Educator Onboarding
Welcome to our incredible district. We cannot thank you enough for the time, effort, and energy you are going to share with your school community and our district. Teachers make a huge difference in the lives of our students, and we have found that our students do the same for our teachers. Just as our students will make some mistakes along the way, we expect that you will as well; it’s part of the process. Below, we have an assortment of high-quality resources to help kickstart your learning and guide you along the way.
Getting Started
Below you will find a few resources and links that will help get you started on your incredible journey.
Setting up Your Classroom
Setting up your classroom may be more important than you think. Please use some of the videos and articles below to find key ways of sending all of your students the message that they are welcome and valued in your incredible learning environment.
Knowing Your Students
You are about to get the first classes of students you have ever had. How will you get to know them? How will you determine what they already know or what skills may not have developed yet? While diagnostic tools are an essential part of great teaching, getting a head start on knowing your students is extremely helpful. Consider reaching out to family members, previous teachers, guidance counselors, and social workers to fill yourself with valuable data and information that will help you meet the needs of your students even faster.
Establishing a Purpose
Every good lesson starts with the teacher sharing the purpose of learning. When students can articulate that purpose on their own and how it relates to their own identities, there is something special happening in the classroom.
Instructional Support
Creating lesson plans that authentically connect to your students is a high-leverage way to get your students engaged. Consider using these resources if you’d like to improve your practices with P2 on the Instructional Framework.
Rigor & Student Choice
When students are given a choice, they are able to have more ownership of their learning. When we provide rigorous instruction coupled with student choice, we are taking our students in the right direction!
Asking Questions
There are few things more impactful on student learning than asking the right questions, at the right time, in the right way. You can use intentional questions to deepen your students' learning of any concept.
https://tiie.w3.uvm.edu/blog/craft-questions-for-deeper-learning/
Feedback & Grading
As any great educator will tell you, it’s not just about the grades. Providing high-leverage feedback to improve student learning and allowing for a true iterative practice can take your student’s learning to the next level!
Grading/Grading Policy Required Training for all instructional staff: |
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To access the module, staff should log into Blackboard at www.bcpss.org and select the Staff Login Button. Once there, select the Infinite Campus icon and then select Teacher Tasks. The course link will be at the top of that page.
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City Schools Attendance Videos: |
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Student Interactions
White it may take time to develop a classroom where students are asking and answering each other’s questions, but it is definitely worth it. The best teachers are often ones who are almost invisible during parts of the lesson as they stand back and masterfully facilitate learning from afar and let the students take true ownership of their learning. (Visually label as T5)
Establishing Routines
When students know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, it is a lot easier for them to focus on why they are doing it. Clear student-directed routines help remove classroom distractions and create a sense of security so students can focus on the content of each lesson.
Reflective Practitioner
As a new teacher, you will make plenty of mistakes. The good news is that you are not alone; it happens to everyone! Being a reflective practitioner can help you improve your practices quickly and ensure the students are getting the best version of you possible. (Visually label as R1 & R2)
Classroom Culture & Management
Classrooms that have students who affirm, encourage, and support each other have been proven to achieve better learning outcomes. It is the work of the teacher to develop such a community with their students where all students feel safe and whole.
Helpful Resources & Articles
Great teachers are also great learners. Check out the articles below for some tips on how to be even more effective at your craft
Checklists save lives! Not serious, they do. Check out the TED Talk below, and consider how you could use checklists in your classroom to improve outcomes.