Transcript Observation Conferences - Alliance for Catholic Education

ACE Mentor
Program
The Alliance for Catholic Education
3 Pillars
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Professional Development
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Community Life
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Graduate level training (Master of Education degree) and
immersion teaching experience
Two intensive summer programs at Notre Dame
Houses of 4-7 ACE Teachers
Building Communities of Faith, Hope, and Love
Spiritual Growth
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Retreats
Community Prayer
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Develop reflective professional educators and people of faith
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Mentoring and Research
Mentoring energizes schools and teachers. Strong
mentors…
 cut new teacher attrition rates in half (Ingersoll,
2000)
 improve teacher quality - often moving the skill
level of a teacher finishing the first year to that of
a 4th year teacher (Villar, 2004)
 improve student assessment and achievement
(Claycolmb & Hawley, 2003)
 benefit veteran teachers through new leadership
opportunities and time for professional reflection
and development (Villar, 2004)
Mentors…
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Act as a Trusted Supporter
Orient Novice Teachers to the School
Environment
Meet Consistently with the Novice
Teacher
Assist with Planning and Curriculum
Help Analyze Student Work and
Achievement Data
Conduct Non-Evaluative Observations
ACE Mentor Responsibilities
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Orient ACE Teacher to their School
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Meet Consistently with the ACE Teacher
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Observe and Conference with ACE Teacher
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Provide Feedback in a Timely Manner
Orientation
Orient ACE Teacher to School
and Local Context (pg. 9)
Acculturation to the School and City
o Local history, customs, practices
o Significance of naming, significant figures
in neighborhood, city or school histories
o Cultural and economic context of school
community and surrounding setting
o A focus on welcoming ACE teacher into a
place with an ongoing and rich history
with important traditions
Orient ACE Teacher to School
and Diocese (pg. 10)
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Checklist for Classroom Organization and
Procedures
 Resources, procedures, paper work,
classroom set-up, important dates,
diocesan policies
Meeting to Discuss ACE Teacher’s
Classroom Management Plan
Consistent Meetings
Meet Consistently with ACE
Teacher (pg. 10)
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Strong mentors help new teachers address
timely issues before they become problems
1st Year, 1st Semester - Meet Weekly
1st Year, 2nd Semester and 2nd Year – Meet
Every Two Weeks
When to Meet?
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Before or After School, Lunch
20-30 minutes to check for questions and reflection
Monthly Meeting Log & Calendar (pp. 11-12)
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Monthly calendar provides timely topics for
discussion
Meetings may pinpoint areas for improvement,
problem-solve management issues, brainstorm unit
activities, identify growth, or analyze student
achievement:
September (Example)
1st Year ACE Teacher
2nd Year ACE Teacher
1.Review the classroom management
plan and discuss the successful aspects
and what changes might be necessary.
2.Discuss progress reports and how they
should be presented to parents and students.
3.Conduct a short, informal observation.
1.Discuss methods of summative
assessments in your current units.
2.Discuss ways of incorporating spirituality
outside of daily prayer.
3.Conduct a short, informal observation.
• Log meeting dates in log and email to ACE TA
Sample Meeting Log Entry
Mentor/ACE Teacher Discussion Summary/Future Goals
Meeting
Time
Dates for Spent
the Month this
Month
T--- and I reviewed basic procedures for the middle school including 8/4, 8/6,
2 hours
disciplinary policies, administrative procedures, schedule details,
8/9, 8/11,
and the school calendar. During preplanning, we discussed the
8/15, 8/24
various resources he has for his Social Studies curriculum and how
to use them to meet the standards. We discussed ways to help
students comprehend the concepts and content in Social Studies
class including whiteboard assessments, outline templates, and use
of organizers. He did a thorough job in tailoring the physical space
in his room to his classroom vision; he removed a few unused tables,
cabinets, and desks in order to open up the space in the room. He
also rearranged the desks into rows to facilitate procedures and
classroom management.
T--- shared some of the spiritual elements he incorporates into his
class such as reflections on the school mission and class prayer time.
Always Timely Planning: Units & Lessons
Units
 Effective way to engage students
beyond learning at the memory level
 Centered around a unifying concept or
essential question
 Excel Template for both unit and
lesson planning
Example Unit Planning Template (pg. 27)
ACE Planning:
Unit Goals and Assessments (pg. 27)
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Unit Goal:
 Uses clear, observable, challenging verbs
 States what students will know and be able to do at the unit’s
conclusion
 Student-centered: written as “SWBAT” - “Students will be able to…”
 Example from Middle School American History
• SWBAT analyze three reasons as causes for the decline and fall
of the Roman Empire.
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Unit Assessment:
 Satisfies the unit goal
 Student works independently and individually
 Often framed in a real life situation
 Example for above goal:
• Given a description of four major policies and practices in the
United States today, students will independently and individually
analyze how these may have delayed or hastened the fall of the
Roman Empire.
Lesson Plans and Sequencing
(pg. 28)
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Charts the task, time, and methods used for daily activities
2-4 day plan focusing on a major idea and its parts
Lesson Plan Objectives
 Use clear, observable, challenging verbs
 Represent the steps necessary to achieve the unit goal
Objective is assessed in some manner
Early lesson plans of a unit are often teacher centered and
focus on acquiring knowledge
Later lesson plans of a unit shift to a group or individual
focus and extend the knowledge and use it meaningfully
Example Lesson Planning Template (pg. 28)
Observations & Conferences
Observe and Conference with
ACE Teacher (pp. 13 - 14)
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Non-evaluative - an instrument for growth
Pre- and Post-Observation Conferences encourage selfreflection and articulation of goals
 Use open-ended probing questions
 Let the ACE teacher steer the conversation
 Remain non-judgmental
An informal observation early in 1st semester, a formal
observation in October & again in March
 Focus on strengths and areas for improvement
 Focus on areas discussed in the pre-observation
conference.
Provide Feedback in a Timely Manner
Provide Feedback in a Timely
Manner (pg. 20)
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Complete Mid-Semester Feedback Form each semester. This asks
you to provide strengths and areas for improvement in the following
domains:
 Planning and Preparation
Classroom Environment
 Instruction
Professional Responsibilities
 Contributions to the Community
Fostering Spirituality
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Not based solely on Mid-Semester Observation, but on entire
semester so far—observation only one element used for feedback
Stored in permanent electronic portfolio (p. 4); provides a developing
two-year record of growth and challenges to be met.
Remarks non-judgmental and non-evaluative
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Sample entry for Mid-Semester
Feedback Form
Domain 1: Planning and Preparation: demonstrates knowledge
of content and pedagogy; demonstrates knowledge of students;
designs coherent instruction; selects instructional objectives; selects
instructional goals/outcomes; assesses student learning;
demonstrates knowledge of resources.
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The single area of greatest strength is: R--- has a natural
teaching ability for his content. He finds creative ways to
reinforce concepts and model strategies. He has done a
good job of designing objectives for each lesson in the
subjects he teaches. I also think that he makes effective use
of the textbook and resources to facilitate his goals.
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The single area in most need of growth is: R --- assesses
frequently but he could vary his assessment strategies.
Submitting Mentor Forms and Logs
Electronically via Email (pg. 4)
Accessing Forms
1. When a form is due, the ACE TA will send an email reminder to you and
to your ACE Teacher 2 weeks prior to the due date. This e-mail will
contain the Word Form that you need.
2. The direct URL for the Forms however is: http://ace.nd.edu/academicprograms/teacherprogram/principals-mentors/
Filling out and Saving Forms
1. To insert comments, type in the gray expandable boxes.
2. For checkboxes, place an x in the box or click on the appropriate box.
3. Please save the form by adding the ACE teacher’s name to the name of
the form. Example: Caitlin Cameron Mentor Mid-Semester Form 11.doc
Submitting Forms
1. E-mail all forms as an attachment to the ACE TA at [email protected]
2. The ACE TA will upload these forms to the portfolio for you.
3. Please keep an electronic copy or paper copy for your own files.
Expectations for
the ACE Teacher
Expectations for ACE Teachers
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Abide by the diocesan and school calendars and policies
Work toward improving in the areas of the 3 ACE pillars:
Professional Teaching, Community, and Spirituality
Turn in all forms and assignments online in a timely
fashion
Provide aid in accessing all online forms for mentors and
principals
Submit guided reflections every two weeks
Consult with mentor teacher, principal, and other
colleagues to improve planning and teaching
Provide classroom portfolio for University Supervisor visits
From ACE Teachers, Faculty and
Staff
Thank you for your commitment
as an ACE mentor and for
your contributions to Catholic
Education.
Continuing Renewal
Units for
Mentor Service
At the end of the school year, certificates
noting fifteen hours annually are available
to mentors who confirm completion of
mentor forms, logs, and observations.