How hard can it be?

I find that people outside of education often take for granted the tremendous thought and planning that goes into teaching.  First, teachers have to figure out what to teach carefully reviewing curriculum guides and state standards.  Then, they have to figure out how to teach.  They need to break down those broad skills and concepts into manageable, bite-size chunks of information that are meaningful and developmentally appropriate for their students, and then, figure out exactly how to present that information in a way that will help their children learn.  In addition to all of this, teachers are responsible for designing assessments that accurately measure their students' progress. Through the data gathered in those assessments, they are able to adjust their lesson plans and cater instruction to meet the needs of each individual student. 

 

Not such a simple process when you step back and think about it, right?  It takes time, effort, and most importantly, reflection, to lead students to academic success.  This summer, I am excited to work with a group of new Teach For America corps members as they begin this journey into teaching.  I will be coaching them as they develop the foundational knowledge, skills, and mindsets that will enable them to plan, execute, reflect, and problem-solve in their classrooms, and ultimately ensure the success of their students. I am eager to see how much they can learn over the course of our five weeks together, and how they are ultimately able to apply that knowledge to their classrooms this summer and in the fall.  More updates about this journey are sure to come!

Two (or more!) heads are better than one

As a novice teacher, I am constantly looking for ways to improve my technique and expand my repertoire of ideas for the classroom.  I am enrolled in a Masters of Education degree program at George Mason University, read research articles about effective teaching, observe other teachers at my school, and – arguably most importantly – collaborate frequently with my colleagues. 

 

I am fortunate to work in a school that has five early childhood teachers – four Head Start teachers and me, the preschool teacher. All five of us work closely together on a regular basis.  We share ideas about unit plans, assessments, field trips, best practices, and challenges that we are facing in the classroom.   Each of us comes from a different background and brings a slightly different perspective to each conversation – one teacher is certified as an English as a Second Language teacher, one is a former special education teacher, one worked in a Montessori school, and one worked at a non-profit designed to increase access to books in elementary schools.  We all have different areas of expertise, and because we collaborate frequently, we are all able to draw upon each other to improve our own teaching and by extension, our students’ achievement. 

 

In addition to collaborating with teachers at my school, I also collaborate with other Teach For America corps members on a regular basis.  We share documents and ideas over a listserv, problem solve together, and come together once per month for professional development (PD).   This past weekend at PD I had the opportunity to lead a session about tracking data in early childhood, share resources with first year teachers, and engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the relationship between developmentally appropriate practices and rigor in early childhood.  Even as I was leading a session, I was taking in ideas from other corps members; one participant showed me a system that she was using to track reading levels for her students, and I immediately thought about how I could modify it to keep track of Suniah and Makiera’s reading progress. 

 

Observing Teach For America alumni's classrooms and hearing them talk about their current endeavors is also another tremendous benefit of this PD.  Just this weekend I was in a pre-k classroom with a “Book-Star Hall of Fame” – a fabulous display of books that the class has read and studied, and something that I definitely want to implement in my classroom.  Last month I learned about an organization – Women Empowered in Education  – that an alumna is starting to promote women in the field of early education.  

 

I credit these tremendous opportunities for collaboration – both within my school and within Teach For America – with much of my professional growth as a teacher.  I have had the opportunity to learn from other people’s successes and challenges, engage in discussions that challenge my own thinking, and contextualize my daily work within the broader issue of education and the achievement gap.  In the end, I am a better teacher, and my students are better equipped for success.  

Early Childhood Education and Career Summit

Having worked as a pre-k advocate and a classroom teacher, I know that there is more than one way to influence the realm of early childhood education.  We need people on all levels -- national, state, local, and school -- to understand the benefits of pre-k and work relentlessly together to advance educational opportunities for our youngest children.  For this reason, I was truly inspired to attend the Early Childhood Education and Career Summit hosted by Teach For America and CityBridge Foundation this past weekend.

The summit was designed to help second year Teach For America early childhood corps members -- teachers who are in the final year of their Teach For America teaching commitment -- understand the myriad of ways that they can stay involved and influence early childhood education in the future.  We heard from expert teachers who have taken on leadership roles within their schools, policy experts who are working to close the achievement gap, education entrepreneurs who have developed creative strategies to increase student achievement, and an employee from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education who oversees early childhood education in Washington, D.C.  Additionally, we had the opportunity to learn from a Washington, D.C. school board member and council member, both of whom are tremendous supporters of pre-kindergarten education.

Hearing from such passionate advocates -- from teachers to policy makers -- was truly inspiring.  It was fascinating to hear how each person got "hooked on" pre-k, and how they've been working relentlessly to increase the quality of and access to pre-k for all 3 and 4 year olds in the country. 

 

This weekend put my daily work in the classroom into a broader perspective by reminding me of all that I can do, while still teaching, to help advance pre-k in Washington, D.C. and nationwide. Writing to my council member and school board member, participating in advocacy campaigns, and advocating for the needs of students within my school were just a few of the examples provided.

I'm energized to think beyond the classroom about how I can have the greatest effect on the educational trajectories of young children. Having high-quality teachers is one piece of the puzzle, but it's not the ultimate solution.  I firmly believe that to truly close the achievement gap, we need a "massive force of leaders who have the insight and conviction that comes from teaching in low-income communities" (Teach For America, Our Mission and Approach). 

I am only in my second year of teaching, and for right now, I believe that the best place for me is in the classroom.  I love helping my students discover and learn new skills, and I know that I am helping to close the achievement gap by sending my students off to four-year-old pre-k prepared with the social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language skills they need to be successful.  In the long term, regardless of what career path I ultiamtely take, my work will be guided by my experiences in the classroom and a commitment to the belief that all children deserve an excellent education. 

"Three Months Off"

One of my greatest pet peeves as a teacher is when I encounter non-teaching civilians in the streets who upon introduction say, “Oh, you’re a teacher, you get summers off; that must be nice!” Anyone who is a teacher or is related to one knows that nothing could be further from the truth.  We teachers earn our summers off.  And even during those "three months off," we're still constantly working.   

During the summer months I run myself ragged trying to prepare for a new school year.  I attend many workshops and in-services, I spend time on the internet researching new ideas to try in my classroom, I read books on, about, and by teachers, and in my "spare" time, I organize, arrange, restock, and prepare my classroom for the upcoming school year.

I typically have so many things I want to accomplish over the summer that I create a special summer calendar. Prioritizing tasks and setting realitsic deadlines enables me to budget my time wisely and avoid getting needlessly overwhelmed. Some items on my summer calendar are big projects that I will work on continuously throughout the summer, like making new take-home packs. Others are short and easy, for example buying new birthday crowns at the teacher store.

One thing I have learned to do is to carve out time for myself in my summer calendar. If I don’t schedule time for me, I feel robbed of a vacation and don't have the energy needed to kick off a new and successful school year.  Besides, it’s fun to explore new things I don’t have time for during the school year! This year I'll be writing lessons for a local preschool summer camp, visiting family in Michigan, giving workshops to teachers, reading for pleasure (I can’t wait for Janet Evanovich’s new book!), and working on my website.

So, word to the wise for all you non-teachers civilians out there: never imply that teachers have three months off in the summer!

Investing in Pre-K Teachers and Parents

[This entry was contributed by guest blogger Marissa Castro Mikoy, the director of the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Incentive Program at CentroNía, an educational community-based organization in Washington, D.C.]

As a pre-k program administrator, it can be easy to think, "I have a great curriculum, classrooms full of top-notch materials - we are all set." Experience has taught me that providing a high-quality program takes much more, from the cultivation of parent involvement to professional development that meets the needs of each teacher. Many components must converge and be fostered to achieve "high quality." Here are my thoughts on a couple of these key pieces.

Teachers: Just having "great" teachers does not necessarily translate to a high-quality program. It is imperative that programs invest in teachers and nurture their professional development. Through the program I lead at CentroNía, funds are available for all teachers to continue their education. In fact, we have a number of teachers who have gone back to school to obtain an associate's or bachelor's degree in early childhood education. Our program benefits not only from having better-prepared teachers but also from having teachers who reciprocate and invest even more of themselves in our center.

Families: The development of a strong family involvement plan is just as important. At CentroNía, we host monthly Family Nights, a time when parents share food and conversation while teachers and staff help them learn about the program curriculum, child development, parenting strategies, and more. Through these events, our families begin to view each other, not just our staff, as resources and supports. I have seen parents of different cultural and economic backgrounds develop relationships at these meetings, and one parent I know of organized a weekend play group based on relationships forged at Family Night.

At an even deeper level, Family Night helps us identify parents interested in serving on the city-wide Parent Advisory Council. Parents from each of D.C.'s 17 Pre-K Incentive Program organizations sit on the council, and among other things have helped organize written testimony and support for the city's publicly-funded program, igniting greater family involvement and advocacy at many pre-k centers.

When families, teachers, and program staff have opportunities like these to interact, form bonds, and grow, I believe the result is a strong, collaborative team that works energetically to sustain the high quality standards all parties desire.

My thanks to all of you readers and Sophia for letting me share a little about CentroNía and the D.C. Pre-K Incentive Program with you over the past week. I look forward to reading your entries and comments and responding with more of my own stories.