A JOURNEY INTO TEACHING PRACTICE

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A JOURNEY INTO TEACHING PRACTICE

• THE ROLE OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN MENTORING

Vicki Duff, Mentor Training Coordinator NJ State
Department of Education victoria.duff_at_doe.state.nj
.us
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We live in a time of such rapid change and growth
of knowledge that only he who is in a fundamental
sense a scholar that is , a person who
continues to learn and inquire can hope to keep
pace, let alone play the role of guide. Nathan
M. Pusey The Teachers Book of Wisdom
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AND THE GOALS ARE.

• To gain a deeper understanding of professional
  standards
• To understand the use of formative assessment in
  the mentoring process
• To practice using a collaborative assessment log
  to support the novice in their classroom
• To provide an effective tool for use in
  developing a mentoring program.

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THE MENTORING/INDUCTION PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• Accelerate the learning and competence of novice
  teachers
• Provide a continuous system of support and
  guidance for novice teachers to ensure student
  success
• Provide mentor teachers with tools and support
  that enhance the mentoring process
• Instill a sense of professionalism and pride for
  the novice teacher and the learning community
• IT IS ALL ABOUT KIDS!

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PRECONCEPTIONS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES
TESTING
MENTORING
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
EVALUATION
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
FORMAL PRE- CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
STATE AND LOCAL CONTEXTS
PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
INFLUENCES ON TEACHER DEVELOPMENT SOURCE QULAITY
MENTORING FOR NOVICE TEACHERS EDS. SANDRA J.
ODELL AND LESLIE HULING
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A PROFESSIONAL NORM

• An understanding of what is expected in a
  professional setting for those in education the
  guidance for those in the profession that
  provide
• A standard
• A model
• A behavior
• What are the professional norms we want to create
  through mentoring?

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WHAT DO EFFECTIVE TEACHERS DO IN THEIR PRACTICE?

• Use 7 post-its.
• What must an effective teacher know and be able
  to do?
• Place one item per post-it.
• As a group sort your post-its according to the
  standards on the template

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PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

• Subject matter knowledge
• Human growth and development
• Diverse learnersinstructional planning and
  strategies
• Assessment

• Learning environment
• Special needs
• Communication
• Collaboration and partnerships
• Professional Development

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THE STANDARDS WILL PROVIDE

• A common language
• A definition for effective teaching practice
• A conversation tool that can influence classroom
  practice
• A self-assessment tool that can be used to guide
  professional growth
• A lens for the mentor to view practice
• A mirror for the novice to reflect on practice

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A CONTINUUM OF PRACTICE

• Teaching is a developmental process.
• Teachers must constantly assess their practice
  through self-assessment.
• Teachers grow and develop in a particular area
  over time.
• Teacher growth is constant we are constantly
  improving.
• Teacher growth should be based on competencies,
  not deficits.

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ACTIVITY UNDERSTANDING THE STANDARDS LOOKS
LIKE/FEELS LIKE
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The most powerful form of learning, the most
sophisticated form of staff development, comes
not from listening to the good works of others
but from sharing what we know with others By
reflecting on what we do, by giving it coherence,
and by sharing and articulating our craft
knowledge, we make meaning, we learn. Roland
Barth
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WALK THE WALKTALK THE TALK

• What are the elements of trust in the mentoring
  relationship?
• What are the elements of a mentoring conversation
  in the mentoring relationship?

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ACTS OF ASSESSMENT
How do we assess student learning other than
through tests or quizzes? a.
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A LOOK AT FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

• What is formative?
• To shape or mold
• To aid in the development of competence
• Helping to form, make, shape, create, compose,
  train or frame

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ACTIVITY

• Use the Formative Assessment Essential
  Characteristics to guide a discussion on ways in
  which teachers are assessed that are different
  than those outlined on this chart.

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WHY USE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

• To focus the beginning teachers growth
• To guide the work of the mentor
• To establish the professional norms of inquiry
  into and upon reflection of practice
• To parallel the key role of assessment into
  effective instructional practices
• Foundations of Mentoring
• New Teacher Center at the University of Santa Cruz

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PARTNER ACTIVITY

• Read/scan The Role of Formative Assessment in
  Induction Programs (approx. 4 minutes)
• As partners do the 3-2-1 activity
• Write 3 main ideas that could be implemented in a
  school
• Write 2 benefits to the mentor and 2 benefits to
  the novice
• Write 1 challenge to this process

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USING A COLLABORATIVE ASSESSMENT LOG

• To provide clarity to the discussion
• To enable participants to focus
• To aid in the gathering of evidence
• To have a tool that looks at possible solutions,
  actions and next steps
• To provide accountability
• To provide guidance in selecting appropriate
  professional growth activities
• Modeled on the New Teacher Center at the
  University of Santa Cruz Collaborative Log

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ACTIVITY

• Read the 4th Grade Scenario
• In groups identify areas of possible discussion
  and potential growth.
• Select 2 or 3 standards on which you might focus.
• Identify evidence for the discussion. Include
  successes and challenges.
• Identify possible activities from the standards
  to guide the novice.

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THE STRENGTH OF A FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

• COLLECT THE DATA
• PLAN YOUR GOALS
• TEACH AND IMPLEMENT THE PLAN
• REFLECT/REVISE/BEGIN ANEW

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REFLECTION

• Based on what you have learned today what one new
  strategy will you use with your novice teacher?
• How will using professional standards enable
  novice teachers to develop the skills necessary
  to be effective in the classroom?

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RESOURCES

• www.state.nj.us/education/
• Academic and Professional Standards
• Professional Standards and Learning
• Professional Standards or Mentoring
• www.njpep.org
• New Teacher Center at the University of Santa
  Cruz
• Keeping Good Teachers edited by Marge Scherer
  (ASCD publication)
• www.nsdc.org
• www.ascd.org
• Books by Harry Wong, Hal Portner, Bruce Lipman,
  Susan Villani
• Vicki Duff 609-292-0189 or victoria.duff_at_doe.stat
  e.nj.us