MSM #22 Advisory, News and You

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Teaching Ambassador Fellowship
http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/index.html

Margaret Spellings is asking teachers with three years or more classroom experience to apply to be an “Ambassador” teacher and consult with the Department of Education on the application of No Child Left Behind. There are three levels of participation. Twenty-Five Teacher Ambassadors will be selected from applicants who are highly qualified and paid an hourly rate. 20 Classroom Fellows will be selected and paid a stipend on an hourly rate and 5 will be Washington Fellows and work on a one year contract for the Department of Education out of Washington D.C. itself. The participants will put together a project for them to complete during the year and the U.S. Department of Ed. will provide resources to finding funding through grants and other sources. Collaboration will be encouraged after the program is over in June of 2009. Applicants have to demonstrate an impact on student achievement, potential for contribution to the field and leadership qualities.

Teams that Make a Difference Award – NMSA

Know a team that has done an outstanding job implementing the middle school concept, give ’em some NMSA recognition!

Advisory Idea: Teaching Moments – Educational Ownership – Homework Help
http://www.teachingmoments.com/ (a curriculum)

Goal Setting for Students is divided into eight sections:

  • What is Success
  • Principles of Goal Setting
  • Samples & Practice
  • Investing in Yourself
  • Measuring Your Progress
  • Meeting the Challenges
  • How to Get Started
  • Summary

The website promotes their book with the above sections. In addition to the book, there is an email component that provides regular features and topics. I love the initial sentence on the Teacher page, “Teachers want you to succeed but YOU have to help them!” On the website are free resources called “Teaching Moments” and many are archived for quick usage. Here’s what a sample looks like:

10 Ways to Help Your Teacher

Your teachers want you to succeed, but YOU have to help them.
They teach you about a particular subject like science, math, or English. And they do much, much more.

In combination with your parents, teachers show you how to take responsibility, how to get along with others, how to handle stress, how to improve your communication skills and how to believe in yourself. They teach you how to manage your time, how to set goals, and how to make better personal decisions. So how can you help them?

10 Ways to Help Your Teachers

  1. Listen – really listen – in class
  2. Improve your note-taking skills
  3. Take part in the class discussions
  4. Review your subject notes before class
  5. If necessary, change your seat assignment
  6. Do an extra-credit project
  7. Ask questions
  8. Double check your homework and test material before handing them in
  9. Hand your homework in on time
  10. Two days before a test, do some additional studying in that subject area

Teachers have goals, called lesson plans, for each of their classes. For example, how do you teach students about the metric system if they have never been exposed to the concept? A lesson plan is a step-by-step breakdown of how the teacher plans to accomplish this task. Then, how do teachers measure how well you are learning the material?

You guessed it. Tests, quizzes, class participation and term papers are the tools they use to measure their success. They tell the teacher if your class needs further review or can move to a new topic.

Here’s the key. The above ten rules will help your teacher succeed. The bonus – you will succeed also.

Ideas for implementation:
Take one item for the week and work to improve in that area.
Show your teachers what you are doing and ask for their help.
As a student who is good in note taking to give you a couple of pointers.

Taken from: Teaching Moments at http://www.teachingmoments.com/Teaching-Moments-10-Ways-to-Help-Your-Teacher.html

Transitions: Smoothing the Way for Students and Parents –
In combination with your parents, teachers show you how to take responsibility, how to get along with others, how to handle stress, how to improve your communication skills and how to believe in yourself. They teach you how to manage your time, how to set goals, and how to make better personal decisions. So how can you help them?

What kids are concerned about:

  • Changing classes
  • Having multiple teachers
  • Not having recess
  • Peer Pressure
  • New Friends
  • Lockers & Locks
  • Finding the Bathroom
  • Changing into P.E. Clothes

Note: Survey your students to find their particular concerns and needs.

How to help:

  1. During Spring have 6th grades go back to the elementary schools
    1. Take work samples
    2. Explain how things really work
    3. Reassure the students
  2. Allow students to tour the building and ask questions
  3. Have a Parent Night to allow parents to tour the building and ask questions
  4. Distribute student schedules just before school starts

Wisconsin moves to Avert Court Shutdown of Virtual Schools:
From Education Week – January 30th edition:

Wisconsin lawmakers announced a compromise this week that would allow virtual schools to remain open and receive the same amount of state aid as they do now.
“Allowing parents to choose virtual schools helps keep Wisconsin a national leader in education policy,” said Mr. Davis, the chairman of the education committee in the state Assembly, the legislature’s lower chamber.
Virtual schools allow students to learn from home under the guidance of their parents and instructors who teach over the Internet.

They are a growing and popular option for families who want their children to learn from home instead of at traditional public schools.
But critics, such as teachers’ unions, have started to question their quality and complain they drain money from public schools. Some say they amount to taxpayer- subsidized home schooling.

“People are paying attention because online learning is really a growing phenomenon,” Ms. Patrick said of the Wisconsin controversy. “And for us to arbitrarily shut down online learning for students is a very dangerous precedent to set.”

Mr. Lehman said he was proud of the compromise, pointing to new rules that would require schools to provide a minimum number of hours of education per year and have parent advisory boards that meet regularly, among other provisions.