Terry Talley, Ed.D UTMB SRT-STEM Center Program Director

1. STEM-ifying Your New Teacher ProgramMentoring Novice STEM Teachers withProfessional Learning Communities Terry Talley, Ed.D UTMB SRT-STEM Center Program Director

2. BTIM’s Purpose • Give support and provide expertise to beginning and second-year science teachers. • To increase science teacher retention • To decrease attrition and migration from teaching profession • Provide high-quality PD to STEM Academies • To decrease the impact of teacher turn-over on student achievement

3. Coaching Model for Mentoring • Observe student engagement to collect data that will translate into an a conversation about student achievement. • Coaching addresses the gaps in craft knowledge a novice has not yet recognized.

4. Using Research Based Practices • Based on instructional current literature by • Robert Marzano – Classroom Instruction that Works • Mike Schmoker – Results Now • Tony Wagner – Change Leadership • Thomas Guskey – Evaluating Professional Development

5. BTIM Format • Classroom Walk Through Protocol • Coaching based on Observation Data • Professional Learning via discussions • Professional Learning Communities • Observe • Coach • Assist • PD and PLCs • Online Resources

6. Selecting PLC over PD for BTIM • Fulfills a novice teacher’s need for peer support • Allows for processing new information among a safe group • Does not discount prior knowledge or prior learning • Takes advantage of an immediate “need-to-know” scenerio • An opportunity to try out new ideas among those in the same situation

7. PLC Content Topics • Project Based Learning • Lab Investigations • Force and Motion • Earth Systems • Living Systems • Space Systems • Matter and Chemistry • Problem Solving • Technology Integration

8. PLC Context (Pedagogy) • Graphic Organizers • Journaling • Questions and Cues, Wait Time • Engaging Questions • Using the Walls • Lesson Planning • Unit Planning in 5E • Thinking Maps • Inquiry • Behavior Management

9. Sherrie Matula with Middle School Teachers Organizing a journal is one aspect of the PLC. Teachers will use these as a portfolio of ideas, reflections and new ways of looking at instruction.

10. Terry Talley facilitating a discussion The focus is on teacher conversations based on a common reading of “what the research says” about the strategy, technique, or way of engaging students.

11. Nancy Schultz modeling teacher made posters Research-based models are shared with teachers. In this photo Nancy is creating the graph which allows teachers to identify where on the professional teaching continuum they find themselves.

12. Collecting the Data Looking for Engagement with the Planned Lesson

13. Window on the Classroom Focus on the Curriculum Focus on Instruction Focus on the Learner Focus on the Classroom Environment The Observation Form

14. First Observation Front and Back of Form

15. Coaching about Data Inviting a Conversation about Student Engagement

16. Next Observation Front and Back of Form

17. Coaching for Student Achievement Closing the Gap in Teacher Craft Knowledge through the Relationship with a Trusted Coach.

18. Comparisons for Change

19. Comparison for Reflection

20. Changes in Instructional Strategies

21. Changes in Instructional Format

22. Changes in Student Actions

23. Changes in Grouping

24. Changes in Cognition

25. Changes in Engagement

26. Conclusions from the Study Learning to Customize for the Instructional Learner

27. Things We Learned • Begin working on relationships on day 1 • A welcoming gift goes a long way • If someone does not want to participate – don’t make them • Honor wisdom and experiences of everyone • Allow for as much collaborative and cooperative work as possible

28. As We Continue to Mentor • Conversations about data are important. • Help and model teaching. • Drop in visits for support • Principals care and need to be informed Conversations about implementation were most frequently heard among teachers.

29. Thank You Terry Talley, Ed.D. SRT-STEM Center, UTMB tktalley@utmb.edu