Roz's+(to+be+replaced+with+alias)+Response


 * __Final Interview Questions__

1. How many years have you been teaching? In what context (include curricular and extra-curricular).

- Classroom Teaching 2001-2007: Science 8-10, Biology 11/12, ESL 8-10, Math 10 -CAPP Leader - 2002-2004 -Science Educational Facilitator/Incentive Educational Facilitator - 2005-2007 -Literacy Leader 2005-2007 - ** Developed Performance Based Assessment to track Reading for Information Skills among the current grade 8 population ** -Teaching Consultant for Science & Sustainability Sept. 2007- June 2010: development and implementation of the curriculum in Science & Sustainability -Summer School Science 8 Teacher - 2004-2009 ** -part of district's Coast Metro Science Performance Standards Development Team - two years as a teacher, 3 years as the team leader - development of K-9 Science Performance task rubrics (similar to Reading for Information Rubric, but in Science) -part of literacy team at McRoberts - focus: Reading for Information - 2002-2005 - part of Grade 8 Team - 2005-2008 - used the Reading for Information Rubric to assessment grade population - this helped to inform instruction for the -attended Science Workshop series - different content/skills & processes workshops that helped with the content instruction -attended assessment for learning workshop series - -attended International Reading Association Conferences/workshops -regularly attend math/science conferences -now part of executive for BC Science Teacher's Association -currently part of Mentoring Team - that helps to understanding/build/extend the practices of beginning teachers and new teachers -coached/sponsored: basketball, badminton, table tennis, tennis, dragon boat, Destination Imagination

What motivated you to teach summer school? Initially, the only motivation was financial. I had been so used to earning money during the summers, that I figured that I should continue working, and the best option at the time was teaching summer school.

I still continue teaching summer school because it allows me to work with students (actually, the most challenging of the district - I teach remedial). I find that the teaching in the summer helps to group me, especially when I am not in a regular classroom throughout the year?

What do these extra-curriculars involve?

See above - I've elaborated


 * 2. Do you think teacher induction has value? Why or why not? **

-YES!!! There have been reports that say that 50% of all new teachers leave the profession in the first 5 years. I can understand the stresses and why people would consider leaving. Teaching can be overwhelming, especially if you are carrying a load with MANY new preps, you need to move from class to class, you have a difficult year of students and/or you have many extra-curricular demands. Finding a support network is important for good professional growth. Induction programs can help scaffold the learning and development of beginning teachers. The greater the investment we put into scaffolding the learning of our beginning teachers, the more likely teachers will feel supported and remain in the profession.

How do we properly scaffold the learning of beginning teachers? I'm not sure I have an answer for this....I think we simply need to scaffold and this can occur in many different ways - timetabling, conferences, mentoring, etc.

How can we ensure beginning teachers do not have too many preps or too many extra-curricular demands? We can build timetables that do not "dump" the worst courses (ie. Essential math, Science & Technology) into a beginning teacher's timetable. I believe the most experienced teachers should be the ones who teach these types of courses. Why? because it is less likely that they will have issues with the basics such as classroom management, assessment, reporting, etc. Thus, they can concentrate more on the learning that needs to be done in the classroom. Plus, more experienced teachers have a better understanding of the culture of the school.

-We need to nurture our young and show the long term benefits and merits of teaching Beginning teachers are not necessarily "young". Do you think a different approach needs to be taken depending on the age of the beginning teacher?

I don't necessarily mean young in age, but more as in "young" at teaching.

What are the long term benefits of teaching?

Good question - job satisfaction - it is amazing to school students develop and grow

-Induction programs also have value for future teacher leaders. When beginning teachers are paired up with mentor teachers it improves the curriculum and pedagogy of both participants. The mentor teacher also participates in the continuous improvement cycle and can develop more leadership attitudes and skills.

3. ** Describe your experiences with induction in your first five years of teaching. ** -First year: My first year of induction was formal. I was assigned a mentor, attended 2 induction workshops in my first year, was assigned, $250 to spend on professional development. I attended the Beginning Teachers workshop that year. Unfortunately, on the second day of the workshop, I was called back because there were not enough TOCs in the district. Did you have a choice as to not TOC and continue to participate in the workshop? As a result, I was only able to attend one day of the workshop and was unable to get a refund for the day that I missed.

Sorry, I meant to say that there weren't enough TOCs to cover my actual classes - I was teaching 1/2 time and they called me back to teach my own classes, not TOC.

Did anybody from the district ever approach you about regaining that extra day of professional development?

No way - the mentality was: "you're lucky you even got to go!"

How did you feel when you found out you couldn't experience the entire workshop?

I was rather ticked off because several of my other colleagues from the same district DID not get called back. All of the beginning teachers from my own school did get callec back. Colleagues from different districts also did not get called back to their schools.

-After the first year, I had no formal support. Fortunately, I had good relationships with various people in the school who took me under their wing.

-Three people in particular come to mind. My first mentor strongly encouraged me to be a lifelong learner and to participate in study groups and networks such as assessment, pedagogy, curriculum and instruction because there was always something new and interesting to learn. My second mentor quickly identified my leadership skills and encouraged me to participate in the life of the school beyond the classroom. He “nominated” me to become a CAPP (Career and Personal Planning) grade group leader, which basically meant that four times during the year, I would have to facilitate conversations with teachers and organize a series of themed workshops for the students. This really allowed me to come out of my shell and gave the opportunity to work and learn with more amazing people. My third and final mentor was curriculum-based. She understood the big ideas about Science and really challenged me to think beyond the Prescribed Learning Outcomes. She challenged me to be reflective and realistic about the skills, processes and knowledge pieces that were important for students to know.

Did you find any one of these mentors the most valulable? Why or why not?

No one particular one was most valuable. I think it was the combination of support that really helped.

Interestingly enough - I am still friends and work consistently with two of my mentors. One of them, I lost touch with as soon as I left the school. The ones I kept in contact with were not Science/Math/ESL content realted.

-There three people made a tremendous impact on my teaching career and it is through their support that I have been successful and still love my profession! 4 . Describe the support you received in your first five years of teaching. **

1. When I first started teaching, the principal suggested and identified a mentor for me to work with. This teacher was a good support during the first year. She helped me with basic school procedures (ie. attendance, finding supplies/textbooks/lab material, etc.) and daily routine. She helped by providing her old Biology binders - it was something for me to work from.

2. Study Group: Early Morning Study Group (Assessment for/of/as Learning, Classroom Management, Understanding by Design, Science Performance Standards): I was encouraged to participate in a variety of study groups. These allowed me to understand the different aspects of teaching, the district's perspective on these "trends," meet new people and to determine the key ideas I wanted to focus on. These study groups were a great way for me to associate with beginning and vetran teachers. The conversations were so inspirational and everyone encouraged each other to go outside of their comfort zones to try something new.

3. Professional Development Workshops (Assessment, Barrie Bennett, Faye Brownlie, etc.): These ProD workshops were great to learn for the key concepts and ideas. Beginning teachers should attend as much ProD as possible - it is good exposure! How much is pro-d encouraged in your district? Is it seen as a means of induction?

It is not necessarily a means of induction, but newer teachers are often encouraged to attend ProD conference to supplement their learning. I'm not sure how this fits into the "induction" model.

4. Conferences: Math Conference, Science Teachers Conference, International Reading Association Conference. Again these conferences were perfect for netowkring and learning new content and skills.

5. Informal Support: so many people were willing to support me in the classroom and out of the classroom. There were opportunities to to co-plan and co-teach. I was also able to observe vetran teachers.

5. ** What was your best support during your first five years of teaching?

- being able to co-plan and co-teach with a colleague - despite the fact that we teach with so many people around us, we are often in isolation. It's great to be able to collaborate - two heads are better than one!

-attending ProD workshops/conferences with a learning partner and then being able to implement those ideas in the classroom

6a. How do you wish you had been better supported during your first five years of teaching?

-more time during school hours to have conversations, co-plan and co-teach - not an add on after school when we are tired. It would have been great to plan units with a partner, especially when the new Science curriculum was introduced.

Why were these supports not offered? Financial Reasons - the district could not afford to pay for the TOCs and there were TOC shortages.

6b. Of the supports you received, which ones would you recommend and why?

-Co-planning and co-teaching - two heads are better than one. New teachers should teach/plan with vetran teachers.

-more opportunities for observation and feedback - to observe master teachers and to be observed and receive feedback

-attending conferences or workshops with a learning partner so you can synthesize and process information together

7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of induction?

Advantages: -ability to collaborate with other like-minded individuals -if you invest into "new" teachers, it is more likely that they will stay in the profession - Can this be proven?

Disadvantages: -time - how do you fit in more with such a tight schedule - do you offer sessions after school? -how do you ensure that you are meeting the needs of all the beginning teachers?

8. How do you think induction should be implemented? Induction Programs - all beginning teachers should be part of an induction program when they start their careers. This should include:

-an introductory workshop to the district - this should include practical things like how to find a mentor, where to seek help and get resources, mandates of the district,

-regular release time and opportunities for beginning teachers and mentors to collaborate - every other month? This could include co-planning and co-teaching opportunities or even time to attend workshops together Release time still entails the teacher having to prepare for the classes that they are leaving. How else do you think this could be done?

I don't think having to prepare for a class is necessarily a bad thing. I think teachers need to be able to step away from their class and realize that the learning needs to be less centered on the teachers and more centered on the gradual release model, where students learn to do things independently. I think a real sign of success is when you can walk away and student can independent think and do the science and learning on their own.

-regular meetings for beginning teacher. It is important to build a strong network of beginning teachers so they can share experiences and support each other. An online platform could be used to share successes and challenges.

-regular meetings for mentors - mentors need to know how to coach a beginning teacher. Building a network of mentors would build the capacity and leadership skills of the mentor teachers.

-The meetings should be based on feedback from the beginning teachers and mentors regarding their needs (ie. assessments, parent-teacher conferences, how do I call for a TOC, etc.) **

How would these supports be suggested?

I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you mean how do we get feedback from the begining and mentor teachers regarding their needs? We get these by emailing, sending out feedback forms and having informal conversations with beginning and experiences teachers. ** 9a. Have you ever been a mentor (informal or formal)?

Yes - formally twice

Informally - often for new teachers. In the last school I was at, I was the only young female Science teacher. Many of the new teachers coming in to the school were my age, and as a result, felt more comfortable having me as a mentor. I'm not sure that I did a good job as a mentor. I regularly checked in with the beginning teacher and had meaningful conversations about the curriculum, assessment, parent-teacher interviews, classroom management, etc. We also had conversations about extracurricular demands and balancing work and personal life. As a new teacher, I know it is easy to get caught up in the every day demands of the classroom. It can overtake your life! I also tried to make sure that the beginning teacher knew that there were many opportunities to participate in workshops and conferences, but it was NOT necesssarily a need to do them all in your first year. 9b. What are/were your experiences as a mentor?

I am currently part of the Mentoring Team at the Richmond School Board Office. The mentoring program has changed significantly over the past year. IN the past, beginning teachers went to an induction workshop at the beginning of the year, chose a mentor and then had $250 to spend to help enrich their first year experience.

Why has the program changed? How would you compare (evaluate) the two? Change in leadership - last year, our new assistant superintendent had experienced the mentoring program. She felt that we needed to work "smarter" with our beginning teachers. Beginning teachers were eager and coming out to many workshops, but she realized that beginning teachers and their mentors needed unique support, and this is why the "new" program has been developed.

The program is different because it: -provides support for both the mentor and beginning teacher - there are workshops that are together and some that are separate -more based on feedback from community of teachers -run by a team that includes the Assistant Superintendent, a District Administrator, teacher consultants. -regular workshop and networking sessions

The new mentoring program is now a 6 part series which includes: -4 mentoring & beginning teacher workshops

-2 beginning teacher only workshops

-1 mentoring teacher only workshop

Each of these workshops caters to the needs of the individuals groups and is shaped by the feedback that we receive. For the past two sessions, I have been facilitating conversations about balancing work and personal life and how self-assessments help students succeed.

I have also informally become mentors for a few people, especially in the area of teacher leadership. I am currently helping a new teacher consultant with her role a math teacher consultant. Despite the fact that my background is not in math, I have been able to help this teacher as she learns to work with other math teachers implement the new math curriculum. The main focus for me has been helping this new teacher consultant understand her role as a facilitator of conversations. She is not there to give answers.

The conversations have been fairly informal, through email and phone calls. We did however, have a couple of co-planning and co-teaching sessions where we collaborated about how to work with other teachers.

10. From a mentor's perspective, what supports do you think beginning teachers need? -TIME - to prep, collaborate, attend workshops, etc. -teachers should not be given the hardest loads - do not give them six preps!!!

-Classroom management

-Assessment strategies and Tools

-Reassurance

-Understand the cycle of a teacher - we all have our highs and lows!

11. As a mentor, how could you have been better supported? -More time with beginning teacher How much more time? -wish I could continue to learn how to be more effective as a mentor (ie. communication, what do beginning teachers need the most support with?) How do you know that you aren't a highly effective mentor already?

There's always room for improvement. This isn't to say that the mentor is not effective...

12. Additional Comments. **