found was that they peacefully gathered, sat down, and were compliant. (It was not a full moon.)

Last week, at the end of class we had ten minutes so I asked my students to step out into the hall, and leave their devices and books in the class. My classroom is at the end of a hallway. We sat in a semi-circle with the open end of the circle facing the open hallway.

One of my students said, “This is like a campfire.  Can we play the secret game?” The secret game is when one person shares a sentence and whispers it to the person next to them, the secret is shared around the circle, and the last person shares what they hear. We did, and this provided the beginning of “campfire.”

Yesterday, we had two guests in our classroom: one was teaching students about circuits and conductivity using Makey-Makey© technology. The other was an observer who is considering teaching as a second career. At the end of class, I invited the class into the hall to demonstrate Campfire to our observer. We sat in a circle. I invited the students to share their advice for someone wanting to go into teaching.

“Don’t be too mean; but don’t be too nice either. Students will run all over you.”

“Be like Mr. Gardin, our social studies teacher, he is a lot of fun.’

“Don’t give too much work.”

“We do like to talk.”

Their comments and caring spirit provided sincere information. They listened to one another as well. Once they gave advice, I let them talk while I played a guitar. I then introduced them to an old Girl Scout song, ‘Peace I ask of thee oh river.’ Our campfire lasted ten minutes and allowed students to reflect and communicate ideas, and relax. In our current state of academic rigor, taking a few minutes to decompress is a good idea.

Advice

1)   I believe we have to help our students disconnect. The Campfire doesn’t last long, but students have a chance to communicate with one another. It is a chance to unwind. (Note: We do not have Campfire every day. It happens about once a week.)

2)   Find ways to listen to your students. We have talked about high school lately. There are two middle schools in our district, so these students will be meeting lots of new people next year. Topics we will cover include: what will you miss most about middle school?  What do you look forward to?

3)   This happens to be a small class. It also happens to be a very respectful, kind group of students. I did not start the year with Campfire, but believe, if you begin the year with it, spend time teaching students how to communicate in a circle format… be kind, listen, address the statement, not the person, contribute to other’s thoughts…

4)   Once your community is established, this format can be used for academic purposes as well as social/emotional development. We find it very peaceful.

11. Seize every opportunity to applaud and encourage

11. Seize every opportunity to applaud and encourage those around us who make things better for students.  

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. School Environment

Yesterday ended Teacher Appreciation Week. The student council gave us a poem and chocolates. The librarian and assistants served breakfast to us. The PTO gave us Bob’s Donuts, a local business famous for yummy donuts; one student wrote a letter to us; and two others gave personal notes of appreciation.  To end the week, our teammate was named Secondary Teacher of the Year for our district, (Hooray for Jeremy) and our superintendent sent the following message.

Good Afternoon:

As I sit here at the end of Teacher Appreciation Week, I did not want to go home without letting each of you know how much I sincerely appreciate you.  You and your fellow educators do so much for the students of McDowell County that one day, one week, or even one month cannot possibly come close to thanking you enough.  In a world where most folks have to wonder what kind of difference they are making on their communities and beyond, educators like you know the impact you have.  I want to thank you for choosing McDowell County Schools as your home.  We are all better for it.

We had the annual Teacher of the Year banquet last evening.  This is one of my favorite nights of the year because we get to celebrate colleagues and brag on them out loud.  The shame is that we can only honor thirteen teachers at this one event when countless more could be right there with them.  As I was listening to all the glowing things being said, it occurred to me that we don't need to wait until an official event or dedicated week to let our fellow educators know how much we value them and their many contributions.  I challenge all to seize every opportunity we have to applaud and encourage those around us who make things better for students.  

As a final culmination of Teacher Appreciation Week, it is my pleasure to announce that Carrie Franklin (K,1,2 at Glenwood Elementary) is the 2016-17 McDowell County Schools Teacher of the Year.  Jeremy Gardin (8th-grade social studies at West McDowell Middle) has been selected as the Secondary Teacher of the Year.  Please join me in congratulating these two great teachers.  Now more importantly, please join me in celebrating all of our great McDowell County Schools educators for the passion and dedication they bring to our schools each and every day.  You change student lives for the better.  Know that I am humbled and honored to serve alongside you.

With sincerest appreciation and immense gratitude,

-Mark

My favorite line is, “I challenge all to seize every opportunity we have to applaud and encourage those around us who make things better for students.”

The year is coming to a close. In classes we are reviewing strategies and content; teams are taking field trips; our jazz band is performing at elementary schools, and the turn in the weather and the ending of the year is revealing new, sometimes challenging, behaviors in some students.

We, as teachers, are under much pressure. How our children perform on the exams in this state is the only measure of our worth. So, to hear appreciation from those we work with and for, and to hear celebrations of our colleague, reminds us that we, too, are more than a test score. Teaching is rich, powerful, and important. We are all contributing to the well-being and the futures of our children!

Here’s to us!

Advice

1)   At some point, you need to let a teacher know he/she made a difference in your life, for this is the essence of our passion. In fact, write lots of letters, not emails… well okay, send some emails. (:  (I have a letter that a student wrote me in the fall. She is thirteen. She wrote it on the back of her test. It is framed and on my desk to remind me that I made a difference to her that day or that week.)

2)   Celebrate your colleagues. When you hear good things, share them. Last week, two of my students said, ‘Do you think Mr. Gardin will win the district Teacher of the Year?” They paused and then said, ‘I hope so.” I shared this conversation with Mr. Gardin. And while he has been overwhelmed with accolades, plaques, flowers, balloons, and dinners… comments like this, from his kids, are gems. When we value one another and share in the good work we are doing, we cannot help but pass on our love of what we do to our students.

3)   Our administrators and support personnel, our PTO and our parents also need to feel valued. I visit with one of our custodial colleague every afternoon. She is the reason our building is so welcoming and fresh. Our front office administrator is the voice and spirit who welcomes and troubleshoots all day, our book keepers keep all of us in compliance and remind us, often, of what is missing, with open hearts. We all need to say 'thank you.' Schools do not run themselves. So Teacher Appreciation can be a time for teachers to share their appreciation for all who are committed to children as well.

13. Peer-tutoring = Belonging

13. Peer-Tutoring = Belonging

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*Comprehensive guidance and support services meet the needs of young adolescents. Guidance Services

Our school counselors serve over six hundred students. They meet with students regularly, conduct 504 meetings, and monitor many levels of concern. They also meet with teachers to explore ways to serve our student population. I believe school counselors carry the pulse of middle schools and are tremendously important to the well-being of everyone.

One of our school counselors, in an effort to promote leadership, invited teachers to recommend leaders who could potentially serve as tutors to other students. We recommended students and our counselor trained them and set up Tuesday afternoons to allow students to work with classmates. I asked her to reflect on the experience, describe her role, and give advice for those who would like to conduct this type of service. The following is her response.

This is "it" In theory..... 

Part of my job as a Middle School Counselor is to have conversations with students who have poor attendance. I can’t help but notice that many of our students confess that they feel overwhelmed by the process of catching up with their classmates once they have missed school. This sense of hopelessness creates a cycle: Students with attendance problems, get behind, feel overwhelmed, and continue to miss school. Along with these one-on-one self- disclosures, I also learn, through our school-wide student survey, that twenty-one percent of our students want to ‘feel better about themselves,’ and over 100 students ‘want to learn ways to do better in school.’

In response to this information, I created a peer-tutoring program at our Middle School that focuses on the three dimensions of self-esteem: competence, control, and worth. This program addresses these dimensions for both the students tutoring and those being tutored. Not only can students get help with core classes, they can also get personalized assistance with getting organized. Who among us doesn't need that?

Students are learning and demonstrating their ability to meet demands for achievement (competence); they are realizing that they are responsible for how things turn out academically (control); and, they are gaining a sense of their own social value, of his or her significance to others (worth). I believe this program can increase self-esteem and academic success; and as a bonus, potentially increase students' attendance, thereby positively impacting our future graduation rates. So I came in with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Teachers shared the names of potential tutors, and I trained them…

We had our last tutoring session this past Tuesday.

This is what is working. Students really, really liked being tutors. Those who wanted to be tutored really liked being tutored! They liked the laid back atmosphere, which only happens by controlling the number of students who participate. Participants liked having information explained by a fellow student and not by an adult. Tutors liked the sense of being part of the solution. They liked that their academic and organizational efforts were recognized, and during tutoring, they appeared to truly enjoy explaining things to others.

This is what is not working: Teachers would send too many students, would forget to send students, or would send students who did not want to be tutored. These experiences overwhelmed our tutors. Tutors would forget to come to tutoring. There was not enough time, not enough manpower, and not enough space. Tutoring lasted thirty minutes at the end of the day, one day a week, for both 7th and 8th graders. I was the only adult present in a large classroom, but not large enough for more than thirty students to fit comfortably. The limitations of my own schedule prove to be another challenge. As a Counselor, I never know who is going to walk through my door and what issue(s) that person brings with him or her. Most of the time, it is not easy for me to interrupt students with serious concerns to tell them I need to go supervise and facilitate peer tutoring. Not to mention, I run multiple programs and coordinate several initiatives at our school. Finding the time, within my own tight schedule, has sent my blood pressure soaring.

But I will tell you, this program, even with the problems, is making, and has the potential to make a big difference in our school. 

This is my advice:

1.      One person can't do it all. There needs to be a team of people in place to have a successful peer tutoring program - not just me saying  "I need you to do this please, teachers and students" but true buy-in and shared coordination and shared responsibility. My goal next year is to set up a liaison from each team to meet and plan the experience.

2.      I tried to address challenges by having a meeting with teachers during their planning (I even sprung for donuts at each grade level meeting), I created peer tutoring passes, and posted the tutoring schedules outside teachers' doors each week. These efforts proved to be futile.

And I will follow, having been one of those teachers who forgot to remind students, and who tried to send two students who needed help, but didn’t embrace the opportunity. I will say that my students who were tutors loved the opportunity to lead. Those who are tutors on our team are carrying their leadership into the classroom. Having the opportunity to feel like they belong to a group gives students power and improves their self-concept in class.

3.     Finding buy-in, for any program is huge. This program has great potential. Don’t ever give up on a great program. She is right; there has to be more than one person who will embrace the program with you, in order to achieve success.

4.     There are some middle schools that have a designated remediation/enrichment period associated with each grade-level. A peer-tutoring program would enhance remediation and enrichment. The more students lead, the stronger the community (I made that up; but I do believe it.)

5.     I recommend we buy the tutors t-shirts. There is something about a t-shirt that allows students to be inclusive. (:

6.     Note: This type of program could be part of your professional development plan. Working with colleagues and counselors to “contribute to the academic success of students” is an area that could serve to enrich your experiences with colleagues and with students.

NC Teaching Standards

Teachers Demonstrate Leadership Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students Teachers Know the Content They Teach Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students Teachers Reflect on Their Practice Teachers Contribute to the Academic Success of Students

Live and learn.

1. NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument: A tool for improvement

1. Teacher Evaluation Instrument as a Tool for Improvement

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Educators value young adolescents and are prepared to teach them. Value Young Adolescents

In North Carolina, teachers are evaluated formally on five standards:

Standard I:  Teachers Demonstrate Leadership

Standard II:  Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students

Standard III:  Teachers Know the Content They Teach

Standard IV:  Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students

Standard V:  Teachers Reflect on Their Practice

Each standard is composed of observable criteria and each standard consists of a series of elements. We are evaluated using a scale: ranging from emerging to distinguished. This week, my administrator reviewed his observation with me from an unannounced, twenty-minute visit he conducted a week ago. It was my third evaluation and focused on Standard IV: Teachers facilitate learning for their students. The evaluation is used throughout North Carolina. (A copy of the policy is at the end of this post.) 

I remember my first and only evaluation, a long time ago, in which I was told I was doing a great job. I was a brand new teacher, and I needed more specific feedback. This year I have had three observations; and while my current administrator shared a concern that all evaluations hold an element of is subjectivity, the subjectivity of this instrument, is at least aligned with very clear expectations as addressed by NC State Standards. Each standard includes detailed evidences to look for in the classroom.

When this instrument was initially introduced, teachers who had been rated as distinguished for years were somewhat uncomfortable to be rated proficient and accomplished, I see why it happened. This instrument is comprehensive. I believe that if the instrument is seen as an opportunity to look at the elements associated with exemplary teaching, we can all benefit from them. Isn’t that the purpose of evaluations?

I believe it is very difficult to be distinguished in all areas and find the format very insightful. The following is an example.

Element IVd. Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction.

Observable

Teachers know when and how to use technology to maximize student learning. Teachers help students use technology to learn content, think critically, solve problems, discern reliability, use information, communicate, innovate, and collaborate. 

When the administrator was in my class, we were working on a review of spheres and discussing the NCAA basketball championship game. Students were using graphing calculators and analyzing word problems. I will share with you that I know the language and the power and necessity of critical and higher-order thinking. In the lesson he viewed, this was not a higher-order, deeper thinking activity.

In our post-conference, we talked about technology engagement and deeper thinking. While I know the language, I could not say, that most of the time, students are engaged in discovering their mathematical knowledge using technology that engages them deeply into critical problem solving. There is a teacher down the hall whose children are completely immersed in the use of Gizmos (an interactive, problem-solving program. I admire her work with young people and believe her approach will warrant exemplary learning in science (Standard VI is on student achievement…). I have been in math classes where students are immersed in Geogebra and exploration of mathematical concepts. There are technologies that are available and we need to learn how to use them.

And While you would think that a college professor should be distinguished in all areas; it isn’t true. When one reaches such a level of expertise, he/she would do well to apply for National Board Certification.  These are the teachers to follow.

Advice

1)   Study the standards; study them with your mentor or a colleaguelook at what you are doing weekly with the standards. Post them on your refrigerator (Okay, that could be over the top.).

2)   Before creating your professional development plan (PDP – see 2. Professional Development Plans and Personal Commitments), choose one of the standards as a main focus.

3)   Realize you are a work in progress. We can all grow; we can all get better.

4)   After each evaluation, consider what you can do to improve. Our state offers on-line professional development; districts support teachers’ needs, and the regional alliances (WRESA in our region) provide in-service and workshops to support learning. Local, State, and national conferences provide support for each of the standards. The internet and national organizations such as AMLE.org (Association for Middle-Level Education) are full of resources.

5)   Finally, teaching is multi-faceted; it is difficult; it is challenging; always be looking for ways to improve. Teaching is a journey. One observation does not define you.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Policy Manual

Policy Identification
Priority:  Twenty-first Century Professionals
Category:  Qualifications and Evaluations
Policy ID Number:  TCP-C-004

Policy Title:  Policy establishing the Teacher Performance Appraisal process

Current Policy Date:  04/07/2016

Other Historical Information:  Previous Board dates: 07/07/1987, 07/11/1996, 11/05/1998,10/02/2008, 08/04/2011, 09/01/2011, 02/05/2015, 12/03/2015

Statutory Reference:  GS 115C-333

Administrative Procedures Act (APA) Reference Number and Category:  

Purpose

The intended purpose of the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process is to assess the teacher’s performance in relation to the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and to design a plan for professional growth.  The principal or a designee (hereinafter “principal”) will conduct the evaluation process in which the teacher will actively participate through the use of self-assessment, reflection, presentation of artifacts, and classroom demonstration(s).

A local board shall use the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process unless it develops an alternative evaluation that is properly validated and that includes standards and criteria similar to those in the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process.

The North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards are:

Standard I:  Teachers Demonstrate Leadership

Standard II:  Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students

Standard III:  Teachers Know the Content They Teach

Standard IV:  Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students

Standard V:  Teachers Reflect on Their Practice

The North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process shall be conducted annually, according to one of the following cycle types:

Comprehensive Evaluation Cycle

·       Teacher Self-Assessment

·       Professional Development Plan

·       Formal Observation (with pre and post-conference)

·       Formal Observation (with post-conference)

·       Formal Observation (with post-conference)

·       Peer Observation (with post-conference)

·       Summative Evaluation Conference

·       Summary Rating Form

Standard Evaluation Cycle

·       Teacher Self-Assessment

·       Professional Development Plan

·       Formal Observation (with pre and post-conference)

·       Observation (Formal or Informal)

·       Observation (Formal or Informal)

·       Summative Evaluation Conference

·       Summary Rating Form

Abbreviated Evaluation Cycle

·       Teacher Self-Assessment

·       Professional Development Plan

·       Observation on Standards 1 and 4 (Formal or Informal)

·       Observation on Standards 1 and 4 (Formal or Informal)

·       Summative Evaluation Conference on Standards 1 and 4

·       Summary Rating Form on Standards 1 and 4

Beginning Teachers

Effective with the 2015-2016-2017 school year, initially licensed beginning teachers must teach three years in order to move from an Initial to Continuing license.  

Process for Abbreviated Annual Evaluations

The annual evaluation requirement for experienced teachers (including those with career status), who have been employed for three or more years can be met through either, a comprehensive, standard, or an abbreviated evaluation cycle.

An abbreviated evaluation cycle consists of evaluator ratings only on Standards One and Four of the Teacher Evaluation Process.

The abbreviated evaluation process for Standards One and Four remains consistent with the Teacher Evaluation Process described above with the exception of the requirement for observations.

Teachers receiving an abbreviated evaluation should receive two informal observations of a minimum of twenty minutes each.  Observers shall note the teacher’s performance in relationship to Standards One and Four on the Rubric for Evaluating North Carolina Teachers.

Teachers receiving an abbreviated evaluation may request that the evaluator conducts a formal observation as described above.