#train teachers

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Excited by Growth

When I wake up in the morning, get dressed, and head to work, my thought is always on how can I make today better. How can I get my students to buy in? How do I get them excited to stretch themselves through the challenges and not shirk away? For me, one of the greatest joys as a teacher is seeing my students grow and succeed in their endeavors. There is a rewarding feeling knowing that you played a role in making a difference. I enjoy hearing my students say "Ms. Bhalai, I got it" and actually do have it. There is an amazing feeling as a teacher to see your students' heads burrowed in their books and working with the person sitting next to them to solve a problem. To hear them debating with each other the accuracy of a solution makes you feel that you are doing your job well. In my class, I like the feeling of a controlled chaotic energy, meaning I am never sure where my students may take the topic. However, I want to see and hear their mistakes because it makes me aware of the misconceptions they have. As I complete informal checks of/for understanding throughout the class, I am assessing their responses, I am checking their notebooks to see how they set up their problems, and I am looking at the connections they are making. In doing this, I am able to formulate my analysis on where my students are in the midst of teaching a topic. It also helps to inform my next steps in moving forward in this topic. The ultimate goal is for the students to make and show progress in all that is being taught. If there is no progress, then there is a gap in the teaching-learning continuum. As a teacher, it should always be a professional goal to not only stretch your students to excel, but to also stretch oneself. Constantly identify and implement strategies that promote learning and encourages student growth. We have to let our students know that they are capable of learning and provide them with the resources needed to tap into their potential. Lastly, we need to set the foundation in which our students know that we believe in their ability to realize success. Kemouy Bhalai 2011 NYC Teaching Fellow Middle school special education math

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“From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome” -Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus

Sitting in classrooms across a school in Queens, students work to complete their response to the question “What is my American dream?” These young people are immigrants, the twenty-first century subjects of public comment and the “homeless tempest-tost” arrivals referred to in the poem at the base of the New York Harbor’s iconic statue. They are among the 43% of our city’s students who speak a language other than English in the home. They come from vastly differing circumstances: they include the children of a central Asian diplomat, an orphan fleeing central American gang violence, a brother and sister recently reunited with their eastern European father and refugees of political upheaval in west Africa. Theirs cultural, linguistic and educational experiences may differ, but they share a deep and abiding motivation that drew them here: the hope of a better future. The needs are apparent to anyone who takes the time to look closer. English language learners are among the most challenged students in our school system. According to figures released by the Department of Education, just 40.5% graduated on time in 2016, compared to a Citywide average over 70%. New to English students must navigate an unfamiliar school system in a new language that follows norms other than those they are familiar with. New state examinations have increased the linguistic complexity of the commencement-level assessments, adding a further barrier to their demonstration of content mastery. Compounded by the modest economic circumstances of many recently arrived families, it is not hard to find evidence to explain their struggles. But at some schools, the graduation rates for English language learners more closely approximate the city average for all students. These schools and their teachers focus on building upon the strengths of these learners while providing supports to help them to maintain academic progress as they develop English proficiency. Getting to know these students allows one to see beyond their obstacles and appreciate deep reserves of ability within them. Each of them has a particular ability to relate across cultures, an important trait in our globalized times. A student who has overcome challenging circumstances learns a resilience that those from more comfortable upbringings may not have the need to discover. As their voices join to our chorus, they become part of our ongoing narrative of what it means to be an American. Teachers are among the first and most influential representatives of our city and they offer a gateway to the dreams our students came here to pursue. Education remains the best opportunity students have to find a better future. We work in the hope business, and it is through our shared, sustained efforts that we do the hard work of translating those dreams into new and better reality. We lift our lamps beside golden doors. Anthony Finney 2004 NYC Teaching Fellow Principal International High School of Health Sciences

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TEACH!

TEACH! Tenacious. Excited by growth. Agile. Centered on Students. Hopeful. As a New York City public school teacher and as a New York City Teaching Fellow, I have learned and continue to learn what it really means to TEACH! This acronym, this action I proudly call my profession and do whole-heartedly every day Monday through Friday. Every day I aim to instruct, reflect and improve my practice with tenacity. Every day I aim to excite my students about the exponential growth they can achieve through school. Every day I aim to be as agile as possible when students don’t understand a newly taught concept and skill and I rely on my experience and teaching tools to re-teach or re-explain the content in a way that is memorable and meaningful for students. Every day I enter my classroom and look at each one of my students with hope that through my lessons and dedication to my job and, most of all, them that they will achieve greatness in all areas of school-- academically, socially, behaviorally-- now and in the future. Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about “centered on students”. The way I am able to achieve the T, the E, the A, and the H is by centering the entire school day about my students. From 8:20 in the morning to 2:40pm-- and of course when I plan-- if you walk into my classroom, every lesson, every material, every modification and accommodation has been carefully implemented or selected based on the learning needs of my students. Read Aloud is my favorite period to center around students. First of all, Read Aloud is requires students to engage in reading a book that is just above most of my students’ actual reading levels which ensures that the text they are reading is rigorous. The purpose of read aloud is to teach my students conversation skills. Believe it or not, a child needs to be taught how to have a conversation and learn how to respectfully agree and disagree with peers. I am able to teach my students these skills by supporting them while reading the text to them so they get a clear understanding of the story through model fluency, intonation, and affect. Additionally, I stop at pre-planned spots in the text to ask thoughtful questions for students to think about and answer. These questions more often than not ask students to take what they have learned about the story and apply it to their lives. Having students apply concepts and skills to their own lives makes learning personal and engages and motivates students to complete the task(s). Students are then asked to turn-and-talk with a partner or two to share their personal connections and thoughts to the story or they are asked to engage in whole group conversation. Both activities are providing students the opportunity to practice having a conversation and improve their reading and comprehension skills by making real life connections to the text. Creating a learning environment that is based around your students makes learning memorable and applicable to the students and the world around them. By centering learning around students, and when students are able to apply their learning in the classroom to the world around them they are passing along the tenacity, excitement, agility, and hope you bring the the classroom on a daily basis. Now, go TEACH! Ariel Bender 2014 NYC Teaching Fellow Elementary special education

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What does it mean to be centered on students?

Being a middle school science teacher in a small school means that I get to work with the best parts of the science curriculum (I’m not biased at all) and I have an opportunity to really get to know my students. It also means that I teach students in some of their most formative years. This is something that I am acutely aware of while planning for my classes. Any teacher will tell you that they cater to their student’s interests and make every effort to make their content relatable. But why? Why rework a curriculum year after year to meet the ever changing focus of a 7th grader? Every single student who sits in my classroom has a different story. Some students want to be pilots, some want to be doctors; some students are inspired by technology, some have never touched a computer before entering my room. 16% of my students have documented learning disabilities. Half are male. I could continue for pages about the multifacet group of children that I teach. As a teacher, I am tasked with making learning an equitable experience. PST stresses the value of 5 culture tenets, being Tenacious, Agile, Excited by growth, Centered on students and Hopeful. While they are all integral pieces of what makes a successful teacher, I find significant motivation in being centered on students. My classroom is an ever evolving space where students move around, teach each other and explore the world around them. They have an opportunity to have their voice heard and their opinion tallied. In order to captivate my audience, adjusting and targeting specific new interests is key. I wish I could speak to one specific skill or easily identified thing that every teacher can do be centered on students. Are there diverse images presented to students? Are there proper scaffolds to each lesson to ensure there are multiple entry points for learners at any level? Can the content of the lesson be related to other classes and real world issues? How are parents and communities being encouraged to connect to the school? There is no one item or short checklist that covers the demands of this tenet so it requires a multipronged approach. In my classroom I provide leveled texts to students to encourage struggling readers to access grade level content. To meet the new expectations of technology in careers, I brought coding into my classroom. Even in testing, I explore new ways to use a digital medium to focus on college readiness. I create conscientious groupings to help facilitate shared learning experiences that promote success and growth for all students. NYCTF boasts that they are “preparing a critical mass of exceptional teachers committed to a better future for the NYC students who need them most.” I was trained to have this mission engrained in my practice and I find it hard to put my finger on specifically what instances best capture being centered on students. It’s in the little moments and the planning. I experience the greatest reward in the form of active engagement and student growth. Students know that when they walk in my class there is something for them to learn and a way to express their new or improved knowledge. Sarah Gotimer 2013 NYC Teaching Fellow Middle school general science

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Teachers must be tenacious in the classroom

Teachers wear many hats. I need to teach my students reading and writing, of course, but there is a myriad of other responsibilities a teacher must be equipped to handle. On any given day, I can be an actor, motivational speaker, nurse, mentor, coach, judge, comedian, but I am always an advocate for my students. Being tenacious, for me, is not accepting the status quo that has left many of my student performing below grade level. As time passes, and you are with the same students day-in and day-out, you realize you become deeply invested. For countless teachers that could mean spending time after school to give a student or two some extra math problems, rehearsing your lesson the night before to ensure you nail it, or bringing in an apple for that student you know is too stubborn to eat school lunch. The drive that we all share is wanting our students to succeed. In the south Bronx, where I teach, most of my students are first or second generation immigrants. Although I teach in middle school, many still struggle with spelling. It would be impossible for me to correct each spelling error, on every assignment. This year, we decided to try and tackle the issue. As a grade team, we developed a system to teach key spelling rules that students should have learned back in the third. Although we could not spend too much time on the lessons, we were able to come up with at least 30 minutes of spelling instruction and practice. Now, I realize this is not revolutionary, but my students needed this additional support. Since the focus is always on student needs, tenacious teachers are continuously developing and reflecting on those needs. For our Pre-Service Training, tenacity is thriving for feedback and wanting to improve. The New York City Teaching Fellows do an amazing job of preparing fellows to be in the classroom on the first day of school. They do this by providing fellows with coaches that are available to provide in the moment, actionable feedback. Tenacity comes when that fellow goes back in the room and improves their instruction because it matters so much for the student in the class. When I look at the variety of things I do on a given day at school, I can only laugh thinking about how much I have learned since PST. Damon Davis 2014 NYC Teaching Fellow Middle school special education English language arts

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REASONS TO ATTEND AND PRESENT AT AN EDUCATION CONFERENCE ASAP! When you are a new teacher, it may seem like nothing you do is particularly original. But, in fact, your different perspective can oftentimes lead to innovative practices. One way to learn more about and from pioneers in your field is to attend a national conference. You might discover that you do have a lot to share. TESOL 2016 This April I attended and presented at the 2016 TESOL Convention in Baltimore. Technology and language teaching has always been of interest to me and so, it has led me to incorporate several practices such as flipping the classroom, digital storytelling, and most recently, using tech apps to publish student writing. I knew that this practice was not widespread especially in the elementary classroom so I submitted a proposal to share my best practices in the form of a teaching tip. Presenting: Why to put yourself out there in the field? Not only does this add a bullet to your resume, but it prepares you for teacher leadership roles such as providing school or district professional development or coaching new teachers. As teachers, we know how to truncate information, include lots of guided practice, and check for understanding. Still, speaking to adults with a lot of background knowledge is a very different skill. Attending a conference allows you to learn from the best in the field. For more on that check out Roxanna Elden’s tips on teacher communication verse media communication. Funding: How do I pay for this? It is best to start attending conferences while a graduate student because it is likely several organizations affiliated with your school of education provide grants to students. But after graduate study, the organizations themselves offer funding. It is important to look for funding early because the deadlines are months prior to the conference. To support your application discuss who will be impacted by your attendance and gather letters of recommendations. This year, I received the TESOL Professional Development Scholarship, which funded my attendance. Learning and Networking: How do I make the most of my time? There are so many offerings at conferences that it is easily overwhelming. Some tips: don’t be persuaded solely by a catchy title or a hip topic. Instead, attend sessions that are given by the researchers you read about in graduate school and by teachers that teach in the same grade band as you. Always, have two go-to sessions scheduled at the same time just in case one doesn’t turn out to be what you expected. Every year, I come away with new ideas and a mass of resources that have impacted my teaching and my students. Another tip is to seek out volunteer opportunities. Volunteering expands your teacher community and provides valuable time to discuss everything you’ve been learning with other professionals. Finally, look out for your state’s version of the national association sponsoring the conference. It is likely they will have a mixer event, which is an excellent time to network and to learn about additional professional endeavors of your peers. Don’t forget a business card! Beyond the resources and relationships you build, conferences provide true scope. You gain key insight into other state’s education challenges. You begin to understand multiple types of teaching and entries into the profession. Moreover, you are able to distinguish between commonalities and obscurities across the field, which are likely to reinvigorate your practice. Bottom line: a more focused, creative teacher practice equals better classrooms. Emily Lepkowski NYC Teaching Fellow Elementary ESL Teacher, NYC

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The NYCTF tagline is Bring your best. Teach. What does this mean to you?

Teachers are a special breed of professionals. We are expected to teach, motivate, and engage students, work independently and work on a team. Our job begins before most other professionals and ends much later than 3pm-- regardless of what society says. There is a written and an unwritten expectation to bring your best every day. Bringing the best to the classroom can differ from teacher to teacher. Bringing my best to the classroom means I am prepared with quality lesson plans and I bring my best teacher self to tackle all challenges and tasks, both academic and more. Attacking each lesson with confidence and zeal; delivering instruction that is accessible for all levels of learners are just other ways I bring my best to the classroom. As a teacher, you don’t just affect one student, or one class; you make an impact on students in all grades. As a fourth grade teacher I bring my best and try to motivate third graders want to be in my class the following school year because of the fun projects and engaging classwork I plan for my students. The same way I motivate third graders to bring it to fourth grade, I make sure that my hard work and dedication to teaching makes the fifth graders wish they had me as a teacher. Bringing it as a teacher is also way more than being an academia. Sometimes bringing your best means teacher and student swap roles and you bring your best listening skills when meeting with that student to discuss behavior in the classroom. And, sometimes bring it can look like working with a team of teachers on a project that you really want to work on solo. Most of all, bringing you best means even at your highest of high moments, like perfecting a lesson, watching the light bulb illuminate when your lowest student “get’s it” and that “ah-ha” moment when your highest student has figured out another way to explain a newly learned concept or skill, and at your lowest of low moments, like when it’s one of those days and your students are off the wall and everything that can go wrong inside of the classroom does go wrong, and you can reflect on everything that has happened and wonder to yourself, “hmmm, okay. Now how can I do better? How can I have more students explain this concept in a new way? Or, how can I re-teach this lesson so I can check for student understanding?” That’s when a teacher, myself included, really brings one’s best! Ariel Bender Elementary Special Education NYC Teaching Fellows