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Preceding Pages
- Looking Ahead
- Part 1: Entering the Profession
Current Page
Following Page
Introduction
Because teaching is a dynamic activity in which human growth is both a means and an end, the best teaching is done by those who have a commitment to growing in their profession over time. This growth is nourished by inductive inservice experiences and supportive evaluation programs designed to encourage best teaching practices. Continued professional development is sustained by repeated cycles of learning, practice, evaluation and reflection, as well as by professional reading and access to research findings.
Effective inservice learning experiences are collaboratively developed by teachers and other concerned educators working in concert to meet teachers' learning needs and schools' needs. Teachers choose inservice offerings of maximum worth and impact for their particular situations, while still pursuing a long-term plan for their continuous development and the improvement of their professional practice. Fine inservice activities are directly connected to and integrated with teachers' work in schools, recognize the culture of the school and are continuously evaluated and refined.
Districts with inservice teacher learning programs showing sustained excellence provide adequate time, financial resources and administrative support for teachers' growth. Faculty learning and constructive risk-taking are nurtured in the same climate of safety, respect and encouragement which fosters effective student learning. Groups of teachers work together in various configurations to articulate and refine curriculum, assessments and instruction - in grade-level teams, school-wide groups (middle school, elementary school and high school) and content-area groups (science/mathematics K-12). Professional development and discussions that occur across grade levels in mixed K-12 groups help to give all teachers a better grasp of the mathematics and science learning continuum. This dialogue promotes a coordinated, articulated curriculum that avoids gaps and excessive repetition.
Continued professional growth is greatly enhanced by the observations and comments of fellow educators. Practitioners can gather these ideas informally or through the formal processes of supervision and evaluation - processes which should help teachers work on their continued professional improvement through careful self-examination with the guidance of supportive colleagues, mentors, administrators and others.
The recertification process officially documents these valuable inservice experiences and the professional growth teachers gain through learning, reflection and formative evaluation. It is the tangible evidence of an individual teacher's concrete, coherent plan towards the attainment of specific goals. Through the confirmation given by the recertification process, teachers can demonstrate professional involvement and expertise.________________________________________________________
Snapshot David, who teaches tenth-grade geometry, is part of an action research group at his school. The group meets on the first Wednesday of every month to discuss a new learning strategy or an article that one of the group members has found in a professional journal.
Three weeks ago, each member of the group received an article from the group's facilitator about the benefits of wait time and strategies for incorporating it into the classroom. At the meeting, the group members share perceptions on the article and experiences using wait time in questioning. The group members decide to try this technique in their classrooms before the next meeting, so David and Susan (his partner, a biology teacher) decide to investigate the question of whether greater wait time (ten seconds or more) produce more responses from more students.
As a first step in answering this question, David and Susan monitor their present use of wait time. They decide to record it by measuring the amount of time that elapses between when they ask a question and when they call on a student. Each time the teacher asks a question, the observing partner will note this information. Since they regularly observe each other's classes, they will also note anything else they notice about the length or quality of student responses or the number of students who respond.
After being observed by their peer coach, both David and Susan will reflect on the experience of using wait time by writing about what they gained from this exercise and what they see as the next steps in investigating the original question, so they can share their reflections the next time the group meets.
________________________________________________________These statements describe effective conditions for teachers' continued professional learning and growth:
- Using the research of others helps teachers to make systematic positive changes in their classrooms. Teachers are familiar with national, state and local standards in science and mathematics education and are able to apply these research-based standards to their classrooms. Groups of teachers discuss research articles from current professional journals in science and mathematics teaching and consider how the research might affect their teaching. Teachers meet in person or via telecommunications, forming networks to discuss the implications of research findings for classroom practice. Some inservice activities are organized around a presentation of useful research findings.
- By conducting their own research, teachers gain valuable information about their classroom practices. Formally or informally, teachers are always doing research in their classrooms. Teachers trained in methods for conducting action research in their own classroom use this tool to promote reflection, individually or in collaboration with others. This reflection may, in turn, then lead to change. Teachers who translate their classroom experiences with students into usable findings to improve learning have the opportunity to share their research with others, through school inservice as well as in other forums such as conferences and partnership meetings. This is particularly helpful when a peer or mentor is trained to help synthesize the results of this classroom research.
- Faculty have opportunities to engage in peer coaching, reflecting on practice with a supportive colleague.
Teachers are trained to serve and to work with peers as coaches and mentors. In an atmosphere of support and collegiality, the suggestions of a fellow professional, particularly in one's own content area, are often helpful. A pre- existing close, trusting relationship with a peer encourages the success of the peer coaching process.
- Teachers find out about successful programs and strategies by networking with others.
Teachers have opportunities to visit other classrooms, both within and outside their own school, to observe innovative instruction and programs and to talk with other teachers about effective strategies. Networking can occur formally or informally at conferences, via on-line discussion groups and telecommunication between schools and through school/university partnerships.________________________________________________________
Snapshot Several K-12 science and mathematics teachers are working on a long-term project to develop curriculum and assessments for their school district. Over the past year, using the Framework, they have reached agreement about the importance of the Guiding Principles and Content Standards. Framework Performance Indicators have also been adopted, although some have been added or shifted to accommodate the district's K-4/5-8/9-12 structure. Teachers have met in three cluster groups to determine the grade level at which each Performance Indicator will be presented.
Now the teachers are working in small groups to develop performance-based assessments asking students to demonstrate their understanding in a significant way. In addition, they are developing rubrics that will be used to evaluate these assessments. In the fall, the assessments and rubrics will be shared with all the district's mathematics and science teachers, then pilot-tested in the classrooms of volunteer teachers.
Once student products from the pilot-testing are collected, the teachers will meet again to revise their work and evaluate student products. They will develop detailed descriptions about what constitutes a distinguished, advanced, basic and novice performance on each task (using the levels established by the Maine Educational Assessments). After this has been done, the scope of the assessment program will be broadened so all science and mathematics teachers will be using performance assessments in their classrooms.
Expanding Teachers' Expertise in Content Knowledge,
Teachers should be frequently and continuously engaged in learning new content and instructional practices in settings that model the best practices of teaching. They help learners construct their own knowledge (moving away from the "demonstration" model in science and mathematics), design activities that encourage higher-order thinking skills, and incorporate carefully crafted, quality assessments that promote learning.
These statements describe effective conditions for teachers' continued professional learning and growth:
- Through networks of resources, teachers have access to a wider array of classroom materials and strategies.
Such resources may include local businesses and business people, parents, university facilities, research organizations and local historical, cultural or environmental features. Businesses and universities provide valuable experts in mathematics and science, as well as temporary access to state-of-the-art mathematical and scientific equipment beyond the means of an average school district Schools compile a list of such resources and contact people, keep the list current and help teachers to use it.
- Teachers develop or assist in developing a coherent, clearly articulated district-wide mathematics and science curriculum.
To enhance their ongoing professional learning, teachers develop curriculum in a variety of teams: grade-level, K-12 mathematics, K-12 science, and integrated science/mathematics teams, as well as the more traditional K-4, 5-8 and 9-12 teams. Groups of teachers use the Curriculum Framework as a starting point for discussion to reach agreement about what should be taught and when it should be taught. In this way, teachers gain a better sense of their students' background and future experiences in mathematics and science, and also can help eliminate curriculum gaps and redundancy.
- Teachers learn, practice and refine techniques for assessing student performance in rich, meaningful ways that promote student learning.
Students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of concepts and their mastery of skills. A variety of assessment tools are used to accommodate a wide variety of learning styles. These tools might include open-ended research questions, performance tasks, pencil and paper tests, and a variety of products.
- Teachers bring new knowledge and experiences into their teaching practice by pursuing learning opportunities beyond their classrooms.
Such learning challenges include in sabbaticals, mentorships, internships in research facilities or museums and apprenticeships in education or business. Short-term opportunities such as summer institutes and academies are also helpful. These provide an invaluable way for teachers to learn science and mathematics as scientists and mathematicians, enhancing not only their own knowledge but their ability to serve as a resource for colleagues.
- Teachers demonstrate awareness of classroom equity issues through their instructional practices.
Teachers have multiple opportunities to study and practice techniques that promote equity, developing awareness of the variety of methods and strategies that do (or do not) effectively engage all learners. Strategies which promote equity in the classroom include the use of wait time, ensuring that students assume a variety of roles in group situations, and encouraging and giving space for all voices. Teachers can learn more about equity issues in general, and in their own instruction in particular, by viewing and reflecting on videotaped segments of their teaching, reading current literature about equity, and receiving inservice training about how to promote the fairest possible conditions for learning. Achieving equity in the science and mathematics classroom is a critical step towards ensuring successful mathematics and science experiences for all students.
- Teachers receive regular inservice training about technology and instructional tools.
Teachers have continual opportunities to learn about the use of new technology and its tools such as spreadsheets, databases, video microscopes, laser disc players, and graphing calculators in mathematics and science instruction. A learning opportunity targeting a specific tool or program is much more helpful than one attempting to address a wide array of tools. Teachers are provided with the time to practice and refine these newly acquired skills. On-site specialists in technology, mathematics and science provide teachers with the support and advice they need to make these tools an integral part of classrooms.
- In the science laboratory, safety is a primary concern. Teachers consistently model safe laboratory practices and expect all students to observe these practices, which include not only safe and responsible handling of materials, equipment and animals, but also safe waste disposal. Teachers continually learn about changing safety regulations in the science classroom. Most science conferences will offer at least one workshop that informs teachers about some aspect of changing safety regulations. Schools have experts conduct safety checks and make suggestions for improvement. Teachers create lists of places where safety could be an issue and discuss these lists with colleagues. Companies that sell chemicals provide literature about the risks associated with a chemical, often in the form of a detailed Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
- Teachers understand that responding to the community is an important part of teaching.
Teachers, particularly those who have recently entered the profession, are prepared to interact with the parents and families of students in a productive way. Many districts offer Family Math and Family Science Nights, where parents attend with their children and experience the fun of mathematics and science. A newsletter describes what is going on in the classroom and suggests some mathematics and science activities parents and students can do at home. Some schools have a "homework hotline" accessible by phone or modem. Encouraging community representatives to serve on some school committees helps to nurture community support. Enlisting the support of students' families can be one of the most effective ways of encouraging student success in mathematics and science.
- Professional organizations provide valuable information for teachers.
Teachers are encouraged to be active members of national, state and local professional organizations and to attend their conferences. Each organization has meetings at least annually and many offer conferences which provide a wealth of knowledge, experiences and networking opportunities for teachers. Partnerships often meet around instructional issues such as assessment and provide forums on special events. State professional organizations in Maine include the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Maine (ATOMIM) and the Maine Science Teachers' Association (MSTA).
- Teachers learn strategies for responding to the needs of a diverse population.
Teachers receive inservice training that helps them to be responsive to the needs of a changing population, especially those segments of the population traditionally underserved in mathematics and science. Colleges and universities offering diversity training may send a representative to the school to provide inservice experiences on this issue.
- Teachers learn, practice and refine a variety of strategies that address different learner needs.
Teachers receive inservice training that helps them to study and practice techniques representing current research about the way students learn (multiple learning styles, cooperative learning). Districts provide valuable support for teachers as they learn about these strategies in a variety of settings such as conferences, workshops and seminars. Regional centers and partnership groups host presentations, summer seminars and workshops by experts in different aspects of learning.________________________________________________________
Snapshots A middle school mathematics teacher has spent a semester as an intern at a local research laboratory, where she was involved in the mathematical analysis and modeling of experiment results. During her absence, the district hired a long-term substitute teacher who had completed his preservice requirements but had not yet found a permanent position.
The teacher has met weekly with her replacement to keep apprised of classroom events and to plan future instruction. Upon returning from her internship, the teacher now serves as a resource for her district, helping colleagues learn more about how to incorporate methods of quantitative data analysis into classrooms.
~~~~~ An elementary school staff realizes that changes in mathematics and science teaching are causing concern in the community. Students now learn in some ways that do not resemble the ways that parents and other adults were asked to learn as children. Parents are beginning to ask if "real learning" is happening. Teachers realize that they need to design and implement a program explaining new teaching methods and new curriculum choices to the community.
A few teachers attend a FAMILY MATH and FAMILY SCIENCE training workshop where they learn how to design and run evening programs in which children and adults learn science and mathematics together. With the help of the workshop facilitators, the teachers choose or design learning activities to reflect familiar community activities: quilting, construction and blueberry harvesting.
Students carry home invitations to large numbers of parents, other relatives and adult friends who come "back to school" with youngsters. Teachers also invite colleagues from other schools to attend. As child-adult pairs enter they receive name tags and then are directed to tables where they can try toothpick and popsicle-stick construction challenges (puzzles) in two and three dimensions. The bilingual building principal stays close to a French-speaking family to serve as a translator as needed.
After about fifteen minutes, one of the teachers leads an activity in which participants design and create paper quilt squares. Adults are struck by the large number of geometry ideas that are developed and practiced in the activity. In a second activity, participants explore the chemistry of blueberries using paper strip chromatography to see what colors really go into making blueberries blue. Finally, an engineer from the local blueberry packaging house details the ways in which she uses math and science in her job. After her description of a new blueberry cleaning machine, everyone works together to form a giant cleaning machine, with children and adults acting out the various parts.
At the meeting, some parents express interest in helping put on other math/science nights at the schools. Visiting teachers want to try a similar program at their school. The professional development activity begun at the workshop will continue as teachers prepare other teachers and parents.
Supervision and EvaluationFramework Best Practices can serve as a guide for evaluation and supervision in Maine's science and mathematics classrooms. Chosen methods of evaluation reflect beliefs about teaching and learning. NCTM's Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics suggests that the primary purpose of evaluation is to improve instruction and learning and to help teachers improve their teaching. Evaluation should be formative, systematic and frequent in order to achieve this primary purpose.
Although the terms supervision and evaluation are sometimes used interchangeably, the Framework uses them to denote different concepts. Supervision is a process that supports a teacher's professional growth, and evaluation is a report on some measure of a teacher's classroom effectiveness. Classroom teachers, their colleagues, department heads and school administrators are all participants in supervision and evaluation.
This section offers to supervisors of mathematics and science teachers a set of guidelines for supporting exemplary practices and teacher growth (supervision) and for providing regular written feedback on a teacher's practice (evaluation). These guidelines also may be helpful in the hiring process.Self and Peer Supervision and Evaluation
Teachers acting as learners and researchers within professional learning conditions outlined in the Framework will be accustomed to acting as evaluators of their own and their peers' classroom practices through reflective practice groups, action research projects and peer coaching. Teachers consider and analyze those practices, helping each other refine their skills and judgment, with a commitment to each teacher's individual growth.
Teacher supervision and evaluation are often believed to be the domain of building or district administrators. However, it is important for teachers of science and mathematics to realize that they contribute to their own professional growth and that of their colleagues through reflection, supervision and evaluation.
This kind of supervision and evaluation process requires more time than schools now provide for such work. Essential resources to support teachers' collaborative growth and learning include time and money. Release time during the school day, with teachers temporarily replaced by substitute teachers, educational technicians, or other school personnel, is one way of providing the time needed for formative, supportive supervision and evaluation.Administrative Supervision and Evaluation
Both administrators and teachers play an essential role in supervising a teacher's professional growth and evaluating instructional effectiveness. The evaluation cycle can contribute to a teacher's professional growth when the administrator and teacher approach the task as one of mutual learning and reflection. Both supervisory and evaluative work by administrators can best enhance teacher learning when a full cycle of preconference, classroom observation and post-conference takes place.
The preconference provides an observer with essential context for understanding the life of a particular class and with critical information about the teacher's objectives and the planned elements of the lesson.
The observation or series of observations should be conducted with an eye to the following attributes of best practice in mathematics and science classes:
- Curriculum organization is observable. The classroom is organized around a curriculum that is sequenced and builds on previous learning.
- Problem solving/inquiry is a focus of student activity.
Students construct meaning for themselves through problem solving and inquiry activities regularly in the class.
- Multiple resources are in evidence.
Students use the tools of the discipline to solve problems. These include reference books, computers, laboratory equipment, manipulatives, calculators, data bases, computer networks and other sources of information.
- Classroom learning is connected to life.
Students are engaged in activities that are simulations of the "real thing." Community resources are used in school as well as in the community itself, to bring the relevance of the instruction to life for students.
- Classroom learning is connected to home.
Parents have regular opportunities to learn about classroom activities and generally support teachers' and students' work.
- The classroom embodies a broad definition of mathematics and science.
Students are engaged in many aspects of mathematics and science. Integration of mathematics and science is evident in their construction of new meaning.
- The learning is challenging and accessible for all learners.
Teachers hold all students to high standards. It is evident that a variety of learning approaches is available to students and that all students have an opportunity to learn in the manner that is best for them.
- Students communicate clearly and frequently about the discipline.
Students use the language of science or mathematics to communicate ideas using a variety of methods. Students ask questions about the learning by talking to the teacher and by talking to other students.
- Learning is assessed authentically and informs instruction.
There is evidence that students' performances and work are being assessed for what they have learned and that a variety of assessments is used in the classroom. Student self-assessment is an important aspect of classroom practice.
- Learning is engaging.
Teacher and students enjoy the learning activity, even as it challenges them.
- The learning has a cooperative component to it.
While all learning need not be cooperative, there is evidence that students have opportunities to learn cooperatively on frequent occasions.
Any of these areas provides useful material for discussion in post-conference, which can productively contain teacher-administrator dialogue about the observation period and year-long patterns and issues of interest. Other information to consider in the supervision and evaluation process may include evidence of student learning, teacher goals and expectations for student learning, teacher plans, the products of multiple observations, and the teacher's own observations (perhaps in the format of a teacher portfolio). From this, a plan for enduring professional growth can be shaped to encourage the teacher's continuing refinement of classroom practice.