Teacher Induction Program
Update 3/22/21
With all the resources available to you, the amount of information can seem overwhelming at times. We are all here to help answer questions and support you. Your mentors, your peers, school leaders, and supervisors - along with the new teacher induction team - are united in our support for you.
Upcoming Dates of Interest
Friday, March 26, 2021 - Two Hour Early Dismissal (No School for Head Start and PreK Students, Professional Responsibilities)
Monday, March 29, 2021 - April 5, 2021 Spring Break (No School for Students and 10-11 month Employees)
Tuesday, April 6, 2021 - Instruction Resumes
April 7th New Teacher Seminar In-Person Sign-Up
Based on the feedback and success of the in-person option for New Teacher Seminar in March, we are offering it again!
The breakout session for the evening of April 7th will be time with content supervisors. Supervisors will be present at one of two school sites - Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary and Leonardtown Middle. To ensure social distancing, we will offer limited in-person seating at each site and the remainder of participants will login to virtually participate.
New Teacher Seminar Participants will need to sign up on this SHEET by Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
Teacher Self-Care Reminder
We have talked a great deal about the importance of self-care to prevent teacher burnout and provide balance between work and home life. However, many expressed concern about teacher burnout in the mid-year feedback.
To address this concern, we will provide recommendations for ways to take some time for yourself with each New Teacher Update!
Take Advantage of the Warming Weather
You survived the week after "Spring Forward" with earlier wake-up times and not nearly enough caffeine! The days are going to start to get longer in these first days of spring and the weather forecast says clear skies and temperatures in the 60s. It is time to shake off the winter frost and start soaking in some Vitamin D!
Self-Care Reminder: Schedule time in the afternoon this week to get outside.
Social distancing and limited capacity indoor venues mean that we have spent the winter months very isolated. You may still need a jacket, but the blistery winds are gone for another season and the outdoors offer more opportunities to get social and active.
Open you calendar and make some appointments with yourself or friends:
Invite the teacher in the next classroom to take a walk around the outside of the building after the duty day;
Take your dog for a long walk with no destination in mind;
Sit on your back porch and meditate or listen to a calming podcast with a cup of tea;
Pull out the grill and make family dinner an outdoor event in the middle of the week;
Or the easiest challenge for the week - schedule two days this week that you will leave school ON TIME and take the rest of the afternoon and evening for yourself without grading or planning!
When I think of spring, I think of this bit of Irish countryside I visited one April day. Think about what springtime view you look forward to seeing.
Articles of Interest
Student Engagement: The Value of Mailing Encouraging Notes to Students by John Tiersma, Edutopia
Formative Assessments: 8 Flexible Strategies for Formative Assessment by Barbara Blackburn
Creative Summative Assessments: 30 Creative Ways Kids Can Respond (to books and concepts) by Elizabeth Mulvahill, We Are Teachers
Hybrid Instruction: A Hybrid Companion for Middle Level Teaching by Chryl Mizerny, MiddleWeb
Classroom Management: 25 Elementary Brain Breaks to Beat the Slump by Jeanne Croteau, We Are Teachers
Early Childhood: A Culture of Kindness in Early Childhood Classrooms by Michele Coulombe, Erin Zuccaro, Edutopia
One-Pager Meets Fatigue.pdfOne-Pager Student Tips for Hybrid.pdfSMCPS employees has access to free, confidential referral and counseling services to balance home, work, and life. Employees can access resources to manage elder and child care, identity theft, and legal assistance.
As we are nearing a full year with pandemic challenges, we wanted to share this information with you. Keep the resources in mind through the school year as the needs may arise.
I have added a quick screencast of where to locate the information on the SMCPS Website.
EAP Location.mp4Asynchronous New Teacher Support Resources
As you are preparing for your second observation, revisiting and reflecting on the feedback from your first observation is a critical step. To assist with that, we have prepared a Nearpod Lesson to walk you through the reflection process. The lesson can be accessed using this link - Preparing for Your Second Observation.
Previous Asynchronous Options include:
Jacob Fusco has prepared an asynchronous version of his Hybrid Instruction Session which was first presented at a New Teacher Seminar session in the fall.
A Nearpod Lesson has also been prepared to provide ideas and a space to reflect on ways to Manage Your Time rather than having time manage you!
Have you visited the Equity Corner Site? The site provides resources for teachers with a focus on Educational Equity in the areas of academic achievement, leadership and human capital, school climate and culture, and educator and staff capacity. The monthly updates appear in The Signal.
Induction Site Access from Staff Page
You can now access the resources of the SMCPS Induction Site from the SMCPS Staff page. You do not have to wait for an update to easily find the Induction Site. The link is active for those logged into their SMCPS account and can be found under the Human Resources heading.
Teacher Performance Assessment System
For certificated instructional staff, the Teacher Performance Assessment System (TPAS) is used for classroom observation and annual evaluation. The TPAS system complies with the Maryland State Department of Education requirements for evaluation of certificated staff. The system is built upon the Charlotte Danielson Model and also includes an annual expectation of two Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) - one for student achievement and one for culture and climate.
TPAS includes five domains:
Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Learning Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
Domain 5: Evidence of Student Learning (SLO)
The Signal
Have you seen the Signal? The Signal is the bi-weekly newsletter from SMCPS for all staff. It includes important information for all staff, and has a few professional articles for your reading as well. Take a look - www.smcps.org/signal.
