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Author: awood

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What is the value of a good teacher?  It turns out that we have some, if partial, answers to this question.  In some really interesting research, economists sought to quantify the importance of improving teacher effectiveness.  They began with the assumption that improving teacher effectiveness would have positive and life-long impacts on the quality of the lives of students.  Their assumption was correct.  The impacts are significant beyond what we may think.  Incidentally, the benefits have very little to do with any specific content knowledge.  That is, the benefit of a high quality math teacher does not terminate with a student's better understanding of math.  Instead the affects of a more effective teacher appear in somewhat surprising and far-reaching areas.

Benefits of increasing teacher effectiveness

  1. Increased college attendance
  2. Increased lifetime earnings
  3. Decreased teenage birth rates
  4. Raised socio-economic status of community
  5. Increased retirement savings

In short, we clearly see that increasing teacher effectiveness has a tremendous impact on our economy.  In real numbers, the economic benefit of a teacher who is 1 standard deviation above the median is roughly $4,600 per student.  That would be $138,000 for a class of 30 (Chetty, Friedman, Rockoff, 2011).  In a very real and measurable way, the benefits of a highly effective teacher last for the rest of the students' lives.

References

Chetty, R., Friedman, J. N., & Rockoff, J. E. (2011). The long-term impacts of teachers: Teacher value-added and student outcomes in adulthood (No. w17699). National Bureau of Economic Research.

Hanushek, E. A. (2011). The economic value of higher teacher quality.Economics of Education Review, 30(3), 466-479.

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Join USOE and Utah State University  June 21-23, 2016 at the Davis Conference Center in Layton Utah. Pre-Conference Meetings for District and Transitions Meetings will be held June 21, also at the Davis Conference Center. As with the very successful 2014 and 2015 Conferences, this year’s program again features an amazing array of professional learning and collaborative networking opportunities.

UMTSS 2016 will host Concurrent Sessions on:

  • Leadership
  • Literacy and Numeracy
  • Behavior and Positive Behavior Supports
  • Transition to Career Pathways
  • Educating English Learners
  • Special Education
  • Effective Instruction
  • Tiered Intervention
  • Assessment
  • Many Other Topics

2016 conference flyer 012616

 

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In a recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune, we read about something that many educators have known for a long time. We are in the midst of a transitional time in our profession. In many schools, there have been a significant number of new teachers for a few years. In just a few years a majority of a given faculty could be completely turned over.

The excitement of change in this current condition also comes with some cause for concern. In some schools, the number of people in need of a mentor exceeds the number of mentors in the building. All this points to the need for educators to consider taking upon themselves the role of mentor and to be trained.

Once trained, relatively new and mid-career teachers find that working in this role enlarges their own professional capacity, builds collegiality, and helps to ensure a consistent level of student achievement. Whether a person is assigned as a mentor or wants to be ready in case they are assigned, every teacher should consider participating in mentor training.

It is reasonable to predict that a majority of teachers will at some point be asked to mentor a new teacher. In some cases, there have been teachers training as mentors while they are still being mentored.  Although this may seem funny, such is the state of our education profession.

We offer many chances each year for teachers to become trained as mentors. Look in JPLS to find more information on the options available to you.

Utah needs teachers, but college students don't want to major in education

The boss over Utah's largest teachers union believes the shortfall is a symptom of issues facing education. It's a national problem, with a 30 percent drop in teachers from 2008-2012, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

 

How Mentorship Can Help Teachers Succeed

Just like having good mentors is important to student teaching, as newly hired educator, having a mentor at your school is incredibly important, too. Mentor teachers can provide invaluable help to new teachers. Mentors are experienced, patient, knowledgeable veteran teachers who are selected and trained to guide new teachers.

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Throughout the country, teachers are sharing their story of teaching: why they came into the profession, things that potentially held them back, moments of inspiration where they knew teaching was for them, and even stories of where they know they made a difference in the life of a student. If you search social media for #whyIteach, you will find these powerful stories. You will read about educators who believe in each other. You will find a community of teachers who are all sharing the same love and passion: teaching.

This time of year we find teachers can lose the focus of their "why" and get discouraged or frustrated--possibly to where they even question why they became a teacher. A challenge for this next week is to build an optimistic outlook to the future as we reflect to the past of why we became educators. Don't forget your vision and share your #whyIteach!

Raise Your Voice

Every teacher has a #whyiteach story. We want to hear yours.

Posted by Teacher2Teacher on Saturday, January 30, 2016

 

Here's some sites to read teachers' stories:

http://whyiteach.learningmatters.tv/

http://teacher2teacher.education/

 

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For some time now, teachers have understood the value of using TED videos in their classroom.  When used well, they can enhance many lessons.  Additionally, they can serve as a springboard to many rich discussions on a wide variety of topics like whether the egg or chicken came first.  Somewhat less known is TED-ED and TED-ED Lessons.   The once disparate collection of interesting videos has been organized into a tidy package for teachers to use in their classrooms.  Additionally, lessons have been created for the videos.  In addition to the ready-made lessons, teachers can create their own lessons using an almost endless database of educational videos.  When planning a lesson or reflecting on ways to improve one previously taught, consider using this great resource as a supplement to your lesson.

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Getting students to think at a higher level is, to say it lightly, a challenge.  However, when done, the reward is great.  In a recent webinar, Kathy Glass discusses her book  Complex Text Decoded: How to Design Lessons and Use Strategies That Target Authentic Texts.  In the discussion, she gives real-life ways to get to a deeper understanding of the types of texts we use everyday.  What's more is that these strategies can be used for a wide range of texts and across all subjects.  It is important to note that student engagement will also increase as teachers lead conversations to a deeper level.  This is something any teacher would wish for.  By following the strategies presented in the webinar, teachers can learn to become more deliberate about making these discussion occur with greater frequency in their classrooms.

 

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The return to work after an extended break is often accompanied with a mix of emotions.  During the time off, many remember that they enjoy spending time with family and friends.  In fact, the time of rediscovery is something more veteran teachers eagerly anticipate and plan for.  Looking forward to time off is nice.  The return to work/reality is not always as eagerly anticipated.  However, the question that must be raised is whether there could be another way.  Is there a way to enjoy life between the breaks?  Is it necessary to put family and self interests on hold with each return to work?  This is a problem that many new educators struggle to solve.  Striking an acceptable balance between work, home, and self interests is a tricky one.  One source suggests that there are some steps that teachers can take to more easily arrive at a sort of equilibrium of work and personal life.  Additionally, Andy Puddicombe makes a compelling case for regularly doing nothing.

Work

  • Work smarter, not harder

  • Make friends

  • Give yourself a break

  • Invest in your development

  • Celebrate accomplishments

Life

  • Draw a line between work and home

  • Cultivate a life outside the classroom

  • Schedule a time to do nothing

  • Get your ZZZZs

  • Practice reflective writing

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Although the best way to adapt a lesson for your students who are less proficient at mastering material quickly is to respond to them as individuals, sometimes you may find that several students are experiencing difficulties. In the following list, you will find some ways to adapt lessons so that all of your students can be successful.

 

  • Vary the learning modalities in a lesson that will make it easier for all students to learn and use their preferred learning styles.
  • Provide more examples, models, and demonstrations.
  • Build on students’ prior knowledge.
  • Build students’ self-confidence by encouraging their efforts as well as their achievements.
  • Allow students to work with peers in mixed-ability groups.
  • Supply students with support materials such as word banks, graphic organizers, technology practice, and outlines.
  • Give more time to complete an assignment.

 

Adapted from The First-Year Teacher’s Checklist: A Quick Reference for Classroom Success by Julia G. Thompson

 

 

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As educators, we all have worked hard to get to where we are today. We are all concerned about the future and what our place will be in that future. Here are a few suggestions of behaviors that we can use to demonstrate that we are professional and want to be taken seriously in our jobs.

  • Always be on time to school, to extracurricular duties, to meetings, and to class.
  • Dress in a professional manner.
  • Follow school rules, policies, and directions from supervisors. If you disagree with a rule, follow the proper channels to change it.
  • Have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content you teach.
  • Actively seek to learn more about current best teaching practices in our field..
  • Convey your pride in your profession and your interest in being the best teacher that you can be.
  • As a new teacher, be appreciative of your colleagues’ experience and expertise.
  • Be flexible when your plans don’t work out or when interruptions disrupt a lesson.
  • Resist the urge to complain. Remaining cheerful under stress is an invaluable workplace skill.
  • Remember to laugh every day. Laughing really does make the day go by faster.

 

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We made it to Thanksgiving Break! Don't forget to take some time to rejuvenate and reflect on the things you are thankful for. Enjoy the holidays with your family and loved ones--leave the work at school. The papers will still be there when you get back!

Enjoy this video of some children teaching you how to cook a turkey!