Teacher preparation should include: Creating classroom procedures and modeling learning for students
Editor’s note: I’ve asked members of the JEA Mentoring Committee, mentors and others to share their views about what should be included in teacher preparation programs. Peggy Gregory is a member of the JEA Mentoring Committee and helps plan and conduct the Mentor Forums at the JEA/NSPA conventions. She is the Language Arts Specialist for...
JEA Mentoring Committee members — connected in scholastic journalism outreach efforts now and 33 years ago
by Peggy Gregory JEA Mentoring Committee “Watch your back” took on a much more pleasant connotation for me recently. As I was sorting through piles of books and saved memorabilia in a cupboard of my spare bedroom in preparation for new bookshelves to be moved in, I came across an old set of C:JETs (JEA’s...
Poynter’s NewsU offers online course for high school journalism teachers
by Julie Dodd JEA Mentoring Committee co-chair For journalism teachers — such as our mentees — who are seeking ways to increase their advising skill set, the Poynter Institute’s NewsU is offering an online course that can help. Becoming a More Effective Adviser: Journalism Values and Craft will run for three weeks (July 25 –...
What Mark C. Carnes’ Reacting to the Past and scholastic journalism have in common — setting students’ minds on fire
by Julie Dodd JEA Mentoring Committee co-chair Setting Students’ Minds on Fire, a commentary by Mark C. Carnes in The Chronicle of Higher Education, has led to discussions on blogs and in person about how can we as teachers can get students more engaged in their own learning in a deep and powerful way —...
Strengths coaching: Mentoring to help new teachers improve their strengths
by Nick Ferentinos JEA Mentoring Committee When making assessments about a teacher’s practice, mentors often want to start with deficits, what the person does not do well, much as many teachers do when they’re looking at student work. For that matter, new teachers usually begin self-assessments by raising what they think is wrong with their...
’13 Steps to Teacher Empowerment’ encourages new teachers to determine proactive ways to work with veteran teachers, principals and parents (Part Two)
by Nick Ferentinos JEA Mentoring Committee In a presentation at the New Teacher Center’s Annual Symposium in San Jose, Calif., “Leveraging the School Culture to Support New Teacher Mentoring,” Harry Ross and Steve Zemelman addressed the practical strategies taken from their book, “13 Steps to Teacher Empowerment: Taking a More Active Role in Your School...
What mentors and new teachers can learn from ’13 Steps to Teacher Empowerment: Taking a More Active Role in Your School Community’ (Part One)
by Nick Ferentinos JEA Mentoring Committee One of the challenges new teachers face is learning their school’s culture. For some, it’s a shock because the community is unlike their own school experience. Teachers are generally middle class, but they often find themselves in a school that has high poverty and a culture which is unfamiliar...
New Teacher Center Symposium keynoter Ronald Ferguson presented ‘Creating Learning Conditions for Student Success’
by Nick Ferentinos JEA Mentoring Committee Years ago, I learned that when it comes to new teacher induction, “All roads lead to Santa Cruz,” referring, of course, to the New Teacher Center (newteachercenter.org) in Santa Cruz, Calif. And every winter, that road moves “over the hill,” as the locals say, to the “Capital of Silicon...
Doug Lemov’s ‘Teach Like a Champion’ provides techniques that can help media teachers improve their effectiveness
by Julie Dodd JEA Mentoring Committee co-chair Having a break from grading papers, I had time to read Doug Lemov’s “Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College.” The book is targeted for teachers working with students who typically wouldn’t be planning to attend college (i.e., students in urban...
End of year/semester offers teachers opportunity to reflect and develop strategies for improving
by Julie Dodd Mentoring Committee co-chair This is the time of year when new teachers (and veteran teachers who are new to teaching journalism) are looking forward to the holiday break. Most are eager for a break from publication deadlines, paper grading and lesson planning. Many also are thinking about how they can make improvements...
Caption Writing iDea with the iPad: Marilyn Chapman shares
by Julie Dodd JEA Mentoring Committee co-chair Marilyn Chapman (SC mentor), Judy Robinson (Mentoring Committee member) and I were at the Kansas City airport awaiting the same flight to Atlanta. We all have iPads and were discussing how we are using them in both our personal and professional lives. Marilyn shared a teaching tip on...