An interesting occurrence happened recently. I needed to be out of school for a day so I arranged to have a substitute. Although I have an intern, I do need to have a sub present as teacher of record. Now, getting a substitute for an ESE class can be a challenging task, but I was able to accomplish it. When I was finished preparing for my absence, I felt certain that all was ready. Upon my return to school however, I was greeted with tales of horror, of rudeness, tantrums, and of other student behaviors requiring that administration be brought in. My intern told me it was her "worst day ever." I take these comments to heart because I always want my class to run smoothly, whether I am there or not.
When reflecting on this incident, I remember vividly the feelings of frustration and sadness I felt when this kind of"worst day ever" occurred for me as an inexperienced teacher. The help I received came from friends, often educators as new to the field as I was. No instructional coach observed or mentored me, and no classroom management training was available. As I think about these issues, I feel the need for all teachers to have strong classroom management skills. In order for this to happen, team leaders, instructional coaches, and administrators will need to have a good understanding of the training provided for NEs. Since CHAMPs is part of the NTA ( New Teacher Academy,) it makes sense that personnel providing support to NEs should have a basic understanding of CHAMPs as well.
After further reflection, considering my recent conversation with my principal and reading the responses to my last posting, I realize I need to change a few things in my action research. I know for certain the administrator of my school is taking training in CHAMPs. I signed up to take the training myself in May. As a result of my reading these responses, studying the behavior management specialists, and many hours of thought on these issues, I am revising my question from:
"If classroom management is the priority need of NEs at my school, how do we change induction to meet their needs?"
to the following:
"If classroom management is a priority need for NEs and veteran teachers at my school, how can we change induction to provide support for all teachers in classroom management?"
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2 comments:
“I feel the need for all teachers to have strong classroom management skills. In order for this to happen, team leaders, instructional coaches, and administrators will need to have a good understanding of the training provided for NEs”
I agree that ICs should have a strong foundation in classroom management. When looking at the HOW is support provided to NEs in the area of classroom management, what data collection areas surface?
Can "worst day ever" be defined in speccific terms? Perhaps an itemized list of all the precise thigns that went wrong would hel your Intern understand the gaps. What role did the sub play? What has happended in the past when you have had a sub and no Intern? Have you considered asking the students for their input...how did they perceive the day?
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