Teachers for a New Era Presentation

1. Teachers for a New Era Presentation Ryan Jones Manchester High School

2. Disclaimer This is not official State Department of Education information. Different subject areas may have different expectations and requirements for the portfolio. Please consult your mentor and the teacher-in-residence for your particular subject area with specific questions or for assistance.

3. We are really adults now? Transformation – Before and after the BEST Portfolio

4. BEST • Beginning Educator Support and Training Program – it is a program of acclimating new teachers to the profession. • Submission of a Portfolio is required for most subject areas. • Changes?!?!? – • In 2008-2009, Year 2 Teachers are still required and will be scored. • Year 1 Teachers may not submit a portfolio for scoring in 2008-2009.

5. BEST • BEST scorers review your portfolio and rate you on… • Presenting concepts and skills through the medium of content. • Planning of rigorous and challenging activities for your students. • Adjusting instruction daily for the needs of all learners. • Adjusting instruction daily for the needs of specific learners. • Reflection, reflection, reflection.

6. Planning • Activities, strategies and methods used in your unit should be both challenging and appropriate for your class. • Differentiation for multiple groups and individual learners. • Your portfolio is scored by teachers within your subject area. They will be familiar with what is “good planning” and with specific terminology used in your content area. • Investigation/inquiry • You will describe your unit design within your portfolio.

7. Implementation • You will complete lesson logs – descriptions of each daily lessons – that include… • The concepts, activities and materials used for that day. • A description of what occurred during the lessons. • ADJUSTMENTS – You should be adjusting instruction throughout each class and subsequent based upon student learning needs. These adjustments can be for the entire class, groups of students or individual students.

8. Assessments • Assessments are pieces of student work that demonstrate learning. • You should be assessing students using multiple formats that account for individual student learning preferences, needs and styles. It is more than appropriate to give students a choice when implementing assessments. You will have certain assessments that you will be required to include. • Clear expectations, directions and rubrics.

9. Reflection • There is a reflection component to each lesson and to the unit as a whole. • Reflections should be an honest account of your teaching • You should use and cite student work as evidence in all written reflections • It is easier to complete these reflections as you go along and teach your unit – connection to adjustments – by reflecting and evaluating the lesson, you can make relevant adjustments.

10. Sample Lesson • Conceptual Focus for Quarter 1: • How should a society meet its needs? • Essential Questions for Unit and Lesson: • Is there such a thing as economic fairness? (Economics Unit Question) • Does OPEC work to promote fairness? (Lesson Question) • Inquiry Activity – OPEC Simulation • Assessments – Game Board, Written Reflection, Exit Slips

11. Sample Lesson • Think about a lesson that you currently teach or have taught and ask yourself the following questions… • What type of learning is taking place? Are kids learning concepts and skills, or just content and facts? • How did you assess learning? What do those assessments tell you about your students? What should they tell you about your students? • What kind of differentiations and strategies could be made during the course of your lesson to make it appropriate for special education and gifted students? • How would you judge and determine the success of your lesson? • Brainstorm some strategies of adjustments that may be made in the course of the lesson, the following lesson and for the unit to help specific and groups of kids to find success.

12. Questions?