Teachers Teaching Teachers, October 2007, Vol. 3, No. 2
Phases of first-year teaching
Step through a new teacher's first year. This article outlines the developmental benchmarks of that difficult first year of teaching, beginning with anticipation and working through more challenging phases such as survival and disillusionment. Moir makes connections between the phases and events that occur throughout the school year. Quotes from teacher journals illustrate what teachers are thinking as they progress through the stages. This article is reprinted from the newsletter of the New Teacher Center, University of California at Santa Cruz.
By Ellen Moir
Voice of a teacher leader: Holding teachers accountable
In this month's column, Ferriter writes: "We bear a responsibility for identifying effective instruction and then holding colleagues accountable for their work." Certainly many educators would agree. Why, then, is it so difficult for teachers to talk collegially about standards of excellence for one another?
By Bill Ferriter
Lessons from a coach: Each class visit needs one focus
David Gonzales is an assistant principal and coach at Prairie Middle School in Aurora, Colo. Gonzales shares what he has learned about conducting effective classroom visits. Read what has worked -- and what hasn't -- for this instructional leader.
Focus on NSDC's standards: Keep an eye on the finish line
Professional development experiences need to be designed with a desired outcome in mind in order for participants to use what they have learned. Different outcomes require different ways of learning. In her column on the Design standard, Killion shares two vastly different professional learning scenarios to illustrate the standard in practice.
By Joellen Killion
Research brief: Concepts can cement content
In this summary of a research study, learn about historical thinking and concept-based instruction and how these ideas are applied in middle school history classes. The research study, published in The Journal of Experimental Education, examined a class that used concept-based instruction compared to a class that did not, with both classes focusing on the same unit in U.S. history.
By Carla Thomas McClure
NSDC tool: Ripe for the picking: Collection of 21 strategies satisfies a taste for context and content
When schools and staff developers plan professional development, they consider the context of the school, the content educators need to learn, and the process that best fits the content and context. Explore the process aspect of the learning experience in this article about 21 learning strategies. Easton describes considerations in choosing appropriate learning designs, including who is learning, what is the content, and when is the learning taking place. She highlights questions to ask to home in on strategies that match specific situations. Finally, a four-page table provides a guide to selecting strategies, with the who, when, what, why, and how delineated for all 21 strategies.
By Lois Brown Easton
