Methuen High School

1. Methuen High School Commonwealth Compass School 2002-2003 For Further Information contact Ellen Parker, Principal One Ranger Road Methuen, MA 01844 enparker@methuen.k12.ma.us Telephone 978 681–1357, Fax 978 681–1397

2. Ongoing Teacher Training and Support for Changes in Instruction

3. Methuen High School A Community of Learners Presenters Ellen Parker, Principal Marianne Moran, Mathematics Department Chairperson Susan McGrath, Mathematics Teacher Jason Humphrey, English Teacher

4. Vision“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” Jonathan Swift • Paradigm Shift • Principal’s Role • Communicating the Vision • The Result A well-articulated vision can be the foundation for organizational growth.

5. Professional Development Why?

6. A continuous, reflective process Enhances subject knowledge Leads to more effective pedagogy Produces higher student achievement Professional Growth for Teachers

7. Methuen’s Basic Beliefs: • Teaching is a highly skilled craft • All students are capable of learning at high levels with proper learning activities • Learning is a life-long activity

8. Methuen’s School Administrators: • Understood and supported professional growth for teachers • Provided meaningful courses addressing teaching strategies and assessment techniques immediately transferable to the classroom • Encouraged staff participation and provided positive incentives

9. Professional Development as an Evolutionary Process: From a patchwork of non-connected courses through a Paradigm Shift To a systematic sequence of courses that ensures enhancement of academic knowledge and professional performance

10. Professional Development Creates a Professional Community of Learners

11. Professional Development Objectives • Renew and Refine Instructional Strategies • Promote a Collegial Environment • Understand and Teach to the Various Learning Styles

12. Continuing Education for our Professional Staff • Skillful Teacher

13. Methuen High School THE SKILLFUL TEACHER’S MAP OF PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE Professional Development Courses: Understanding Teaching 1 and 2 Methuen Public Schools Supervision Program: Four-year cycle of teacher observation and evaluation using skills parameters from The Skillful Teacher

14. Continuing Education for our Professional Staff • Skillful Teacher • Learning Styles

15. CONCRETE EXPERIENCE (SENSING/FEELING) 4-MAT NATURAL CYCLE OF LEARNING R R Support the students in sharing their learning with others. Display their products. Help them to identify new questions to extend their learning. Create an experience that engages the students in a personal way and builds on what they already know. REFLECTIVE OBSERVATION Provide feedback that helps students to refine and evaluate their work. Encourage them to summarize the meaning, relevance, and originality of their personal applications of the concept. ACTIVE EXPERIMENTATION Have students share their reflections and analysis of the experience. L 4 1 L 3 2 R R Through experimentation, let the students tinker with what they have learned. Allow them to apply their learning and see how it is used in the real world. Help students to create an image of the concept to be taught, connecting expert knowledge to what the students already know. Provide hands-on activities for practice and mastery of the concept. Address the necessary skills. Check for understanding. Provide information about the concept. Using a clear sequence of information, show the parts of the concept and draw attention to its most important aspects. L L ABSTRACT CONCEPTUALIZATION (THINKING)

16. Continuing Education for our Professional Staff • Skillful Teacher • Learning Styles • Classroom Management

17. Skillful Teacher Learning Styles Classroom Management Summer Curriculum Development Teams Continuing Education for our Professional Staff

18. How Professional Development Has Worked • Strong Administrative Foundation • School-based Instruction • Sustained and Consistent Effort • Salary Scale Movement • System-wide Vocabulary

19. Important Changesto our School • Improved collegiality • Improved classroom management • The framework for consistent and sustained curriculum revision during the summer

20. Methuen High School Curriculum Guide

21. Methuen High School Curriculum Guide

22. I = Introduction R = Reinforcement M = Mastery S = Synthesis Literature: Reading, Researching, and Viewing—Skill DevelopmentI = Introduction R = Reinforcement M = Mastery S= Synthesis

23. Summer Curriculum Accomplishes Four Things • Provides consistent standards based curriculum throughout the department • Ensures consistent coverage of material throughout the department • Gives teachers the support to provide informed instruction • Helps teachers develop and hone the direction of their creative talents