Teachers work collaboratively with school personnel to create a professional learning community. They analyze and use local, state, and national data to develop goals and strategies in the school improvement plan that enhances student learning and teacher working conditions. Teachers provide input in determining the school budget and in the selection of professional development that meets the needs of students and their own professional growth. They participate in the hiring process and collaborate with their colleagues to mentor and support teachers to improve the effectiveness of their departments or grade levels.
Teachers should: • Work collaboratively with all school personnel to create a professional learning community; • Analyze data; • Develop goals and strategies through the School Improvement Plan; • Assist in determining school budget and professional development; • Participate in hiring process; and • Collaborate with colleagues to mentor and support teachers to improve effectiveness.
• Collaborate with colleagues to mentor and support teachers to improve effectiveness.
In order to make collaborating with ZMS content-area teachers efficient, I created the English Language Development folder in the Team Drive. The information shared with the LEP team for dissemination throughout the grade levels is housed here as well as other common tools and strategies that content-area teachers can easily access to assist them in instructing and assessing ELs. Though I meet with my colleagues individually and in group settings as needed to strategize ways to improve learning and instruction for particular ELs as well as subgroups (newcomers, beginning, transitionals, long-term ELs, former ELs, etc.), I also use other forms of communication to help build capacity among content-area teachers. Email newsletters are one way that I share staff development information and address concerns more broadly that some teachers share individually with me. The Beginning of the Year presentation is another way that I address the most pressing concerns of my colleagues.
I have also organized a PLT of ESL teachers --NorthEast Regional Dynamic Learning Team -- who synergize regularly, collaborating to improve teacher instruction and assessment, increase student academic English language acquisition, and to decrease the academic gap between ELs and their native-speaking peers. Our team is recognized by the District, which seeks our expertise and input regularly when they need teacher input or leadership. Our members, including myself, are called upon to facilitate PD, mentor peers, and as a model for other PLTs. We also facilitate networking events to support other ESL teachers. Each of us is also involved in the District curriculum overhaul as writers or pilot teachers. We collaborate in person, virtually, digitally (through email, Twitter, and Google Apps for Education), and small groups as necessary to achieve our goals instructional and student outcome goals. We house shared information within a team folder in Google Drive and have expanded our presence to Twitter with the #ESL_DynamicLearning.