I was away and could not/did not work on my responsibility for the “responsibility” drill-down using the template. To my delight, when I
returned, I saw Ellen’s drill-down for “responsibility.” Thank you Ellen.
It works well, and I don’t see a need for me to start an additional drill down using the template. I will try to think of possible additional
examples.

I am interested in how the templates coalesce into a guiding “voice” of expectations and standards.

See you later.

Steve

Here is a first try at the drill-down for responsibility. I’m sure there are things that can be combined. I’m also not sure of how specific to get with the examples…Thanks!

Principle/area: Responsibility

TEACHER TO TEACHER
A. Goal: Teachers will engage in professional dialogue with colleagues to ensure best practice.
1. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know how to openly and honestly communicate while being respectful in conversations.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may provide feedback to colleagues after a peer observation.
2. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know how to actively listen to colleagues and accept other viewpoints.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may form professional learning communities with their grade level or department, meeting consistently in order to improve teaching and learning.
3. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know how to accept feedback from colleagues.
a. Specific Example: Teacher may participate in opportunities to look at student work and discuss alternative teaching strategies.

B. Goal: Teachers will share resources and ideas willingly.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to communicate resources and ideas in a non- threatening manner.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may plan, lead, and assess professional development for new colleagues.

C Goal: Assist new members in becoming acclimated to the profession and/or school culture.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to accept different ideas and teaching styles.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may become mentors to new teachers, but allow the new teacher to offer insight and suggestions.
2. K/S: Teachers know how to maintain a positive attitude.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may form professional learning communities for mentors and new teachers.
3. K/S: Teachers know that people learn in different ways.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may plan, lead, and assess professional development for colleagues.

TEACHER TO STUDENT
A. Goal: Teachers will build a positive classroom culture and climate.
1. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know how to involve all students in building classroom culture.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may create a classroom constitution and/or allow students the opportunity to jointly create classroom rules.

B. Goal: Teachers will plan and prepare for lessons while providing opportunities for “teachable moments”.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to prepare lesson plans.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may provide plans to enable substitute teacher success in the classroom.
2. K/S: Teachers know how to be flexible while keeping the learning goal as the focus.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may provide opportunities for students to share current events and personal experiences that relate to the topic at hand.

C. Goal: Teachers will ensure that all students have access to curriculum while differentiating instruction for all levels while setting high standards.
1. K/S: Teachers know the learning standards and curriculum benchmarks.
a. Specific Example: Teachers keep the current curriculum documents with planning materials.
2. K/S: Teachers know how to differentiate instruction for all levels.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may utilize project-based learning with multiple levels and opportunities to achieve the standard.
3. K/S: Teachers know individual student needs and learning outcomes.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may meet with special education teachers and/or guidance counselors periodically regarding student needs.

D. Goal: Teachers will use data to inform instruction.
1. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know how to analyze data.
a. Specific example: Teachers may use MCAS trend data to identify standards that need additional reinforcement.
2. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know how to gauge student need from data results.
a. Specific example: Teachers may use the DESE Growth Model to identify students who aren’t making adequate progress and plan lessons accordingly.
b. Specific example: Teachers may use assessment data to identify students who need additional instruction in a tiered setting.

E. Goal: Teachers will develop a means to consistently assess student learning.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to build multiple assessments, including pre-assessments, formative, and summative assessments.
a. Specific Example: Teachers develop assessments based upon student knowledge and utilize this assessment data to develop future learning activities and assessments.
b. Specific Example: Teachers develop ways for students to self-assess their own learning.
2. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know when to conduct formative and summative assessments consistently to inform instruction.
a. Specific Example: Teachers provide multiple opportunities in which students can demonstrate their learning over time.

F. Goal: Teachers will create and enact short-term and long-term visions for what they want their students to know and do.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to identify curriculum standards, content and skills, and essential questions to teach content.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may develop a curriculum map or scope and sequence for each class.
2. K/S: Teachers know how to set goals for student learning.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may post daily goals and objectives for each class.

G. Goal: Teachers will consistently inform parents of the child’s progress.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to effectively communicate with parents using multiple modes.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may utilize a website or parent portal to communicate with parents.
2. K/S: Teachers communicate both positive and negative issues to parents.
b. Specific Example: Teachers may develop system for contacting each parent at least once per month.

TEACHER TO ADMINISTRATION
A. Goal: Teachers will assist in building a positive school culture and climate.
1. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know how to maintain a positive attitude.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may work on committees to collectively address current issues and problem-solve with peers and administrators.
2. K/S: Teachers know how to work collaboratively with all stakeholders.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may serve on school improvement committees.

B. Goal: Teachers will work cooperatively with administrators to ensure that all decisions are made in the best interest of students.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to keep the focus on student learning.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may lead data analysis teams to identify areas of strength and weakness to make educational decisions.

TEACHER TO COMMUNITY
A. Goal: Teachers will assist in building a positive district culture and climate.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to work collaboratively with all stakeholders.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may serve on school improvement committees.
2. K/S: Teachers know how to communicate with the community in a clear yet respectful manner.
b. Specific Example: Teachers may provide opportunities for parents and the media to engage in classroom activities.

B. Goal: Teachers will work cooperatively with administrators and community stakeholders to ensure that all decisions are made in the best interest of students.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to keep the focus on student learning.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may lead data analysis teams to identify areas of strength and weakness to make educational decisions.
b. Specific Example: Teachers may attend school committee meetings to inform others and become informed as well.

C. Goal: Teachers will believe and practice shared values.
1. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know the district and school mission statements.
a. Specific Example: Teachers may serve on strategic planning committees to develop a mission statement and district or school goals.

TEACHER TO PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
A. Goal: Teachers will keep current on new practices and incorporate them into teaching.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to maintain life-long learning habits, identify effective new practices, and revise and improve upon practice by developing new skills.
a. Specific Example: Teachers complete college coursework in their content area.

B. Goal: Teachers will keep current on emerging technologies and incorporate them into teaching.
1. K/S: Teachers know how to identify new technology for use in and for the classroom and are willing to try new methods.
a. Specific example: Teachers attend workshops and conferences on technology integration.

B. Goal: Teachers will consistently reflect on one’s own practice.
1. Knowledge/Skills: Teachers know when to adjust one’s own thinking and practice.
a. Specific Example: Teachers participate in ongoing study and/or inquiry groups.

As I look at this article and read the various drill downs, I am increasingly struck by how the ‘teacher’s role’ as we’re asked to define it, relies on the school setting. It is a partnership between administration, students and teachers (sorry for restating the obvious). If a school does not have scheduled collaborative time, it may be difficult for a new teacher to find a place in this niche. Perhaps we should talk about a teacher’s willingness to seek out peers for opportunities to collaborate where no opportunities exist.

This article makes the presumption that whether effective or not, there are meetings happening in the schools.

As I sat in the January meeting I wondered frequently if there is room in our document to discuss the ideal setting. Even as we define what teachers do, it is easier to do in a high functioning environment. I have worked in environments where teachers did their job, and were rewarded for keeping their heads down and mouths shut. Needless to say this system collapsed. For several years the school experienced teacher turn over at a rate of 80% a year. But in the midst of this dysfunction, teacher leaders made certain students met benchmarks, graduated, and applied to and were accepted to top-notch colleges. Teachers who kept to certain standards (not disparaging peers, especially in front of students—not taking advantage of sick time—meeting professional responsibilities) fared the best. Teachers who worked outside of these standards became bitter, and some left the profession all together.

I wonder if there is room to talk about what a teacher does in an ideal setting, and what a teacher does to foster improvement in a transitional or poorly functioning environment. There is some underlying commitment teachers have that allow them to work for years in a school that is experiencing problems. I think it is important to unpack this.

The three elements outlined in this article are an interesting focal point and do seem to be the cornerstone of our work.

Academic collaboration (usually set by state and district_
Shared Beliefs and Values (more challenging)
Productive Professional Relationships (potentially the most challenging)

–Kimberly

I wonder, as we talked before, how well dispositions lend themselves to standards however. And perhaps that idea raised before how dispositions relate to personality, attitude and ‘ways of being’ in a way that don’t clearly lend themselves for prescription.

Just some thinking…

RESPECT
The Professional Educator demonstrates respect when s/he:
• Recognizes and addresses learning differences in all teaching
• Honors cultural differences
• Accepts others ideas and opinions and finds common ground
• Accepts and acts on constructive criticism
• Reflects before commenting
• Shows regard for others feelings
• Acknowledges the worth of every individual
• Acknowledges the fact there is always something to learn

I wonder how this stance — teacher professional identity — might contribute to our profesional culture work.