Working in alberta schools

BIENVENIDOS A ALBERTA !

Annie Fung

English as a Second Language Coordinator and

Gr. 8 Social Studies teacher

D.S. MacKenzie Junior School, Edmonton Public

Schools

Origin: Hong Kong

Purpose of Session:

To provide you with some tools and information to

help you navigate through your journey at your new

home (your Canadian school).

Sources: Annie Fung, DSM Staff, ATA

Students

School Parents

PLANNING & ASSESSMENT

Curriculum

Year/unit/daily plans

Realistic expectations of Canadian students

Grading systems & report cards

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT/DISCIPLINARY

ISSUES

RELATIONS WITH STAFF & PARENTS

PLANNING & ASSESSMENT

Program of Studies

When planning…

Where did the students come from (last

year)?

Where do you want to take them?

Where are they going?

Prioritise outcomes

Consult with colleagues, Sigrid, and Melisa on

what‟s important (remember that each school will

be different)

PLANS, PLANS…WHAT PLANS?

Year Plan

Unit Plan

Lesson Plan

Substitute Teacher Plan

TOP 3 MAGIC WORDS FOR TEACHERS

YEAR PLAN

Comprehensive plan this is a very common

thing that principals may ask to see

What to include

Major learning outcomes

Time frame of when things will happen (make sure to

factor in extra time, e.g. holidays, special school-wide

events)

Types of activities and materials needed

Check to see if the previous teacher/others have a rough

course outline prepared and use this as reference.

Blank calendar format/outline format (sample on next

page)

SUN MON TUES WED THUR

S

FRI SAT

1 Intro to

Parts of

Speech

Outcomes

1.26-1.31

Worksheet

s/videos

2 3 4 5 6

7 8

Nouns

9 10 11 Nouns

Quiz

Start

Verbs

Outcomes

1.32-1.40

Worksheet

s/Games

12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19

PD Day

20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30

OCTOBER

UNIT: PARTS OF SPEECH

Week 1 : Introduction (Oct 1-5)

Major outcomes: ……………..

Activities: ……………..

Materials:…….

Assessments: ………..

Week 2 : Nouns & Verbs (Oct 7-11)

Major outcomes: ……………..

Activities: ……………..

Materials:…….

Assessments: ………..

UNIT PLAN (P. 1)

detailed plans for the unit and what you

want to achieve

End product/skills

Guided practice

Introduction/assessment of students‟ prior knowledge

Are students ready for the introduction

or do we need to give them more context

before we start?

DAILY PLANS (SEE P. 2 - 6)

specific details of what will be done in the short term within a unit

Written lesson plans are EXPECTED of teachers BUT can take many different forms (show samples)

It should not be something stressful…it should include :

1. Date/objectives

2. I CAN… statements (optional)

3. Materials needed/Preparation

4. Lesson Procedures (opener/introduction, main content)

5. Closing/Assessment (how will you know students have learned?)

6. Evaluation/Extra notes

Your short term roadmap/can also be viewed as

how you are organising a lesson as a professional

to principals who may see it (it will reveal your

style of teaching, etc)

SUBSTITUTE/SUPPLY TEACHER PLANS

(P. 7 - 12)

When you miss work (e.g. sick, professional

development, dental appointment….), you are

expected to notify your school in advance and

“book” yourself a “sub”.

You are expected to provide plans for the

supply teacher that is filling in for you.

This is usually done via a school board website

given to you or via the telephone. Find out the

procedures EARLY in the year in case of

emergency.

Beware of different codes (reasons for leave) because

schools are sensitive to these since they may affect funding for

the school!

Be sure to leave this package somewhere VISIBLE so the

teacher can find the plans!

Find out from other colleagues which supply teachers

they have used/trust. Schools often have a preferred list.

However, you will find many good supply teachers “by

random”.

Make sure your substitute knows where to find the

emergency kit (class lists, evacuation/fire procedures,

flashlight, etc.)

Book substitute teachers AS SOON AS you know you

will be absent. It is often difficult to book a supply

teacher on Fridays/Mondays.

ASSESSMENT (P. 13 – 17)

In the perfect world…

Students are focused, serious about

learning, assignments are done on

time.

If we are all lucky, the students may

enjoy the lesson and remember what

has been learned!

IN THE “REAL” WORLD,

IT‟S MORE LIKE THIS…

THE REALITY IN CANADA

What are realistic expectations from

school, parents, and students?

You have probably already noticed the

more „relaxed‟ environment in Canadian

schools.

Most schools are promoting holistic

learning essential for students to be

well-rounded (participating in academics,

sports, arts, and other outside interests)

TODAY’S CANADIAN STUDENT

Elementary

more focused on social aspect (fitting in, feeling positive about learning environment)

not as academically focused as other countries (though a strong foundation in the four core subjects are emphasized, especially math and language arts)

Junior High/Senior High

more academically focused, HOWEVER social aspect still

considered very important by parents and of course, ESSENTIAL to teens at this age

teenagers are usually given more freedom as they mature…they also take on leadership roles in the schools, to participate in teams/clubs, outside commitments.

Teens also are allowed or sometimes encouraged to

take up part-time jobs to earn pocket money, explore

career interests for the future.

Attitude towards school academics can vary

but expectations are generally lower than in

European schools.

First & Second Language Learning

Higher emphasis on making language learning about

communication and enjoyment. There is a less focus on the

“perfect grammar”.

CASE STUDY: CONCEPT OF “NO ZERO”

Recently, some school boards have introduced the

concept of no zero. Based on various educational studies, it was found that it is often „‟counterproductive” to give a grade of 0 to students who fail to complete assignments.

This may not be the case for every board; hence, teachers need to find this out from their staff/administration.

Philosophy behind this Students can‟t receive a zero for work they have not done because it is not a TRUE assessment of their abilities!

Increased teacher accountability but also the students‟

TYPICAL STEPS OF RESOLVING MISSED WORK:

1. Student does not hand in assignment.

2. Teacher speaks with student regarding this concern and expectation for

its completion (e.g. provide extra help for student to „‟catch up‟‟ ,

detentions, etc).

3. Student does not hand in assignment.

4. Teacher will be expected to talk to the student and the parent/guardian at

home

5. If you run in trouble again, you will need to talk to your department

head/administrator for some advice. If you have shown clear steps

that you have given the students MANY CHANCES for making

up for these assignments, the staff will be very supportive of

your position.

WHAT IF IT IS NOW MARCH AND STUDENTS HAVE

NOT HANDED IN ASSIGNMENTS EVEN FROM

OCTOBER?

Again, this is usually RARE but teachers are not

expected to “chase” students for every missed

assignment.

It is up to the individual school to decide how to handle

each case.

ASSESS WHAT YOU HAVE - The course weight

of the assignments may change.

GRADING SYSTEMS

Choice of school board/individual school -

schools may run on a percentage (%) or letter-grade

(ABCD) system.

Find out your assessment policies early!

Participate in professional dialogue with the administration as well as department heads to ensure your assessments are aligned with the rest of the school‟s.

School Board “Lingo” and “Catch Phrases”

Each school board sometimes has the same ideas but may call it different things. It is important to find out the common words that the board uses for assessment so it becomes easier for you to converse with your Canadian colleagues.

“FOR/OF” LEARNING ASSESSMENTS

(EPSB)

“FOR” learning “OF” learning

•assignments that are given

to students to give them

practice.

Expected feedback: NO

GRADE! Comments on how

students are doing

(e.g. “satisfactory,” “need

more detailed explanations

in your answers!”)

• accumulative

•assignments/tests that are

given to students to

determine how much/well

they have learned (e.g.

quizzes, final unit projects,

tests, final exams)

Expected feedback:

GRADE (letter or %) &

comments

REPORT CARDS (INTERIM REPORTS/

END-OF-TERM ASSESSMENT) (P. 15)

*Keep paper copy of grades.

*Be familiar with how to enter grades/change grades in the

computer system. Print out an updated list of grades from the

computer regularly for reference.

INTERIM REPORTS END-OF-TERM REPORTS

a compilation of grades of

work done by a student

usually given out in the

middle of the term to let

students/parents know how

things are going in the class.

Also, outstanding

assignments are listed on the

page.

accumulate record of what has

been done for the entire term

(or end of the year

cumulatively).

*All schools have different expectations in terms of what is to be reported on the report card. Generally, the following things are included…

a) Curricular comment (types of activities done)

b) how students were graded (e.g. 70% class work, 15% tests, 15% projects)

c) how students are doing academically/behaviourally/quality of work

d) Recommendations for improvement

Additional list any major outstanding assignments that are incomplete, request for parent meeting, etc.

SAMPLE COMMENT (P. 15)

In most school boards, students are assessed on work they

have done. Also, check out district workshops for

assessment.

Marks in participation, effort, behaviour whether

positive/negative cannot be included in the term/final

grade. You may include a comment as feedback.

„‟Jacobo‟s difficulty in focusing in class may have

negatively impacted his grades. With better efforts, his

understanding of the curriculum will improve.‟‟

Check with your school board for guidance.

A Note about Achievement Tests (see P.16)

Standardised tests created by Alberta Education to measure student achievement in the province.

Students write these tests in Grades 3, 6, and 9 in the spring

Grade 3 (math/language arts)

Grades 6/9 (math/language arts/science/social)

Consult with your department leader/administration if you teach these grades

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT (“DISCIPLINE”) &

RESOLVING PROBLEMS

All teachers are bound by the Alberta Teachers‟

Association‟s Professional Code of Conduct (see

P.17)

Staff and students are bound by the Alberta School

Act (see web link)

It is very important that new teachers be familiar with

these codes. You just have to understand how they

work. If you are unsure, consult an administrator,

your ATA representative at your school, or contact

the ATA directly.

HELPFUL WEBSITES…

Site Link

Alberta Teachers‟ Association

(ATA)

www.teachers.ab.ca

FOIP (Freedom of Information &

Protection of Privacy Act)

http://foip.alberta.ca

Alberta Education http://education.alberta.ca/teachers.a

spx

Alberta School Act http://education.alberta.ca/departme

nt/policy/legislation/regulations.aspx

ATA Professional Code of

Conduct

(see handout, also on ATA website)

WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T…(P. 20 - 24)

Key ideas

being PROACTIVE (anticipate/participate)

PREVENTION instead of intervention

1. Being prepared for lesson…if the lesson is

designed to be relevant to students‟ needs and

interests, they will likely be more focused.

2. Low-key intervention strategies.

3. Direct intervention – talking to students after

school

COMMON STEPS TO DISCIPLINING…

COMMON STEPS TO DISCIPLINING…

4. Speaking with parents/guardians (P.30)

5. Referral to administration

Teachers need to find out what policies are in

place at school and what common practice for

disciplining amongst the staff is.

DISCIPLINE CONVERSATION MODEL…

1. State the problem.

2. State reasons why this is a problem. Help

student connect his/her behaviour as being an

interruption to his/her learning and your teaching.

Allow students to express their view when possible.

DISCIPLINE CONVERSATION MODEL #2…

3. State the solution to the problem. Ensure that

next time you catch the student doing

something good, give him/her positive

reinforcement.

“I know you have talked a little bit too much in class

before but I have noticed a lot of improvement in the

last two weeks, I just want to say good job.”

Email teachers to let them know student is doing well! Celebrate

their success!

Call the parents (and document that you have).

TIPS…

CHECK CUM FILES/ DIALOGUE - If you are noticing a pattern of poor behaviour from a student, do some research of your own.

BE CULTURALLY AWARE – Because of the multicultural nature of schools in Canada, you may encounter students from different countries. Learn to explore common values and communicative styles of other cultures as you go along. Notes on using humour in the classroom (p. 25)

HAVE BUDDY/”GOOD NEIGHBOURS” SYSTEM

REFER TO ALBERTA SCHOOL ACT to be clear on what rights teachers AND students have.

**RECORD WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THE COMPUTER DATABASE FOR STUDENTS**

For later reference and your protection. This information also aids the administration if further troubles arise with this student (e.g. parental complaints).

1. Describe WHEN this happened.

2. WHAT you did to resolve the problem

3. STUDENT REACTIONS (e.g. “responsive”, “angry and not listening, etc”)

Remember you can also record GOOD things about students or if improvements are observed.

Also, if you have contacted parents repeat the above steps and make a written record in the computer database.

LOW-KEY INTERVENTIONS (SEE HANDOUT)

Use low-key interventions when behaviours are not

majorly disruptive to the learning environment.

•Proximity

•Pause

•Gesture

•Eye contact

•Asking for a response

•Active participation

•Rewards and reinforcement

•Name dropping

INTERNAL & EXTERNAL RELATIONS

BE VISIBLE!

Get to know your staff, including secretaries and custodians.

Participate in social outings/school functions

Find some teaching “buddies” for support and for celebrating

your successes .

Get to know your administration! Be aware that the school

boards have given principals more responsibilities in

schools than in Spain.

Don‟t be surprised…

If a principal comes to visit your classroom…

If a principal asks to see your lesson plans…

Types of visits: informal („‟drop-in”) vs. formal (written)

PARENTS (P. 28 – 31)

Integral part of the “dream team”

Most parents are very supportive

of the schools but some parents

may lack knowledge in how to get

involved in their kids‟ homework,

study routines, etc.

Encourage open communication

Students

School Parents

Can parents visit classrooms during instruction?

Parents or other visitors are not to be in the

classroom during instruction unless it is a designed

part of the lesson and/or approved by the

administration.

If parents have such a request, politely ask them to speak

with the principal, explain that this is school policy.

MUCHAS GRACIAS! BUENA SUERTE!

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Annie Fung

annie.fung@epsb.ca