CIC: January TOT for Mentor and BT Forums “ It’s all about student achievement.” Vanessa Nieto-Gomez [email protected] Jean Duffey [email protected].

CIC: January TOTfor Mentor and BT Forums

“It’s all about student achievement.”

Vanessa [email protected]

Jean [email protected]

Forum Structure• Connecting – Includes:

- Outcomes, Norms, Agenda, and Parking Lot- Introductions, and Icebreakers, Preparing for the Learning

• Learning – Includes:- Reviewing Previous Learning- New Learning

• Managing – Includes:- Old and New Business- Announcements/Updates

• Closing – Includes:- Reflecting on learning- Training Evaluation

CIC ConnectingForum Structure Part A

Agenda• Outcomes, Norms, and Agenda• Connecting Activity• Forum Structure• Training CICs to Present:

- January Mentor Forum- January BT Forum

• Entering/Updating BT/Mentor Relationships in MAS

• Closing

Outcomes• CICs will be trained to present January

Mentor Forum.

• CICs will be trained to present January BT Forum.

• BT/Mentor Relations will be updated in MAS.

• CICs will be trained in completing documentation in Google doc.

Norms

• Active Listening

• Appropriate use of electronics

• Equity of voice

• Respect for all perspectives

• Confidentiality

Connecting ActivityHead, Heart, and Feet Reflection Activity

•Reflect on your Mentor and/or BT Campus Forums and/or your role as the CIC.•Jot down at least one thing for each of the following questions:

– What did you learn?– How do you feel?– What are you going to do?

•Discuss with an elbow partner

•Be prepared to share with whole group.

Parking Lot

Anytime during the training, you are invited to write a concern, question, or comment on a post-it and place in the appropriate column on the Parking Lot chart.

CIC LearningForum Structure Part B

Beginning Teacher January Forum #3

Designing Effective Choices

CIC:

ConnectingForum Structure Part A

Agenda

• Connecting Activity• Designing Effective Choices to:

- Motivate Learning- Make Positive Connections and Build

Community- Improve Classroom Management

• Announcements• Closing

Outcomes

• Know the factors of effective choices to increase student engagement and motivation

• Know how to use choices to build relationships

• Know how to design effective choices to improve classroom management

Norms

• Active Listening

• Appropriate use of electronics

• Equity of voice

• Respect for all perspectives

• Confidentiality

What Choices Have You Given?

Take a couple of minutes to think about and jot down choices that you have given your students, whether for lessons, entertainment, recreation, or procedures. Be prepared to share out.

LearningForum Structure Part B

Designing Effective Choices

to Motivate Learning

Motivation and Achievement

Educators know that students who are motivated tend to learn more. Decades of research continually verify that motivation is integrally connected to achievement. Therefore, teachers very often want strategies that foster motivation in the classroom.

Perks, Kevin (2010); Crafting Effective Choices to Motivate Students.

Motivation is Fostered by ChoiceOne strategy that fosters higher levels of interest is choice. However, while choice can be a powerful motivator, it is important to understand the factors that should be considered to prevent choices from having an adverse effect. Factors that will positively influence motivation and achievement are the students’ sense of control, purpose, and competence.

Perks, Kevin (2010); Crafting Effective Choices to Motivate Students.

Factors in Designing Choices

• A sense of control (An essential element of motivation is an individual’s need to feel autonomous.)

• A sense of purpose (The more meaningful an activity is, the more likely a student will be motivated to complete it.)

• A sense of competence (Students who believe they will be successful will be more motivated.)

Framework of Effective Choices

• With whom students will work (When the activity requires students to work together)

• With what content students will work (For specific skills activities the content is optional)

• Timeline for completion of activity parts (When parts of activity does not have to be linear)

• Where students will work (Whether individually or in groups)

• How a task will be completed (When there are multiple ways to complete the task)

Beware of CausingDecision Fatigue

The psychology of decision making references the deterioration of the quality of decisions. Decision fatigue is one of the causes of irrational (Sure, tweet that photo! What could go wrong?) or avoidance of decision making.Giving students too many choices or wide-open project assignments may actually demotivate them by causing too much anxiety over whether they’ve made the right choice or causing them to expend their mental energy on making the decision, rather than on the project itself.

Choice Board

Choice Board Activity• Take into account the different learning styles

of your students:- Visual- Auditory- Spatial- Kinesthetic

• Choose one of the above learning styles and create a choice board like the one on the previous slide with choices that specifically address that learning style.

Learning Styles Examples

• Visual Learners: art project, photographs, pictures, Venn diagram, flip chart, map drawing, clay model

• Auditory Learners: tape recording, singing songs, reciting poems, debate, surveys

• Spatial Learners: concept maps, 3-D drawings, graphic organizers, clay model

• Kinesthetic Learners: grow plants, shell/rock/

leaf collections, concrete model

Designing Effective Choices

to Make Positive Connections and Build Community

Choices that BuildPositive Connections

When students are met at the door, the teacher gives them the choice of how to be greeted. Examples:

• Hand shake• Fist pound• Elbow bump• Hug• High Five• An appropriate suggestion by the student

Choices that Build CommunityLet students vote to choose:

• Which 10 out of 12 quiz questions to answer

• Whether to answer even or odd homework problems

• A community service project for the class

_____________

Ask participants for ideas of other choices to make personal connections and/or to build community. Record ideas on chart paper.

Designing Effective Choices

to

Improve Classroom Management

Improving Classroom Management by Giving Choices The more a teacher can build in choices for their students, the more likely students are to feel energized as participants in their learning. A class of students who are engaged in learning are not likely to engage in bad behavior.

Smith, Rick (2004); Conscious Classroom Management.

Good/Bad Behavior isthe Student’s Choice

Teachers have no control over a student. The deeper our respect for this, the easier it is for us to remain calm when we wish we did.We can be a powerful influence, but the ultimate choice of how to behave is the student’s. And with choice comes responsibility. When teachers provide consequences for students, they connect them with the results of their choices, and give them an opportunity to assess those choices.

Smith, Rick (2004); Conscious Classroom Management.

Student ChosenRules and Consequences

Giving students input in designing rules and consequences tend to give students buy-in. The effect is students who are more likely to adhere to the rules and to accept the consequences when they are given. This approach works well as long as the teacher is comfortable with it.

Smith, Rick (2004); Conscious Classroom Management.

Brainstorm Benefits of Choice• Based on the information presented in this

power point, recall the benefits that offering choice can have in helping students develop self-confidence and self-control.

• Identify two areas where choice can be offered to your students and brainstorm 2 or 3 choices that could be offered in each area.

• On chart paper, design a graphic organizer to display your results.

Our Own Choices as TeachersAs teachers, we choose to assume the best about ourselves and others, even in the light of all the evidence we have to support the contrary. All humans have the capacity for goodness. The challenge is to access that in ourselves as we access it in others. What more challenging environment is there than the classroom to choose to assume and remember the best about others?

Smith, Rick (2004); Conscious Classroom Management.

ManagingForum Structure Part C

Announcements

• IPDPs are due October 31, or, for late hires, within 15 working days from the start date of the beginning teacher.

•Other announcements pertinent to your campus BTs

ClosingForum Structure Part D

Reflecting on the LearningComplete the CAL Survey:• What’s working? (What is going well so far

this year?) • What are your challenges/concerns? (Have

there been any challenges or concerns that have been difficult to resolve?)

• What might be your next steps? (What might you do to address any pending concerns? Can you use anything that has been addressed in this learning?)

• What can I do for you? (What kind of support would you like from your mentor and what kind of training would you like from your CIC?)

Mentoring Activities Survey• Which activities have you completed with

your mentor?

• Check the boxes on the CAL Survey for the specific activities that you and your mentor completed together.

• Be sure to verify the completion in MAS.

Mentor January Forum #3Mentor Standards

andICF Framework for Mentoring

“It’s all about student achievement.”

CIC:

ConnectingForum Structure Part A

Agenda• Outcomes and Norms• Connecting Activity• Mentor Standard - Engage, Support, and

Advance BTs’ Professional Learning- Self Assess on Continuum- Set Goal to Move Forward on Continuum

• Review ICF Framework for Mentoring- Identify ICF Stance Activity- Analyze Feedback

• Reminders• Closing

Outcomes

• Mentors will assess their level of proficiency in the Standard of Engages, Supports, and Advances BTs’ Professional Learning Mentors.

• Mentors will set a goal to move forward on the above Standard

• Mentors will practice ICF Framework conversations

Norms

• Active Listening

• Appropriate use of electronics

• Equity of voice

• Respect for all perspectives

• Confidentiality

Self Assessing

Take a few minutes to think about how you have progressed as a mentor. Jot down a couple of your strengths and some specific skills you developed last semester. Also, jot down an idea of how you might like to grow during this semester. Be prepared to share your thoughts.

LearningForum Structure Part B

Mentoring Standards• Engages, supports, and advances the professional

learning of each teacher• Creates and maintains collaborative professional

partnerships to support teacher growth• Utilizes knowledge of student content standards,

teaching pedagogy, and professional teaching standards

• Designs and facilitates professional development for teachers

• Utilizes assessments to promote teacher learning and development

• Develops as a professional leader to advance mentor and the profession

Focus StandardEngages, supports, and advances BT’s professional learning elements:

• Uses reflective conversation skills to engage BT in collaborative problem solving

• Uses a variety of strategies and resources, to respond to BT’s and students’ needs

• Uses data to engage BT in examining and improving practice

• Facilitates learning experiences that promote collaborative inquiry, analysis, and reflection on practice

Self-Assessment Exercise• Read each level of proficiency descriptor

for the Elements in the Focus Standard.• Underline any word or phrase that

particularly describes your mentoring practice.

• Determine which level of proficiency best describes your mentoring for each Element.

• Write today’s date in the highest level of proficiency you believe you have achieved.

Set a Goal to Grow as a Mentor• Look closely at the descriptors of proficiency

levels in the first Element of today’s Focus Standard.

• Be very thoughtful and determine whether each of the phrase does or does not accurately describe you as a mentor.

• Choose one or two phrases that describe the mentor you would like to be by the end of this semester.

• This will be your personal goal.• If you are comfortable, share your thoughts

about setting your goal.

Reviewing the ICF Framework

The ICF Framework is a higher level of mentoring conversation skill and an absolutely essential skill to have as a highly effective mentor. ICF is included in the second and third descriptor levels of the Element in which we just set our goal(s), so it makes sense that we should review.

Strategy Sort• On a post-it note, write an I. On another,

write a C. On another write an F.• Divide the strategy cards found in the

envelope among the participants in your group.

• Read each card aloud to group and discuss whether the strategy is more likely instructive, collaborative, or facilitative.

• Place the card under the appropriate strategy.

PHASES OF FIRST YEAR TEACHING: PHASES OF FIRST YEAR TEACHING: ATTITUDES TOWARD TEACHINGATTITUDES TOWARD TEACHING

Moir, Ellen (1990) New Teacher Center, Santa Cruz, California

ManagingForum Structure Part C

Dates/Deadlines for MentorsTraining requirement is differentiated. Explanation is found in DOCUMENTS on mentor website page. Log on to http://houstonisdpsd.org. Follow this pathway:

• Click on PD Departments

• Click on STEP (which stands for Supporting Teachers through Exemplary Practice)

• Click on Mentors.

Self-Registering for Courses

• Mentors and CICs can self-register to have immediate access to the Online eLEARN courses 24/7.

• Step by step self-registration directions with screenshots are available at the website in DOCUMENTS.

• Complete eLEARN course tasks with your mentee.

ClosingForum Structure Part D

Reflecting on the TrainingComplete the CAL Survey:• What’s working? (What is going well so far

this year in your role as a mentor?) • What are your challenges/concerns? (Have

there been any challenges or concerns that have not been easy to address or to solve?)

• What might be your next steps? (What might you do to address any pending concerns? How will you use what has been addressed in this training?)

• What can I do for you? (What can I do to help you, your BT, and the mentoring program on our campus?)

Training Survey• Indicate on the CAL Survey if you have

registered for or completed the face to face training if applicable.

• Indicate if you completed the TASKS with your BT in the applicable eLEARN courses.- Check the boxes for the completed courses.- Be sure that you have entered completion date into MAS.- To the right of the courses that you have not completed, write the date that you anticipate you will have it completed.

CIC ManagingForum Structure Part C

CIC Training

• Jennifer Abrams returns!• All CICs are invited to attend• Make up session if you missed the trainings in Oct.

• Cultivating a Coach Mindset: A Skillset for Leaders– Friday, January 30, 2015– Ryan Professional Development Center

• Using Discussion & Reflection Protocols to Support Professional Learning– Saturday, January 31, 2015– Reagan High School

New Hires• Report NEW mentor/mentee relationships in MAS• When BT leaves the district or if the mentor support

ended in December, make relationship INACTIVE and inform the Mentor Program Office

• Not required any more: electronic mentor assignment forms

• Inform mentors of training requirements• Add name to conference sheet. Document

conference with BT on One-on-One Conference sheet

• Visit BTs and document on BT/Mentor Assignments and MAS Monitoring sheet

CIC BinderRemember to:

• Include agenda and sign-in sheets for all meetings and forums

• Maintain records and documents on worksheets presented during summer training (available on website under documents)

• Transfer information to Google Doc.

Individual Monitoring Charts

Individual Conferencing Charts

2014-15 CIC Responsibilities Charts

CIC ClosingForum Structure Part D

Reflecting on the TrainingComplete the CAL Survey:• What’s working? (What is going well so far

this year?) • What are your challenges/concerns? (Have

there been any challenges or concerns that have been difficult to resolve?)

• What might be your next steps? (What might you do to address any pending concerns? How will you use what has been presented in this training?)

• What can I do for you? (What kind of continued or additional support would you like from Vanessa and Jean?)