FY18 PEER COACHING FOR NEW TEACHERS PROJECT

Why do ABE programs need a coherent, comprehensive induction program to support new teachers? Induction improves programs’ new teacher effectiveness—

whether an ABE teacher is a seasoned K–12 teacher or a teacher new to the field. Research from K–12 has shown that when teachers engage in a meaningful induction program emphasizing reflection and self-assessment, the teachers’ practice becomes more thoughtful, strategic, and effective.

A comprehensive induction program for supporting new teachers ultimately benefits students the most. A high- quality induction program propels new teachers to become more effective faster with the support of their peer coach and director.

Strong induction programs foster a collaborative program culture. Being coached during the beginning years allows new teachers to value continuous learning. New teachers learn to reflect on their teaching practice and value feedback.

Being a peer coach for new teachers re-energizes skilled teachers with new ideas and empowers them.

Inside: About the project

Criteria for participation

Project timeline

Participant role and responsibilities

SABES PD Center for Educational Leadership and Strengthening ABE Programs

Coaching has helped me

learn about fellow new staff

members in a unique way.

Our relationships have been

interesting and enriching to

me. Most of all, I have

become a more thoughtful,

purposeful teacher myself, as

I seek to find ways to help my

coachees.

—FY16 Peer Coach

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About the Peer Coaching for New Teachers Project

A critical aspect of this year-long induction project is to equip one skilled ABE teacher from your program with the skills and knowledge to become an effective instructional coach for new teachers at your ABE program. Through self-reflection and dialogue about effective instruction with your program’s peer coach, new teachers will gain a deeper insight into their craft and will be better able to meet the needs of their students. Programs have an option to continue for a second year on the project.

Although it is important that the peer coach and director work together to support the new teacher, all information shared between the peer coach and new teacher is confidential and will not be used in an evaluative way.

Criteria for Your Program’s Participation

1) Will you have a new teacher at your ABE program?

Yes Our program will be hiring at least 1–3 new teachers.

2) Is your ABE program able to do the following?

Yes Select an effective peer coach from the program staff. The peer coach should be a skillful, passionate, and reflective teacher who is highly respected for his or her expertise by staff and students at your program, and who possesses over two years of ABE teaching experience. This teacher must also have the personality and capability to be a quality peer coach and value professional learning, growth, and self-reflection.

Yes Improve upon your program’s induction process to better support new teachers.

Yes Provide organizational support to ensure that the peer coach and new teacher are able to meet regularly and that someone from the leadership team observes and provides growth-oriented feedback to each new teacher involved in the peer-coaching project.

Yes Continue to support a comprehensive orientation/induction process for new teachers at the end of the project.

3) If you answered YES to the above questions – Apply Now!

As a peer coach, I have had a

very successful relationship

working with my coachee.

When I first met my coachee,

I told her that I would be

working with her as a peer

and that I was there to

support her with whatever

she may need as a new

teacher.

I think she really appreciated

that. We see each other every

day that she is teaching and

we are very comfortable

working together.

What started as a

professional relationship has

blossomed into a friendship.

—FY16 Peer Coach

Up to 6 ABE programs will be selected for FY18.

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Overview of Roles and Responsibilities for Successful Collaboration WITHIN This Project

Attends 10-hour peer coach training plus three additional webinars.

Meets (via phone or webinar) with the SABES Peer Coaching for New Teaching Project Coordinator each month for 1–2 hours.

Videotapes and self-reflects on own teaching using MA comprehensive teaching framework at least four times during the year.

Communicates and meets regularly (2–3 hours a month) with new teachers, September through June.

Assists new teachers in developing their professional development SMART goals and plan.

Orients new teacher to the ABE program and ABE system.

Links new teachers to resources.

Helps new teachers review data and see implications for improving their practice.

Models continual professional growth.

Maintains the confidentiality of the coaching relationship while working with director to support new teachers.

Participates in the review or revision of the program’s staff handbook and new teacher induction program (e.g., to include peer coaching or other policies and procedures to support new teachers). Documents coaching hours for evaluation purposes.

Sends evaluation documentation to

SABES.

Complete Foundations for New Staff as soon as possible in school year.

Complete professional self-assessments to determine areas in which the coach can provide support.

Develop professional development plan with SMART goals with support of peer coach.

Communicate and meet with coach regularly, (2 hours per teacher per month, September through June). Note: prep or PD time may be used.

Videotape own teaching and self-assess strengths and areas that can be enhanced at least four times during the year.

I have found it very

useful to videotape

myself and watch

myself teaching as

well as observe

another teacher. All

of these

experiences have

proven useful

—FY16 Coachee

New Teachers from Each ABE Program

Peer Coach from Each ABE Program

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Strong leadership is a key component for a successful induction process.

Participates in the 2-hour Peer Coaching for New Teacher Project Director webinar in September 2017.

Promotes and supports peer coaching project at program.

Ensures that new teachers enroll in the 15 hour Foundations for New Staff as soon as possible in the school year.

Supervises, performs observations, provides growth-oriented feedback, reviews lesson plans, and evaluates new teachers independently from the peer coaching program.

Meets regularly with peer coach and new teachers for updates.

Reviews and revises, if necessary, program’s staff handbook and new teacher induction program (e.g., to include peer coaching and other policies and procedures to support new teachers).

Supports the continuation of the comprehensive induction program at the conclusion of the project.

Provides technical assistance to program director and peer coaches.

Provides stipends for peer coaches’ training and support.

Links members with resources.

It is helpful to get my

coach’s feedback and

suggestions about what

I’ve discussed in class,

and it is also very useful

for me to hear about what

she is working on.

Hearing about her teaching

approach has inspired me

to consider different

teaching practices and

resources I can use in the

classroom.

—FY16 New Teacher/Coachee

ABE Program AdministratorSABES PD Center for

Educational LeadershipSABES PD Center for

Educational Leadership and Strengthening ABE

Programs

Peer Coach StipendsA stipend will be provided to one peer coach from each program selected for this project. The stipend will be based on the number of new teachers that the peer coach will support. Each peer coach is able to support a maximum of three new teachers.

Stipends will be paid at the successful completion of the project:

• Peer coach with one new teacher: $1,900• Peer coach with two new teachers: $2,500• Peer coach with three new teachers: $3,200

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For more information about the Peer Coaching for New Teachers Project, please contact:

Sue Millersmiller@qcc.mass.edu 508-854-4513

It is always helpful for me to

have time set aside to reflect

on what I’ve been teaching

and how I’ve been teaching it.

I don’t really get the chance

to talk about my teaching

much, so it is useful for me to

verbalize my thoughts about

what I have been doing in

class. I have always been the

kind of person who figures

things out by talking through

them, so I find that simply

having a conversation about

what I’ve been doing in class

can spark new ideas and

solidify beliefs about what

has been going well and what

could be improved.

—FY16 New Teacher/Coachee

Deadline to apply is Friday, June 30, 2017

FY18 Peer Coaching for New Teachers ProjectApplication Form

Due: Friday, June 30, 2017

Name of program:_______________________________________________________________________Name of director: _____________________________ Email: __________________________________Director’s telephone number: ______________________Number of new teachers who will receive coaching in FY18: ______ ESOL ______ ABE

(Note: Maximum of three new teachers will be eligible to work with the coach. Programs with additional new teachers will need to select the teachers that are most in need)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Name of the peer coach: ________________________________________________________________Address: _____________________________________________________________________________City: __________________________________ State: _______________ Zip code: ________________Phone (best number to be reached): ______________________________________________________Email: _______________________________________________________________________________Educational background/Degree(s) _______________________________________________________ Number of years of ABE teaching experience _________

Please submit the resume of the peer coach with the application package.

Please address program selection criteria (page 3) when addressing the following questions:1. Why is your program interested in participating in the Peer Coaching for New Teachers Project? (Please

briefly explain what the program currently has in place to support new teachers.)

2. What qualities does the peer coach possess that will allow him/her to be successful in this role? (Please describe the peer coach’s informal or formal experience supporting or helping teachers, and specify how the peer coach is a reflective practitioner who values professional growth.)

3. What are your program’s plans to institutionalize a comprehensive induction program at the conclusion of this project?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

We have reviewed the Program Selection Criteria and the Participant Roles and Responsibilities and agree to our full participation in this project. We agree to provide requested information to help with the project’s evaluation. All information shared between the coach and new teachers is confidential and will not be used in an evaluative way.

Peer coach’s signature _________________________________________ Date _______________

Director’s signature __________________________________________ Date _______________

Due no later than Friday, June 30, 2017. If you have any questions, please contact Sue Miller at smiller@qcc.mass.edu or call 508 854-4513. Send your application package to smiller@qcc.mass.edu.

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