Just think the conclusion of your first year of teaching is a few months away! You have been experiencing many rewarding times with your students and probably a few challenging ones as well. This is all part of the process as you continue to hone your skills tobecome an even more a successful teacher. Continue to seek support from your mentor and other teachers you respect. There is always much to learn and your colleagues are a great support system.
As we are now nearing the end of the school year, the information listed below will assist you in staying on track with the Resident Educator Program requirements. You should be working on the following:
POWER POINT FROM RE 1.3 SESSION
Some of you were unable to attend the recent 1.3 session due to all the problems created by the high winds on March 8. You can access the 1.3 power point shared at this meeting here.
OBSERVATIONS
One of your requirements as a Year 1 Resident Educator is to participate in various types of observations. Your mentor and you should be planning and completing observations now.
Remember the biggest impact are those observations done with a clear purpose such as classroom management or student learning and the instructional moves that impact it.
You must have at least one formal observation by your mentor preferably before the OTES evaluation. A formal observation must include:
Pre-conference
Observation
Post-conference
It is recommended that you participate in some other types of informational learning observations as well. The following observations can include:
Reciprocal Observations
Reciprocal observations are shared professional observations that may occur between REs and mentors, between veteran teachers and REs, between REs and REs, between administrators and staff, etc. They may be experienced in real time or via electronic devices. This spirit of reciprocity exists in all observation formats. It is the understanding that both the observer and the one being observed gain insights into the complexities of teaching and best practices. Reciprocal observations formalize this philosophy by providing opportunities for professionals to share the same experience, to establish common language and common understandings of teacher standards and common qualities of effective teacher performance. Reciprocal observations provide opportunities for the observers to participate comfortably in deep and difficult professional conversations about the art and science of teaching since they are not the subject of the conversation.
Exemplary Observations
Teacher to teacher modeling has the greatest impact on teacher improvement.
(Douglas Reeves). Exemplary teacher observations bring the deepest change in instructional practices and have the greatest impact on increased student achievement. They should occur as frequently as possible throughout the life of a teacher. Observation of Exemplary Teacher by Resident Educator and Exemplary Teacher Observation: Reflective Conversations are tools that may be used to document exemplary teacher observations.
Collaborative Observations
Collaborative observations are informal observations in which the RE and mentor simultaneously observe another teacher or video of another teacher for the purpose of prompting dialogue about one or more professional practices of interest.
Participant Observations
Co-active Observations are informational observations in which a Resident Educator and Instructional Mentor heave the opportunity to observe each other's professional thinking and behavior because they are co-participants in the acts of co-planning or co-teaching.
Video-based Observations
Video-based Observations can take many different forms. They are especially valuable tools for promoting reflections and self-assessment because the record of evidence is stable and can be paused and re-played to focus on specific areas of personal or shared interest.
OBSERVATION RESOURCES
END OF PROGRAM COMPLETION FORM
Your school district Program Coordinator will be emailing an important form to complete verifying that you met all the Resident Educator Program eligibility requirements and completed the required processes and tools for this year. Your Program Coordinator cannot report that you have completed all the RE requirements to the Ohio Department of Education without the verification that you provide on this form. This is very important so be on the look out for this form, complete and return it to your Program Coordinator as soon as possible.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Discusses the hidden contract between students and teachers
The field of education bubbles over with controversies. It's not unusual for intelligent people of good will to disagree passionately about what should happen in schools. But there are certain precepts that aren't debatable, that just about anyone would have to acknowledge are true.
