FCPS Induction and PL
Keeping Up With Induction and Professional Learning
Message from the Induction and PL Supervisor
It has been said that “Where there lies a challenge, there also lies opportunity.” Well, we have definitely been dealt a challenge in the field of education since the pandemic hit. That challenge has presented an opportunity to learn new ways of meeting the educational needs of our students. Yes, even though this need to learn new technology and instructional methods came out of necessity, it has also given us the opportunity to grow and build our capacity as educators. This growth has been evident in the number of educators seeking professional learning opportunities related to virtual learning. Since July, 545 educators have registered for the 1 credit Virtual Learning and Beyond course, 210 educators have registered for the 3 credit Designing and Implementing High Quality Online Learning course, and there have been over 1,300 unique views on the Virtual Learning Quick Bites page. These numbers do not include educators that took advantage of learning opportunities from the state department and/or our college partners. You, our teachers and leaders, have shown such an amazing commitment to learning and providing the best experience for our students. I encourage you to continue to grow, embrace change, support your colleagues, and find moments of joy during this unprecedented time.
~Amy Struntz
INDUCTION
Expectations Into Action, Year 1
What a year!?! We have all had moments this year where we feel like new hires, can you imagine what our "true" new hires are experiencing during this unprecedented time? Luckily, our FCPS new hires have great supports in place with EIA Year 1. The Professional Learning Team is looking to the "here and now" with strategies and support for virtual learning and looking ahead to support our new hires for a long career in FCPS by concentrating on growing networks, sharing strategies and connecting them to Mind Brain Education (MBE) and the Accelerated Learning Process.
Here’s what we’re doing:
Providing pre-class quick videos and professional learning sessions concentrated on introducing MBE strategies like a Mindset of Belonging, Growth Mindset, and the Mindset of Purpose and Relevance as ways to engage students.
Using engagement strategies associated with MBE: brain breaks, chunking content with frequent use of retrieval practice, cold calling, checking in with student emotions and feelings, and using the chat feature to elicit more information than “yes or no” or “thumbs up/ thumbs down.”
Modeling and explicitly explaining these strategies..
Offering Professional Learning Communities led by talented teacher leaders! New hires are just beginning to see the power of collective efficacy and the components of the Accelerated Learning Process!
Expectations Into Action, Year 2
You may want to check out Doug's new book entitled, Teaching in the Online Classroom: Surviving and Thriving in the New Normal.
Expectations Into Action, Year 3
WOOHOO! Third year new hires are involved in professional learning that is specifically designed to further their instructional capacity. They are receiving support in this final non-tenure year and concentrating on self-identified areas of need. Two free credit opportunities are available.
Option 1 is a 2-credit MSDE course that started in September, in which participants select Framework for Teaching domain components that they want to improve upon. The course requires collaborating with evaluators and mentors, collecting artifacts that chart progress, reflecting on student learning, videotaping classroom sessions, completing online modules and participating in online discussions. Third year teachers truly have a personalized “compelling why” to be involved in this professional learning experience.
Option 2 is a 1-credit opportunity to work with master teachers known as Networking Nights. There are five monthly meetings starting in November. Participants share artifacts of their successes and challenges and work on specific areas of need that are identified by their group. They learn through collaboration and feedback with their colleagues.
Induction By The Numbers
New Hire Symposium 2020: 318 participants, 50 master teachers, 4 TTS tech supports, 28 hours of learning, and 18 awesome prizes from community partners!
EIA Year 1: 210 participants, 40 master teachers, 16 PLC facilitators (teacher leaders) and 30 hours of learning (22 synchronous, 4 new hire gameboard, 4 data collection for Professional Learning Communities)
EIA Year 2: 68 participants, 4 course faciliatators, and 30 hours of online learning!
EIA Year 3: 82 total participants (39 in 2 credit EIA Class, 43 in 1 credit Networking Nights), 3 course faciliators and 15 - 30 hours of learning!
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Mentor Corner
Fall Mentor Forum
Nearly 75 school based mentors attended our Fall Mentor Forum synchronous session. Participants engaged in collaborative conversation and reflection focused on how to build resilience within themselves as well as their mentees that they serve.
Mentoring in the 21st Century
As part of their mentoring responsibility, our newest FCPS mentors have been working through an online course designed to help them examine their individual mentoring beliefs, consider stages of a first year teacher and determine ways to assist with their Framework for Teaching domains of focus, and explore and apply skills, strategies and techniques for meaningful mentoring.
Virtual Learning Mentors
Distance Learning Playbook Strategies
Distance Learning Playbook Strategies:
Take Care: Establish Personal Routines
Routines are an important part of distance learning for our students. With all that we have to do for distance learning our own routines have been disrupted. We need to focus on routines for us, the educators. For example, walk first thing in the morning, then have breakfast with the family. Schedule breaks in the day that you may have had in your schedule at school. Take a 15-minute morning recess, 30 minutes for lunch, and a stretch break in the afternoon. End your work day with a similar task each day, like a message to your students about the learning of the day and learning for tomorrow. For the end of your whole day, do something that is calming to you.
Learn Students’ Names and How to Pronounce Them
As the book states, “When we take the time to learn other people’s names, we indicate our interest in them. Hearing our own name spoken by another alerts our attention, and creates an emotional link to the person saying our name." Some ways to do this could be first model these strategies and then have students do the same:
Have students share in Flipgrid how their name is pronounced. You then have a record of it and can return to it if you forget. The Flipgrid could also contain other information to get to know the student.
Use the audio or video feature in a Schoology discussion to have them share their name. Again, you have it to refer back to.
Practice each day, by greeting students when they arrive in your classroom, great way to engage students who have their cameras off. Ask students to correct you if you mispronounce their names.
Quick Bites To Support Virtual Instruction
Professional Learning Quick Bites are 20-40 minute “bite-sized” chunks of professional learning dedicated to connecting MBE strategies to virtual learning and the Distance Learning Playbook. Quick Bites are sorted using chunks from the DLP. Each bite includes videos, resources, and articles to extend the learning and take a deeper dive. Each Quick Bite also allows for application and reflection of the strategy. The power is that you get to decide which Quick Bites to taste!
Topics include:
Building Community and Belonging
Engagement and Instruction
Communication and Clarity
Assessment and Feedback
Teacher Well-Being
Podcasts, Webinars, and other resources for a closer look
With over 1300 views on separate Quick Bite options, there is a Professional Learning option for every taste!
To Contact Us:
Email: Amy.Struntz@fcps.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/fcps.org/professional-learning/home
Location: 44 W. Frederick Street, Walkersville, MD 21793
Phone: 240-236-8828