Mr Hammerlund

One of the drawbacks to trying to complete this course over the summer is that I am relatively on my own. While I could send emails to my coworkers who are off resting during their break, I prefer to not bother them. So there are a few things I could not do to make this plan more robust, but school starts in two weeks, and at that time I can make the necessary changes that need to be made. Throughout the summer I had been writing down my ideas for the upcoming year. So when we got to this point, I had something I could fall back on (see Jim Collins Good to Great ). But it didn't come to me at first and I had to play with a few ideas before I had my plan. The first plan I made didn't have a school-wide goal. Which could be OK because I will be able to go to school tomorrow and talk to someone, but the group I chose to use was not very solid. That's when I thought back and decided to use the Elementary Team. I am excited to get this plan underway for a few reasons. It .....

This module is based on a sample scenario. What is Mr. Park's most important coaching role? In this scenario, the school is new to coaching (as well as the Mr. Park) and with most teachers, I think it would be best to ease into the role. Using this as a guide , I think the two scenarios Mr. Park should take are: Classroom Supporter Mentor Bust since this is supposed to be a single role, I'll go with Classroom Supporter.  I think both roles are important, but of the two, I think coaches should be in classrooms as much as possible, hence, classroom supporter. Whom should Mr. Park coach? In this scenario, there are two groups of teachers interested in working with the coach: Group 1 is not experienced, Group 2 is a little more experienced. This is a hard call to make, but since the coaching program is new, I think the choice would be to work with the more experienced and confident group first. That way, this group could get up and running  and be used as a support ...

What roles will you take when coaching?  What roles and responsibilities will the peers you collaborate with assume? Review the list of example norms below.   Norms Creating norms for a group, even groups as small as two participants, establishes a set of ground rules to help teams work together more efficiently. When establishing norms, consider the following key categories: Time Decision making Listening Participation Confidentiality Expectations   - (Delehant and von Frank, 2007) Sample Norms Begin and end on time Stay on agenda Reach decisions by consensus Listen respectfully Observe basic conversational courtesies Listen attentively Attend all meetings Discuss issues, not people Honor confidentiality Silence all cell phones Respect questions Monitor your own airtime Do assignments prior to meetings Hold yourself personally accountable Respect the group Attend to goals and objectives Limit distract...

Scenario: Ms. Kim works with a fourth grade team at her school. She always leaves her door open to encourage her colleagues to feel free to come in, and if she is busy she acknowledges their presence and arranges to meet them as soon as possible. She sends the team regular emails with Internet resources she feels they may be able to use and then encourages them to have candid conversations about what kinds of skills and support they may need to use these resources in their classrooms. She visits their classrooms often to model lessons, co-teach or just observe. The teachers feel comfortable with Ms. Kim because they know she has knowledge to share and will not be judgmental about their abilities. I have always tried to put myself into the shoes of my colleagues and think what I would want if I were in their shoes. The above graphic shows what I basically try to do. 1. Don't Make Extra Work For People The first thing that stood out to me in the above paragraph was th...

Behaviors That Build Trust in the Workplace Acts consistently and responsibly Listens attentively to others' ideas Uses communication skills to promote open discussion Keeps promises and commitments Is open minded Advocates for others Communicates accurately, openly and honestly Treats others with respect Displays compassion for others Shows confidence in others' abilities Respects others' time Maintains a strong focus on teaching and learning Strives to be knowledgeable Is committed to personal success for self and others Listens to and values what others say Actively encourages others Really? I am supposed to choose those that would be critical for me to adopt? They are all important. Of the above behaviors, I chose the following five: Listens attentively to others' ideas Advocates for others Communicates accurately, openly and honestly Maintains a strong focus on teaching and learning Is committed to personal success for self and oth...

When I did PYP training (Making the PYP Happen), I was fortunate to be able to do it all in a weekend. It was a whirlwind weekend, but it was over after two days plus some online time. I was able to do my MYP training this past school year. It was not the best timing (Is it ever?) but I feel I learned a lot in that short time. My wife is in the middle of her MYP training, and it got me thinking about an effective online PD. During the first two weeks of her training, the facilitator was online every day. The pace of the workshop was set. The facilitator gave about four assignments a week, which were then turned in and commented on. It was pretty intense, but it looked like a worthwhile effort. Then suddenly the facilitator was not online for a few days. I said that it is probably just because it is summer and the facilitator is on vacation too. My words rang hollow. The precedent had already been set that the facilitator would be online daily and assignments would b...

What roles will you take when coaching?  Facilitator - Planning and leading meetings, activities, and staff development in one-on-one, small group, or large group situations. Collaborator - Working together with colleagues to plan, implement, and evaluate activities. Expert  - Acting as a subject matter expert on a variety of topics. Catalyst  - Helping teachers reflect on and improve their practice by using questions strategies and skills that assist colleagues to become effective instructional decision makers.  What  other roles  might you take on as a coach? Innovator - Very quickly I found myself helping to create a coaching plan and an idea for peer mentoring, as well as helping teachers integrate new tools into their lessons. Many of these happen on a school-wide scale that includes PD. The coach connects teachers in the building to new ideas. Sounding Board - Teachers often came to me with ideas they had. Many times it was just to...

First Example ROLES COACH ADOPTED Co-planning technology-rich, active, engaging learning activities with collaborating teachers. Helping teachers adapt and adopt innovative examples of standards-based, technology-rich projects that are relevant to participating teachers. STAGES OF THE COACHING CYCLE USED Prepare Reflect (students assess, but by whom?) IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING reactions: Tom said, “Pat has helped me move into 21st Century Teaching!” Students learned about multiple authors instead of one. After the project, Pat surveyed students and they responded that they were more engaged in their learning during this task than previous assignments. stated objectives: Reading 3b. Organize information from resource materials and communicate findings effectively Writing 1. The student writes clearly and effectively . 1.1 Develop concept and design c. Focuses text clearly to hold reader’s attention to make a point , tell a story, or describ...

Image via The ISTE Coaching Academy Review the possible roles and responsibilities and think about which would make the most sense for you to adopt. ROLES Providing just-in-time, just enough advice or training on teaching strategies, or integrating technology. Co-planning technology-rich, active, engaging learning activities with collaborating teachers. Helping teachers adapt and adopt innovative examples of standards-based, technology-rich projects that are relevant to participating teachers. Modeling or team teaching and reflection Observing teachers and encouraging reflection on learning activities RESPONSIBILITIES Working with fellow teachers and administrators to determine the most appropriate use of coaching resources. Aligning coaching with the existing school professional development initiatives. Coaching one or more teachers consistently over an entire school year. Tracking coaching work using appropriate tools, for example, a log or record of c...

Part A: Coach Attributes   The characteristics or qualities a coach brings to the job are critical to a coach’s success and will shape the roles a coach plays. Jot down your ideas on the qualities that would be desirable for a coach to possess.  You may also want to ask a peer to define a few desirable coach qualities. positive / approachable You will not ask someone for help whom you don't like or trust (I suppose trustworthy should be another characteristic) , so a good coach should be approachable. When I think of the people I approach for advice, one commonality they all have is that they are positive people and creative problem solvers. (I suppose I could have added curious, or problem solver to this list as well) . risk taker - willing to try new ideas A coach will encounter a wide range of lesson ideas -- not all will be in one's comfort zone. Teachers want to work with someone who is willing to try their ideas as well as give them ideas. ...

Computational Thinking (CT)  is a problem solving process that includes a number of characteristics and dispositions. CT is essential to the development of computer applications, but it can also be used to support problem solving across all disciplines, including the humanities, math, and science. Students who learn CT across the curriculum can begin to see a relationship between academic subjects, as well as between life inside and outside of the classroom.   From the Google Computational Thinking for Educators Course  When I think of computational thinking, I lean towards this definition. Nowhere in this definition does it talk about coding. While I think coding is an important skill, it is not for everyone. However, being able to problem solve is a skill for everyone. Last year I was teaching the third-grade different aspects of Google Slides. I brought them through many aspects of how to use Slides and finally got to animation. Google Slides, and I a...

The following are this course's Characteristics of Effective PD: ==== I had a few of these down in my own reflection, but I did not think of a few. On the job or job-embedded The GLT Center has a long definition in this report , but in summary ( p. 2 ): grounded in day-to-day practice deals with authentic and immediate problems part of a continuous cycle aligned to standards and school goals Looking through these, even the most influential PD I say I have had cannot be described as this. But a few I can think of have been adoptions of initiatives such as the PYP, MYP, Singapore Math, and different reading and writing programs.  I think coaching also falls into this category. Connected to classroom practice, pedagogy, and content Most all of the PD I have taken has, thankfully, been directly related to what I am doing in the classroom.  Shaped by data This is something I do not know whether the PD I have taken (as well...