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You see, what’s new, and cool, and so much in the spirit of 2.0 about this experience is that it is about conversation, and about conversation being turned into content.  It was easy to record Dan’s answers and the audio (and video) of the students’ questions.  But to have the students (and visitors) engaged in a parrellel, even subterranian conversation about what’s happening in the open air and to have that conversation available for later reference and work, seems extremely powerful to me.

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Students are not being taught.  They aren’t learning to be taught.  They are learning to listen and respond, to sythesize and to share, read, work, and reword.

Key Elements of Beginning Teacher Support





• New Teacher Advisor:
  
  New
  teachers have weekly on-site contact during and after school hours with
  an advisor, who is an exemplary veteran teacher released full-time
  specifically to support a small group of teachers. Advisors observe and
  coach the new teacher, offer emotional support, assist with short and
  long-term planning, design classroom management strategies, teach
  demonstration lessons, provide curriculum resources, and facilitate
  communication with the principal. Advisors and new teachers keep an
  interactive journal to enhance communication, problem solve and
  reflect.  
  
  
  
  
• Formative Assessment
  
  Support
  is guided by an ongoing cycle of formative assessment which revolves
  around the development of each teacher's district goals/individual
  learning plan. A professional portfolio serves as the vehicle for
  documenting the teacher's growth over time.
  
  More info…
  
  
  
  
• Professional Development for Beginning Teachers:
  
  
  
  • Workshop/Seminar Series:
    
    The monthly seminars are designed to build a support network and
    ongoing professional dialogue among beginning teachers, and are
    developed to assist teachers with meeting the needs of culturally and
    linguistically diverse student population. Each seminar provides
    teachers with an opportunity to learn about the CSTP in the context of
    effective teaching strategies and reflect on learnings with other
    beginning teachers. Content standards are emphasized.
    
    
    
    
  • Release Time:
    
    Release time is provided to new teachers to observe veteran teachers,
    plan curriculum, attend professional development trainings, and assess
    their progress.
  
  
  

variety of carefully designed tools are used to structure the mentor-beginning teacher interactions and support each beginning teacher’s development in relation to professional teaching standards. The focus, process, and pacing of each of each FAS tools are determined collaboratively by the mentor and beginning teacher in light of the teacher’s individual needs.