You might think visiting the second-grade classroom of a second-year teacher in the middle of a science lesson—at the end of the day near the end of the school year, no less—would be a bit chaotic. But if you’re talking about Kristen Murcott of C.H. Bird Elementary in Sun Prairie, that would be wrong. Murcott, ... Read More »
Immediate help for beginning teachers to improve their teaching practice was the focus of the first of six seminars scheduled for this year, starting on October 1. Teachers from nine school districts sat at tables with colleagues in similar grade levels, taking turns with a partner to talk about hard-to-handle issues, like “My students act out–they have no interest in the lesson,” “Transitions are ... Read More »
Despite the cold and snowy weather, nearly half of the 92 beginning teachers who registered for the January 8, 2015 seminar on the PDP (professional development plan) braved the miserable conditions to attend. Teresa Voss and Jen Murphy, both of Verona Area School District, facilitated the session, first of two on the PDP process for Wisconsin educator licensing. They emphasized ... Read More »
How do you know if, and what, your students are learning? The beginning teacher seminar in Fitchburg on November 6 focused on techniques to assess student learning, including determining the difference between summative and formative assessment. 80 beginning teachers were present.
