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Classroom Conversations: ‘If we invest in our people, they’ll stay;’ Statewide program helping keep new teachers in the profession
SNOW HILL, N.C. (WNCT) – Across the country, highly qualified teachers are leaving the classroom. Many of them leave after only a couple years of teaching. “It’s not just here, it’s everywhere, everyone, people, teachers are like ‘ehh, it’s just too hard,’ and yes, it is a hard job, but our babies need us,” said…
Read MoreIt’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…But What If It Snows?: Planning for Asynchronous or Synchronous Instruction
We have reached that magical time of the year filled with holidays that allow us educators to find some extra time to relax and recharge; and while it is a wonderful time, there is still work to be done each school day. Many of us find ourselves reviewing and preparing students for EOCs or mid-year…
Read MoreCommunicating with Families: Planning for Meaningful Partnerships
Now that the school year has commenced, you may be thinking of ways to improve communication with families in an efficient and proactive way! When and How? Knowing when to communicate with families is key to a strong home/school partnership. In general, it is important to start the school year or semester off with strong…
Read MoreCare Before Curriculum: Advice from Xavier Adams, 2022 North Carolina Beginning Teacher of the Year
Photo: Terri Clark Photography As an instructional coach, I have never worked with someone that has a harder time accepting a compliment than Xavier Adams. From my first visit to his class (via zoom during August 2020), he pushed me to give him more constructive feedback – it was clear he did not want to…
Read MoreBeginning Teacher Interstate Connections: Restore, Reflect, Do Something for You
“We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” – John Dewey The 20/21 school year is coming to a close, and it has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. While this year came with more than its fair share of challenges, the victories far outweigh the challenges; and they will allow us to move…
Read MorePerspective | Certainty in an uncertain time: NC NTSP commitment to supporting North Carolina’s Beginning Teachers
As a university-based induction program, the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program (NC NTSP) partners with educator preparation programs (EPPs) to support their mission in training pre-service teachers while strengthening university partnerships with existing school partners and building new ones. NC NTSP provides individual instructional coaching and professional development to all statewide partners, as well…
Read MorePerspective | Disrupting teacher workforce trends with the NC New Teacher Support Program
There are many characteristics within a school community that influence student achievement, but no other characteristic has as much influence as teacher quality. There is agreement about this among those who have taught which is also substantiated by a growing body of empirical research that demonstrates that a teacher’s ability to improve student performance —…
Read MorePerspective | A guide to hybrid coaching during COVID-19
COVID-19 has presented an abundance of obstacles and opportunities for learning to educators. A most pressing challenge is the delivery of instruction. With school districts having autonomy in the method of instruction, support staff not directly connected to one school or district have had to navigate a variety of instructional learning plans to sustain partnerships.…
Read MorePerspective | A teacher’s perspective on the impact of induction
In 2018, Judge David Lee appointed WestEd to lead a comprehensive investigation into what it would take to guarantee the opportunity of a sound basic education to every North Carolina student. In December, WestEd released their report that highlights the importance of cohesive, statewide policy focused on providing high quality education for all children in North Carolina.…
Read MorePerspective | Coaching during COVID-19 with NC New Teacher Support Program’s innovative supports
Ask teachers on any given day what it’s like to teach remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, and you’ll hear a variety of responses. Tasked with transferring their curriculum to a virtual-learning environment, it’s likely even the most seasoned veterans are facing unique challenges. For beginning teachers, this sudden transition to remote learning has compounded what…
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