TEACHER RENEWAL

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TEACHER RENEWAL

• Virginia Richardson
• University of Michigan

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THREE RE-S USED IN EDUCATIONAL CHANGE

• REFORM
• REPAIR
• RENEWAL

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TEACHER RENEWALWHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

• ORGANIZED EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES
• PERSONAL EFFORTS/EVENTS
• ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
• OTHER FACTORS

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ORGANIZED EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES

• Induction Programs
• Professional Development

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Extend deepen subject matter knowledge for
  teaching
• extend and refine repertoires in curriculum,
  instruction, and assessment
• strengthen skills dispositions to study
  improve their own teaching
• expand responsibilities develop leadership
  skills, including mentoring of pre-service and
  induction years teachers
• 
  (Sharon Feiman-Nemser, 2001)

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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE SD PRACTICES

• School-Wide The reform should involve everyone
  in the school to develop school culture of
  improvement, and adjust to the specific context.
• Long-term with follow-up.
• Agreement among participants on goals/vision
• A supportive administration
• 
  (Richardson, 2003)

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EFFECTIVE SD, CONT.

• Adequate funds for materials, outside speakers,
  substitute teachers, etc.
• Buy-in from participants.
• Encouragement of collegiality Learning
  Communities and Dialogue within group.
• A focus on subject matter content rather than
  generic teaching methods.
• Acknowledgement of participants existing beliefs
  and practices.
• Involvement of an outside facilitator/staff
  developer.

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EXAMPLE OF RENEWAL SD

• In this renewal program, the focus is on
  deepening the teachers integrity, peacefulness,
  and capacity for wonder, mystery, and community.
• Teachers learn to lead more reflective and
  connected lives and to sustain life-giving
  attitudes toward other people. Making use of
  poetry, wisdom, literature arts, media and
  reflection,--retreat content is organized around
  seasonal themeshelping teachers see that the
  teaching vocation offers opportunities for
  entering deeply into the cycle of renewal.
• 
  (Imagine Chicago, 2001-2002)

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PERSONAL EFFORTS/EVENTS

• SABBATICAL LEAVE

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INDIVIDUAL OUTCOMES OF SABBATICAL PROGRAM STUDY

• Improvements in confidence, refreshment and
  self-esteem were reported in 87 of sabbaticals
• 64 reported increased motivation
• Raised skills and knowledge were claimed by 87
• 83 of participating teachers reported changes in
  their own practice.
• 
  (Downing, et al., 2004)

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INSTITUTIONAL OUTCOMES

• In 83, there were reports of the school
  developing as a professional learning community
• Attitudes of other staff members towards teachers
  who had taken sabbaticals were often enhanced
• A range of other institutional outcomes,
  including improved school relationships with
  parents or the wider community, were reported
• 56 of the reported institutional outcomes
  suggested that the sabbatical had resulted in
  actual change in practice within the wider school
  staff.

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ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

• Burnout
• Morale
• Efficacy

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ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES AFFECTING BURNOUT AND MORALE

• Principal Leadership
• Teacher autonomy
• School Resources
• Community

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OTHER CHANGES

• E.G., Curriculum Change
• Placement of Student Teacher in classroom
• Physical Change in School

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SUMMARY

• Renewal is a personal and individual process in
  which the individual begins to see a way of
  approaching the work in a successful and perhaps
  joyful way
• Renewal is probably good for teachers in many
  different ways
• Because it is a personal and individual process,
  it is difficult to consider a method that would
  help to renew, for example, all or even most of
  the teachers in a schooland, in fact, whether
  all teachers would need such a program

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MOST IMPORTANTLY

• School officials should consider renewal in their
  thinking about working with teachers toward
  change. They should think about it in two ways
  what issues are leading teachers away from
  renewal and toward low morale, low efficacy and
  burnout and how can processes for renewal be set
  in place?

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THREE RE-S USED IN EDUCATIONAL CHANGE

• REFORM
• REPAIR
• RENEWAL